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What Is Amazon Prime and What Are the Benefits of Using Prime?

Are the benefits worth the cost of Amazon’s membership?

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Amazon Prime is a membership program offered by the website Amazon. com, the popular online retailer. Prime members receive discounted shipping (often free) and access to download or streaming services for music, video, books, audio books, and games.

Amazon Prime Basics: How Much Does It Cost?

Amazon’s Prime membership begins by signing up for a free 30-day trial, after which members pay either a discounted yearly fee or a regular monthly fee (currently $119 for the yearly membership, or $12.99 per month for a monthly membership). There is also an Amazon Prime Student membership option for college students who have an email address that ends with. edu which costs about half the price of the standard Amazon Prime member ($6.49 per month or $59 per year, after a free six-month trial).

On the standard plan, during the 30-day trial, members have a chance to test out many of the features of the Prime membership including free two-day shipping and early access to Amazon Lightning Deals. Not all benefits of the paid Amazon Prime membership are available during the free trial, particularly for-fee add-on services and subscriptions. Paying for the membership grants access to the full set of services, benefits, features, and add-on options.

So, what exactly does Amazon Prime include?

Amazon Prime Benefits: Shipping

The flagship feature and most-often mentioned benefit of an Amazon Prime membership are the savings on shipping.

Free Two-Day Shipping: Members automatically get free two-day shipping on most items and orders. In cases where an item is not available for two-day shipping, it still ships free but may take a day or two longer. Free Same-Day Delivery: Members who live in an eligible zip code, typically those near an Amazon warehouse or fulfillment center, can opt for free same-day delivery of their order. Free Release-Date Delivery: Members who pre-order an eligible item ahead of the release date receive guaranteed delivery of the item on the actual release date. Prime Now: Members who live in select cities and zip codes where Prime Now service is available to receive free delivery in two hours or less (or, if preferred, a specially selected delivery time). Members can use this option for thousands of items, such as pet care needs, electronics, food, gifts, and even delivery from local area stores and restaurants. Use ofAmazon Locker and Amazon Hub. This is a safe place to hold items when you don’t want packages left unattended at your home or office after they're delivered.

Amazon Prime Benefits: Shopping

The second most-mentioned benefit of the Amazon Prime membership is exclusive shopping benefits reserved for Prime members.

Prime Early Access: Members get access to Amazon Lightning Deals 30 minutes before everyone else. Amazon Elements: Members get exclusive access to Amazon’s private line of everyday essential products, developed with a focus on top-quality ingredients and full disclosure of ingredients used. Initial products include vitamin and mineral supplements and baby wipes, with additional products in development. Amazon Dash Button: Members can buy a variety of Dash buttons for the items they use most. Dash buttons are a quick and easy way for Prime members to place an order simply by pressing a button. Dash buttons are available for household cleaners, pet products, snacks, beverages, and health and beauty items.

Amazon Prime Benefits: Listen

Amazon Prime members have free access to a number of audio services for music and audiobooks.

Prime Music: Amazon’s streaming music service, Prime Music, is available for members ad-free and with unlimited access to more than a million songs, hundreds of Prime playlists, and self-created playlists. The service includes unlimited skips and members can download songs to the Amazon Music app to listen offline for free, however, the app doesn’t allow music to be exported elsewhere.

Amazon has an additional music service called Music Unlimited that is a paid service, but Prime members receive a monthly discount towards its cost.

Audible Channels for Prime: Members get free unlimited access to Audible Channels, featuring original audio series, playlists organized by topic of interest, and other audio content. Members also get free access to listen to best-selling titles, favorite classics, and family-focused audiobooks with Prime Exclusive Audiobooks. Prime members simply log into the Audible app with their Amazon Prime account to use these benefits.

Amazon Prime Benefits: Read

As the creator of the Kindle e-reader, it’s no surprise Amazon Prime members have exclusive benefits for those who love to read.

Prime Reading: Prime members have exclusive access to the Prime Reading Catalog. Digitally borrow books, magazines, and more to read on Kindle devices, Fire tablets, Fire phone, or with the Kindle app for iOS and Android. Amazon First Reads: Members get pre-publication access to download one new free (or deeply discounted) book every month from the six-monthly picks on Amazon First Read’s list.

The Amazon First Reads program was previously called Kindle First.

Kindle Owners’ Lending Library: Amazon Prime members can borrow one free book per month, readable on Kindle devices, Fire tablet, or Fire phone from the Kindle Owners' Lending Library. Members can “keep” a title as long as they want with no expiration, however, the service only allows you to borrow one book at a time so you need to return the current book before choosing a new title to borrow.

This benefit is not available through the Kindle app for iPhone and Android. The Kindle Owner's Lending Library is only available for Amazon Prime members who also own a Kindle or Fire device and link their device to their Amazon Prime account.

Amazon Prime Benefits: Watch

Amazon Prime members receive unlimited streaming of a large selection of TV shows and movies. Members can also purchase discounted subscriptions to premium channels and content.

Prime Video: Members enjoy unlimited streaming service for TV shows and movies included in Prime Video. To find titles to watch, members just look for the Amazon Prime logo or “Watch now with Amazon Prime” in the video details. Titles available change periodically, however, members can create a watch list and the service will alert you when a title on your watch list is about to expire. Prime Video also includes all Amazon Original Series. Video Add-On Subscriptions: Prime members can opt to purchase discounted subscriptions or movie rentals to add-on to their viewing options, including new releases and premium television channels, such as Starz and Showtime.

Amazon Prime Benefit: Photo Storage

Prime Photos: Prime members receive unlimited digital storage for all of their photos in Amazon Drive. Prime Photos also allows members to organize, search, and share photos.

Amazon Prime Benefit: Gaming

Twitch Prime: Members can link their Twitch. tv account with their Amazon Prime account for special discounts on pre-orders of physical games and new releases. Members also get ad-free viewing and a new free Twitch channel subscription each month. Twitch Prime grants access to exclusive free games and game content, as well.

Amazon Prime Benefits: Eat

Everyone’s gotta eat, right? Members can use Amazon Prime services to eat cheaper or easier with delivery services. Include the new Whole Foods discounts for Prime members and eat healthier too.

Prime Pantry: Members who live in eligible regions can shop for everyday household needs and groceries and have their Pantry order delivered for an additional fee. Amazon Restaurants: In eligible zip codes, Prime members can order from popular area restaurants and have their meal delivered right to their door. AmazonFresh: AmazonFresh is a grocery delivery/pick-up add-on service option for Amazon Prime members. In select areas, members can pay an additional membership fee to receive free delivery on AmazonFresh orders over $50 or a flat delivery rate for orders under $50. Whole Foods Market Discounts: Amazon Prime members receive additional discounts on Whole Foods Market items they purchase through Prime Pantry, AmazonFresh, Prime Now, and the Amazon. com website. In the near future, Prime members will also receive special discounts when they shop in-store at Whole Foods Market locations. Whole Foods Market is a subsidiary of Amazon.

Amazon Prime Benefits: Rewards and Sharing

Amazon Prime members are eligible for cash-back rewards and special discount programs on certain categories of items. Members can also share some benefits with other members of their household.

Prime Rewards: Prime members earn 5 percent back on Amazon purchases made with their Amazon Prime Rewards Visa or Amazon Prime Store card. Prime members can instead opt to connect their checking account to a gift card through Amazon Prime Reload for 2 percent cashback. Amazon Family: Members can earn discounts on diapers, baby food, baby registry items, and other baby needs by signing up for Amazon Family’s Subscribe & Save program. Amazon Household: Members can share certain benefits with Amazon Household. Amazon Household allows two adult accounts, up to fourteen profiles, and up to four child profiles. Family Library allows members to share Kindle books, games, apps, and audiobooks with their Amazon Household. Prime Day: Prime Day is a one-day mega sales event exclusively for Amazon Prime Members. Part Cyber-Monday-in-July, part thank you discount for Prime members, Prime Day features special deals, exclusive items, special Lightning Deals only for Prime members, and more.

Canceling Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime Members can cancel at any time. However, if you have paid the discounted yearly rate and you have used any of your Prime member benefits, including free two-day shipping, you will not be eligible for a refund. If you are on the fence about how much you will use the various benefits of an Amazon Prime Membership, it may make sense to consider the monthly membership option instead of the yearly membership. To cancel your Amazon Prime Membership, log into the Amazon website and go to Your Account > Manage Prime Membership. When the Prime membership management page loads, click the End Membership link. The site will take you through a couple of pages to verify you really do want to cancel before your cancellation is processed. If you are canceling during your initial 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, you would click the Do Not Continue link on the Prime membership management page to cancel your membership.

Is Amazon Prime Worth It?

For frequent Amazon shoppers, a Prime membership could likely pay for itself with the savings on shipping costs alone. Those who don't order from Amazon as frequently would likely still find the membership worth the cost by considering the following:

How often do you shop at Whole Foods Market? With in-store discounts exclusively for Amazon Prime members on the horizon, savings on your everyday purchases at your local Whole Foods store may soon offset the cost of the membership. How often do you buy or rent access to movies or TV shows through Amazon? Many movies and shows, including Amazon Originals, can be streamed for free with your Prime membership. Two or three movies each month can easily offset the cost of a Prime membership. How often do you buy books or magazines to read on a Kindle or Fire device or your smartphone's Kindle app? Amazon Prime members have free access to a large catalog of books, magazines, audiobooks, comic books and more. For avid readers, a Prime membership may be less expensive than your typical monthly Kindle content purchases.

Amazon offers a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime so you can take it for a test-drive. If you feel it's not for you, simply cancel before your 30 days are up.

The 18 best perks you get with an Amazon Prime membership

It's Amazon Prime Day, meaning members of Prime have access to special deals on the online marketplace for 48 hours. As a member of Amazon Prime, you get a convenient and well-publicized perk: free two-day shipping on almost any item on Amazon.

But the $120-per-year membership actually gets you a lot more than expedited shipping. In fact, signing up for Prime unlocks features including: Amazon's vast digital library of music, movies, television, and books; a rotating selection of free PC games ; and unlimited cloud storage for your photos.

Prime members even get special discounts at Whole Foods, thanks to Amazon's acquisition of the grocer.

This is an update to a story originally published in 2017.

Here are 18 of the coolest benefits of Amazon Prime:

1. Free two-day shipping

Most things you buy on Amazon are eligible for free two-day shipping, but there are a few exceptions:

Some items that are fulfilled by Amazon Marketplace sellers Magazine subscriptions Personalized gift cards Items sent to international addresses and addresses in US territories, possessions, or protectorates (except for Puerto Rico).

2. Scheduled deliveries on your chosen Amazon Day

You can pick any day, Monday through Saturday, to be your designated Amazon Day, on which all of your orders will be delivered. You can change your Amazon Day at any time.

3. Prime Photos

A Prime membership also gives you access to Prime Photos, Amazon's cloud storage feature. Members get unlimited storage for photos, plus 5 GB for videos and documents.

4. A discount on Amazon Music Unlimited

Prime members can get Amazon Music Unlimited, Amazon's music streaming service, for $7.99 per month. Non-members have to pay $9.99.

5. Free same-day delivery

For orders over $35, same-day shipping is available in more than 5,000 cities in the US. Prime members can check if their ZIP code qualifies here.

If you place an order before noon, the item should arrive by 9 p. m. An order placed in the evening will show up the next day.

6. Amazon Elements

Amazon has its own line of high-end organic products, and Prime members get exclusive access to them.

Called Amazon Elements, the line includes vitamins and baby wipes. Amazon says its goal is to make the products with openness and transparency.

7. Twitch Prime

By signing up for Twitch Prime, members can get access to a rotating selection of free PC games, an ad-free experience on Twitch, and a free monthly Twitch channel subscription.

8. Prime Now

If same-day delivery isn't quite fast enough, you can use Prime Now, which will deliver qualifying items within two hours. The service is available in more than 50 cities worldwide, and you can order everything from an Amazon Echo to groceries.

If you need an item within an hour, you can get that in select cities for $7.99 extra.

9. Prime Video

Prime Video offers unlimited streaming of certain movies and TV shows in Amazon's library, including original content like "The Tick" and the upcoming "Lord of the Rings" TV series. The service comes free with Prime, but you can also subscribe to Prime Video as a standalone service.

10. Amazon Households

If you cohabitate with your significant other, you can share the benefits of Prime with them. Amazon Households can include up to 10 members, and you'll each split the cost.

11, 12, and 13. Kindle Owners' Lending Library, Prime Reading, and Kindle First

Prime membership brings with it several discounts and perks that harken back to Amazon's early days as a bookseller:

— The Kindle Owners' Lending Library can save you lots of money on e-books. Amazon says its library includes "hundreds of thousands of titles," and there's no due date, which means you can download the books and keep them indefinitely on your Kindle or Fire tablet.

— Along the same lines is Prime Reading, which functions more like a standard electronic library. Prime members can borrow books and magazines and read them on Amazon devices or in the Kindle app. With Prime Reading, you can keep up to 10 titles at a time. If you want a new one, you just return one you borrowed.

— Kindle First lets you download one of six books Amazon's editors highlight each month. The book will either be free or discounted and will be available a full month before the release date.

14. Prime Early Access

With Early Access, Prime members get to see and order products listed in Amazon's flash-sale Lightning Deals 30 minutes before non-Prime customers.

Is Amazon Prime really worth the price?

Amazon Prime can be your one-stop shop, but is it worth the cost?

Amazon has quickly morphed into the internet’s one-stop shop. Today, the online giant offers everything from books, electronics, and homeware to music-streaming services and fresh, on-demand food. The hook for an Amazon Prime membership is typically fast delivery times. But with so many Amazon services available, which ones are right for you? Is an annual $99 membership fee really worth it?

If you’re stuck, here’s a breakdown of Amazon Prime to help you decide if a yearly subscription is worth the investment.

Is Amazon Prime worth it?

Amazon Prime delivery speed

Amazon’s delivery speed is likely the main reason Amazon Prime is worth the cost of membership. Prime offers free two-day shipping for a majority of their products, as well as free same-day and one-day delivery in participating cities across the U. S. If you consider how much you spend on two-day shipping, especially for heavier items, it wouldn’t take long for you to recoup your annual investment.

If you literally cannot wait for your package to arrive at your doorstep, Prime also offers a two-hour delivery option, Prime Now, which can be applied while shopping for “daily essentials” and groceries.

Prime Now access

Prime Now offers members the opportunity to shop for household essentials from their Amazon store or local grocery store in the area. The package will arrive at your doorstep within two hours. If you don’t have the time to cook, members can also use Prime Now as a restaurant delivery service (similar to Seamless or UberEats) from local, participating restaurants in their area.

READ MORE:

Amazon Prime early access

Prime Early Access offers bargain shoppers the chance to get their hands on certain products across the online store 30 minutes before anyone else. Prime members receive early access to daily Lightning Deals that feature deep price cuts to most-wanted products in tech, home goods, and fashion. Keep in mind that deals last until supplies run out, so it’s best to be on your guard if you want to make the most of your membership.

Amazon Prime music streaming

If you’re not married to Spotify or Apple Music, Prime Music is free for all Prime members and works just like other music streaming services. Prime Music is ad-free and lets users customize their own playlists and stream on-demand. Given that Spotify Premium costs $9.99 per month, you’d actually save money annually by just using Amazon Prime, and you’d be getting all of the other benefits that come with it.

If you own an Amazon Alexa, Prime Music will automatically sync for music listening purposes. Alexa can also easily connect to your Spotify account.

Amazon Prime video streaming

Prime Video offers on-demand, award-winning movies like Manchester by the Sea, Emmy-nominated Amazon originals like Transparent, plus an extensive collection of popular TV shows. Some flicks are available to rent or purchase, but there’s also a selection of movies and shows that are included with the membership. Here’s our rundown of the best movies on Amazon, the best documentaries on Prime, and our regularly updated list of what’s new on Amazon (and what’s leaving).

Prime members can also stream TV channels like HBO and Showtime from Prime Video.

Audible channels

Prime members can listen to Audible audiobooks and podcasts for free through the Audible app.

Twitch Prime

Twitch Prime is a nice perk for serious gamers or anyone interested in copping the newest gadgets on the market for a good deal. By linking their Amazon account to Twitch, Prime members get a regularly updated selection of free digital games, access to early releases, and discounts on pre-orders.

Prime Photos

Prime Photos lets members order prints, organize, and store all their photos with unlimited storage at no extra cost. Although the service is good for keeping track of your own files, it’s geared toward sharing. Members can invite up to five friends or family members to receive unlimited photo storage and collect photos together in a joint album.

Prime Pantry

Prime Pantry is Amazon’s grocery delivery service, offering members deals on non-perishable goods, household items, and exclusive Amazon-branded snacks. If you want timed delivery for items you go through every week, Pantry might be a good option.

Amazon Fresh

Although it’s not free, Amazon Fresh is the online giant’s foray into the fresh grocery delivery service, tackling competition like Instacart. For an extra $15 a month on top of your Prime subscription, Fresh is a nice perk when you want to throw in a few vegetables with your Prime Pantry purchase. It’s a convenient service for quick delivery, though probably not your best bet for a whole week’s worth of groceries.

READ MORE:

Amazon Meal Kits

Amazon Meal Kits are a new meal prep option for those who aren’t too savvy in the kitchen. The meal kits are offered through Amazon Fresh. So far, 17 meals are available for purchase, like Tacos Al Pastor and Togarashi-Spiced Salmon.

The kits aren’t cheap—a meal kit for two costs $19. Still, the total cost isn’t far off from competitor Blue Apron‘s meal kit prices, which cost $10 per serving for a 2-person plan.

Prime Reading

Prime members can access an extensive collection of books, magazines, and other content for leisure reading with Prime Reading. Although most book options are geared toward Kindle readers, you can also order hardcover, paperback, and audiobooks instantly.

Membership sharing

Amazon Prime gives members the option to create an Amazon Household and share their account by linking a family member or friend. This allows you both to reap the benefits you’re paying for (or split the yearly bill). However, if your circle is larger than two people, you can also add multiple cards under one account.

So, is Amazon Prime really worth it? It all depends on how much you plan on using the service, but if you’re shopping online or are interested in streaming entertainment, you’ll be surprised just how quickly you’ll recoup on your investment.

Editor’s note: This article is regularly updated for relevance.

Kristen Hubby

Kristen Hubby is a tech and lifestyle reporter. Her writing focuses on sex, pop culture, streaming entertainment, and social media, with an emphasis on major platforms like Snapchat, YouTube, and Spotify. Her work has also appeared in Austin Monthly and the Austin American-Statesman, where she covered local news and the dining scene in Austin, Texas.

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Amazon To Release Buy Shipping For Seller Fulfilled Prime

Amazon Buy Shipping

Amazon is releasing a new shipping API for Seller-Fulfilled Prime on 1 February 2016.

Under the new Amazon Buy Shipping API, sellers using Seller-Fulfilled Prime will have to use Amazon’s list of preferred delivery services in order to continue to avail of Prime.

However, there is an extra twist. Amazon isn’t providing a service to access its API – you need to find your own integration, either through an internal build or by using a third party service.

Sellers will still likely be able to use the same shipping companies they did prior to joining Amazon Prime. But the choice of shipping company has to be made through Amazon’s API, where it lists its preferred shippers (UPS, FedEx etc).

The water cooler conversations here at XSellco HQ suggest this feature could be part of Amazon’s strategy towards becoming a package-delivery service, with Amazon itself joining the list of preferred shippers at some point in the future.

Amazon expands Seller-Fulfilled Prime

Amazon has added more than 500,000 products to the Prime catalogue, just six months after it began inviting self-fulfilled sellers to join its premium service.

The eCommerce giant first made Prime shipping available by invite-only in June 2015, inviting self-fulfilled sellers with a strong delivery track record to make their products “Prime-eligible”.

Former Amazon executive James Thomson told Webretailer that Seller-Fulfilled Prime is “not just about controlling online markets, but also bricks and mortar retailers too”.

Basically, by allowing Amazon sellers with their own urban warehouse spaces to join Prime, Amazon will be physically closer to its customers than ever. This strategy fits in with Amazon’s expansion of its Logistics and Pantry services, making one-hour deliveries a real possibility.

How to join Seller-Fulfilled Prime

Amazon Prime grants you access to the cream of the crop in terms of Amazon customers.

About 70% of Prime customers spend $800 a year on Amazon, compared to 15% of non-members. Prime opens the door for sellers to a whole lot of customer spending power.

With premium services come premium entry criteria. To be eligible for Seller-Fulfilled Prime, sellers must have:

Location: Sellers’ business ship-from address must be located in the US, UK, Germany or another eligible country.

Account Type: Sellers must have an account with a professional selling plan, and the account must active and in good standing.

Premium Ship Options: Sellers must be enrolled in Premium Ship Options (One-Day and/or Two-Day Shipping).

Learn more about the benefits of Seller-Fulfilled Prime in our eBook, “Selling in your Prime: A Guide to Amazon Seller-Fulfilled Prime and Buy Shipping. Download it here.

The Shipping solution

XSellco Swift is a shipping software designed to streamline the shipping process for Amazon self-fulfilled sellers. Swift connects directly to Amazon’s Buy Shipping API, giving you access to Amazon’s list of preferred shippers at competitive prices.

Manage shipping for multiple Amazon channels in one easy-to-use dashboard

Get shipping quotes from a network of Amazon Partnered Carriers

Print all shipping and packaging labels required under Amazon guidelines

Receive automatic notifications of impending order deadline

Automate specific tasks by creating unique rules for SKUs or carriers