I’ve been an Amazon Prime member for almost three years now, and so far I have been happy with it. Last December we purchased a Smart TV, and it was nice to see that setting it up for my Amazon Prime was a breeze. Love my Smart TV.
Last January 19, I received this notification email from Amazon Prime.
“Thank you for being a valued member of Amazon Prime. We are writing to you about an upcoming change to your membership. The price of the monthly Prime membership increased from $10.99 to $12.99 on January 19, 2018. The new price, plus applicable taxes, will apply to your renewals starting March 01, 2018”.
Yes, for those who choose to pay by the month for their Amazon Prime membership, be aware. Amazon.com is increasing the monthly price option for Amazon Prime from $10.99 to $12.99.
This increase will raise the overall annual costs to just under $156. The increase is already in effect for new members. Existing accounts can expect to see the change after February 18th of this year.
When asked about the price increase, Amazon stated there is no preference between their month to month members and annual members.
The reason for the increase in monthly service is to contend with added expense to manage the non-contact part of the service and counteract the more transient nature of this type of plan.
The company went on to note that this change is only being made on the month to month accounts. For those who’ve elected the annual membership plan, it will remain at its current $99/year price tag, which is now a saving of over $50 annually when compared to the monthly option.
As Amazon has continued to invest more and more in Amazon Prime, it has succeeded in delivering it to new markets globally. They have also continued to create additional benefits as well as original programming.
The only other plan being affected by this rise in pricing is the Amazon Prime membership for students. This discounted plan will be raised to $6.49/monthly.
Other plans, such as the Amazon Prime Video only subscription and the discounted program for government assistance participants will both stay at their current prices. When Amazon Prime introduced the monthly subscription and the Video only subscriptions in 2016, they were able to compete on a much higher level with their streaming rival, Netflix.
Why Prime?
If you are not already an Amazon Prime member and are wondering what all the fuss is about, consider these features.
Amazon Prime’s Shipping Benefits Include Free services for each of the following:
- Same-Day Delivery in qualifying zip codes.
- Two-Day Shipping on qualifying items to the continental U.S.
- 2-Hour Prime Now Delivery to qualifying zip codes.
- Release-Date Delivery to ZIP codes inside the continental U.S.
- No-Rush Shipping.
Amazon Prime’s Streaming Programs are available at various prices and include:
- Amazon Channels: STARZ, SHOWTIME, and HBO without cable and no apps required.
- Prime Music: unlimited, ad-free Playlists
- Prime Video: unlimited streaming of movies and TV episodes.
- And more.
For more information on all the services, Amazon Prime delivers, visit Amazon Prime.
Where it’s Coming from and Where It’s Going
Currently, over 100 million items are eligible for the popular two-day delivery via Amazon Prime. A number that is 100% more than just a year ago.
To keep up with its ever-increasing demand, the company increased its presence worldwide by 30%. In the U.S. this included making use of 32 Amazon planes and over 6,000 freight trucks.
Additionally, Amazon has been spreading the program to even more potential customers by expanding locations into Singapore, Mexico, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
I will continue with my Amazon Prime membership at least for this year. Will be converting to the annual membership so I can take advantage of that $50 savings.
Are you an Amazon Prime member? Are you in or are you out?
