When was the last time you thought about how much you pay for Amazon Prime?
Was it when you ordered a pack of batteries at the last minute, saw “Fleabag” again in a day, or Whole Foods delivered a week’s worth of snacks to your apartment?
More than 200 million people are members of Amazon Prime. The cost of an Amazon Prime subscription has soared to $139 a year in the US this year, from $119 previously. (If you want to make smaller payments, it’s now $14.99 per month.) The price has increased since the membership option launched in 2005 to $79 per year, but the list of what It also includes bloated with good offers (Prime Video streaming) and many less useful ones (a personal shopping service that will still cost you $4.99 per style).
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There are other issues you need to consider when deciding to do most of your shopping on Amazon. The proliferation of third-party sellers in its marketplace can make it harder to determine quality and whether you’re getting the best price. And Amazon is such a powerful and long-standing force in online shopping that sometimes it’s easy to forget that there are alternatives to getting your goods or ordering your groceries. The company’s Prime service faces increased competition from other retailers with fast delivery and large selections.
Let’s find out if you still benefit financially from membership, or if there’s life after Prime. Answer the following questions and we can help you decide if it’s still worth paying for Amazon. We also share some tips to pay less.
(Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)
Dispatch
Fast, unlimited shipping has always been the main advantage of Amazon Prime and if you use it enough, it could equal the cost of a one or two day shipping without Prime. But with new competitors like Walmart Plus and Amazon’s free shipping on orders over $25 for non-Prime members, that may not be enough to justify $139 a year for everyone else.
Races
Anyone can walk into a Whole Foods, but there are a number of grocery perks only available if you pay for Amazon Prime. Only Prime members can get delivery from Whole Foods, but it will cost $9.95 plus tip. Prime members can also have groceries delivered by Amazon Fresh at no additional cost if they spend more than $35 In certain regions.
Diffusion
One of the perks of Amazon Prime is its video streaming service, Prime Video, which is included with membership. A competitor to Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max, the service offers the usual mix of reliable old shows and original programming. You have to pay extra for some desirable titles and new releases, and Prime has plenty of competition when it comes to original content.
Other benefits
Amazon is touting the merits 35 Bonus perks, but not all are worth the price of admission. There are real values, but the rest is a mix of discounts or regular offers that only work if you pay even more money on top of your subscription.
