is almost here—but you have to be an Amazon Prime member to access the deals. The unofficial kick off to the holiday shopping season will arrive on October 8, and we’re expecting it to bring thousands of Black Friday-level discounts across all categories. If you’re a frequent online shopper but not yet a Prime member, it’s worth looking into (especially if you want to shop October Prime Day this year).
In addition to allowing you to shop Amazon’s Prime member-exclusive sales, a membership gets you a slew of other perks like free, expedited shipping on millions of products and the ability to stream thousands of movies, TV shows and songs for free. If you’re interested in learning more, we’ve outlined how to sign up for Amazon Prime and answered some frequently asked questions about the membership program.
How To Sign Up For Amazon Prime
- Navigate to Amazon’s site.
- Select “Hello, sign in” located in the menu bar at the top righthand corner of the screen.
- Below the email sign-in box, select Create your Amazon account.
- You’ll be prompted to enter your name, email or phone number and a new password. This will create an Amazon account but not a Prime membership.
- Once you are signed in, navigate back to the menu bar at the top right of the screen. It should now read, “Hello, [your name].” Select your account.
- Select the Prime box in the top right of the page (next to Login & Security).
- If you haven’t had an Amazon Prime membership in the past 12 months, you’ll have the opportunity to start a free 30-day trial before starting your monthly or annual paid membership.
- Once your trial has ended, you can choose to pay a monthly fee of $14.99 or an annual fee of $139 going forward. Students and select government assistance recipients qualify for a discounted rate, so make sure to read through all of the plans to select the best option for you.
How Much Does It Cost To Sign Up For Amazon Prime?
An Amazon Prime membership costs $14.99 per month (or you can opt to pay a slightly discounted $139 annual fee, which comes out to about $11.58 per month). Students can save 50% on a membership, coming in at either $7.49 per month or $69 annually. Select government assistance recipients—including those who receive EBT, Medicaid and SNAP—can qualify for a discounted membership fee of $6.99 per month.
What Does An Amazon Prime Membership Include?
Aside from access to exclusive sale events, like Prime Day and the upcoming Prime Big Deal Days, an Amazon Prime membership nets you quite a few benefits. It includes free same-day and two-day shipping on millions of products, access to Amazon Music and Prime Video streaming (though you’ll still see ads unless you upgrade to an ad-free membership) and a handful of other offers like a free Grubhub+ membership. You can browse the full array of benefits here.
Can You Share A Prime Membership?
Yes, it’s possible to share a Prime membership. A household (up to two adults and four teens) can share a single Prime membership for no additional cost, but the account will also share the same payment method. To add family members to your account, navigate over to the Manage Your Household button and fill in the required information.
Do You Need A Prime Membership To Shop Prime Day Deals?
Yes, you need an Amazon Prime membership in order to shop Prime Day deals—both during the upcoming October Prime Day event and during Prime Day in July. That said, you can sign up for one at any point during the sale and even shop during your 30-day free trial period.