Amazon has one of the most well-known memberships out there for retailers, offering a wide range of benefits for savings and convenience. One of them is the popular shopping event, Amazon Prime Day, but you might not know about some other perks a Prime membership has to offer.
So, whether you've been a part of the club for some time or are thinking about finally joining, we're breaking down everything you need to know about Amazon Prime, including all the details about the 48-hour Prime Day savings events and much more.
Keep reading for everything you need to know.
What are the benefits of a Prime Membership?
Prime members have access to a variety of cost-saving benefits. Below, we’re highlighting the most note-worthy:
- Alexa+: Alexa+ is Amazon’s assistant powered by generative AI that Prime members can access via the app, Alexa.com and Alexa-enabled devices. The new assistant is said to be smarter, more conversational and even more personalized than ever before. For non-Prime members, the perk is $19.99+
- Free shipping: Probably the most enticing perk, Prime Members can enjoy free shipping on purchases, as well as same-day and one-day. Free shipping is also offered on select external retailers such as Shopbop, Zappos and Woot!.
- Gas savings: This is the newest perk added! Amazon recently announced that Prime members can save $0.10 per gallon on gas, saving up to $70 a year, according to the retailer. This benefit will be available at thousands of Amoco, Ampm and BP gas stations in the U.S. To learn more and activate this benefit, you can visit this page.
- Prime Video: You'll get access to tons of movies and TV shows, including Amazon Originals. Plus, you can rent select new movies for a fee.
- Amazon Music: Enjoy ad-free listening to hundreds of millions of songs, podcasts and more. Or, you can enjoy Amazon Music Unlimited for an additional $9.99 a month.
- Audible and Amazon Reading: Get a variety of books, magazines and more on a rotating basis with Amazon Reading. And that's not all, new Prime Members will get a free trial of Audible Premium Plus.
- GrubHub+: Prime members now get a free GrubHub+ subscription, with the ability to order food (straight from Amazon.com or the app) from a variety of restaurants with zero delivery fees, low service fees and special restaurant offers.
- Amazon Fresh: Amazon just announced a new private-label grocery brand full of pantry staples, produce and more at a great value. According to the brand, the line includes over 3,000 items and Prime Members will save an extra 10%. In addition to the savings, you can save up to 50% on deals that will rotate each week. Shoppers can grab these deals online and in stores where Amazon Fresh is available. Prime Members can score deals on groceries at Whole Foods Market as well as fast one to two-hour delivery, or pick-up in select regions, too.
- Subscribe & Save: Save up to 15% off five or more products. From pet food to beauty, there are thousands of items eligible for the subscription service and there’s no fee to get started. Just select a quantity and schedule your delivery, and you can cancel any time!
- Prime Photo: Save all of your favorite photo memories with unlimited storage. You even get 5GB of video storage, and if you need more, Prime Photo offers more plans starting at $1.99. And that’s not all, you can also access all of your photos across devices and display them on your home screens or use them as screen savers, too.
These are just a few Prime member benefits. You can read here to learn about everything a Prime membership has to offer, such as RxPass, access to lightning deals, Try Before You Buy and more.
How much is Amazon Prime?
A monthly Prime membership costs $14.99 a month, or $139 for an annual membership, which will save you a few dollars for the year long commitment.
Amazon now offers “Prime for Young Adults,” which allows those ages 18 to 24 and college students a free six-month trial of Prime, followed by $7.49 per month or $69 per year. Also, if you have qualified government assistance, you can also receive a Prime membership for just $6.99 after the free 30-day trial.
Amazon bestselling deals to shop now
Below, we found deals on Amazon bestsellers that you can save on right now.
"I didn’t think that there was going to be that much of a noticeable difference when switching from cotton to satin — boy, was I wrong," shared associate editor Kamari Stewart-Jackson. "The next morning, my hair wasn’t as tangled or frizzy as it was when using cotton pillowcases. I consider myself a 'hard sleeper,' aka I move around a lot throughout the night, so I’d gotten used to waking up to tangles, frizz and broken hairs left behind. That wasn’t the case the morning after using these satin pillowcases."
This viral putty gets in between all the dusty crevices of your car. The brand says you can even use it to clean remote controls, computer keyboards and more.
This editor-loved mascara is formulated with keratin fibers and is designed with a curved spoolie to lengthen each lash and provide that false-lash effect, says the brand.
Don’t waste money on disposable lighters, this electric option is rechargeable via USB. So you’ll always have a way to light your favorite candles.
Coming in a set of six, these elegant earrings are a great gift option for the fashionista in your life. According to the brand, they’re made with hypoallergenic surgical steel, making it suitable for sensitive ears.
Whether you're hosting a Valentine's Day dinner party or are preparing for outdoor barbeques once the weather allows, odds are, this meat thermometer will come in handy any time of year. You can score it now for over 30% off.
These highly-rated slippers make the perfect cozy gift for anyone on your list. According to the brand, they feature a memory foam insole and a nonslip sole.
Associate editor Erica Marrison prefers to stick to the classics in terms of her beauty regime. “When it comes to skin care, it’s fun to try new products but I remain convinced that the most basic brands are often the best," she explained. "That said, CeraVe is always a winner for my sensitive, acne-prone skin. I use this as my face moisturizer morning and night and it’s perfect! Plus, given that the price point is low and the container is huge, it lasts me a very long time before I need to repurchase.”
Cut your meal prep time in half with this No.1 bestselling vegetable chopper. It comes with four different blade types to cut and slice carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and more within seconds.
This No.1 bestselling sheet set comes with two pillowcases, a flat sheet and a fitted sheet, made from moisture-wicking fabric.
Skinny jeans are making a comeback and you can save 35% off on this highly-rated pair from Levi's. And they're versatile, you can wear them with your favorite booties, knee-high boots, heels and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Amazon Prime Day, is a 48-hour savings event , which is exclusive to Prime members around the world. Historically, it falls over two days in July, and the retailer has held an additional savings event in the fall. During the sale, shoppers get a chance to save across categories, as well as deals on Amazon Alexa devices, Apple products , bestselling beauty, fashion and more.
According to Amazon, the retailer will be holding October Prime Day in 19 countries: including The U.S., Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan and more.
Yes, to partake in Prime Day you need to be an Amazon Prime member. However, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial before the event to take advantage of savings.
Here’s how you can get started and save for the October savings event, according to the retailer :
Sign up for an Amazon Prime account , or if you qualify, a free 30-day trial.
Download the Amazon Prime app and allow notifications
Set up for alerts via the Amazon Prime app to receive personalized push notifications about updates on recently viewed items and items saved to your cart.
Ask Alexa: The device will notify you of deals on anything in your cart, wish list or “saved for later” section up to 24 hours before they’re available. You can even have Alexa remind you when Prime Day starts.
Why trust Shop TODAY
We combed through dozens of Amazon's bestselling products on sale to determine the very best deals for Prime members by identifying expert-and editor-recommendations from previous reporting on Shop TODAY and staff-tested award winners.
We also consider factors like a high average rating (of over four stars), the amount of verified shopper ratings (over 1,000) and specific user feedback. From there, we fact-check each deal through price trackers like CamelCamelCamel to ensure that they’re at their lowest price in at least three months (or, in some instances, their lowest price ever).
