Amazon Prime is a membership launched by Amazon. Since its launch in 2005, as of 2019, there have been more than 100 million subscribers. According to the survey, 64% of American households have joined Amazon Prime membership.
Prime membership used to be $99/year, but on May 11, 2018, Amazon increased the price to $119/year (or $12.99/month). Continue to rise to $139/year (or $14.99/month) by 2022, although, the price has grown, but it is finally generally accepted. But there are still ways to get Amazon Prime membership at a discounted price or even free, and this article will summarize 8 free ways and 9 discounted ways.
A Brief Introduction to Amazon Prime Membership
Before we get started, let’s take a brief look at the basic benefits of Amazon Prime membership.
- Free two-day/one-day/same-day shipping: Free 2-day shipping, or even 1-day or same-day shipping in some regions.
- Prime Video: Watch tens of thousands of movies, TV, series, and more for free on multiple devices.
- Prime Music: Listen to millions of genuine music for free on multiple devices.
- Prime Now: Free 2-hour delivery on groceries in select regions.
- Free no-rush shipping credit: If you don’t need 2-day delivery for certain items, you can choose no-rush shipping and get some rewards.
- Twitch Prime: Twitch.tv’s special offers and events for Prime members.
- Amazon Fresh: Fresh vegetables are delivered in 1-2 hours.
- Prime Pantry: Free shipping on orders over $35.
- Deals: 20% off baby food, diapers and other related supplies subscriptions, and 15% off Baby Registry.
Amazon Photos: Unlimited photo storage space, support for saving original images.
The above are the basic benefits of Prime members, but there are many hidden benefits that you can slowly discover.
A roundup of ways to get Prime membership for free
1. Free trial for 30 days. Cancellation unconditionally
Newly registered users can try Prime membership for free for 30 days, and the automatic renewal can be cancelled immediately after starting the trial without affecting the trial. Click here to start a trial.
After the trial period ends, if you forget to cancel the auto-renewal and you get charged, you can request a full refund if you haven’t used any of Prime’s services.
In most cases, if you don’t renew your 30-day trial, Amazon will also send you an email asking if you want to try it for another 30 days, so you can try it for 60 consecutive days.
If you just want to shop on Amazon for the holidays, use this 30-day trial to avoid wasting.
2. 6 months (180 days) free trial for students. Cancellation unconditionally
If you’re a student, you can try Prime membership free for up to 180 days, and it’s even cheaper to renew at just $5.49/month. Click here to start a trial.
It should be noted that the student membership can be renewed for a maximum of 4 years. After 4 years, even if you are still a student, you can only renew the ordinary membership.
To apply for student membership, you may need to provide proof of one of the following:
- School email, ending with .edu;
- School’s admission notice or transcript;
- Student ID.
3. If the item is not delivered on time, you can claim a free 1-month Prime membership
All Amazon orders have a guaranteed delivery date. If you do not receive the goods on this date, you can contact customer service to apply for compensation. Compensation can be in the form of a Gift Card or a one-month Prime membership.
You can use this method regardless of whether you are a current Prime member or not. You can apply for compensation if it is not delivered on the promised date, whether it is a problem with the courier or a problem with the merchant.
Now it is very convenient to contact Amazon customer service, email, phone, online chat are very convenient, especially online chat, you can get a month’s free membership in a few minutes.
4. Metro by T-Mobile subscribers get free Prime membership
If you’re a Metro by T-Mobile subscriber and you’re on the $60 Unlimited High-Speed Plan, get Prime membership.
5. Free 12-month membership for Sprint users
If you switch phone service to Sprint, you can get 12 months of Prime membership, which you can consider if you have plans to switch phone providers in the near future.
If you switch to Sprint, you can take Rakuten cash back and get $40 cash back:
If you are interested in Rakuten, you can read our previous article《Rakuten-Registration Bonus $30, Up to 40% Cash Back, The Most Complete Shopping Rebate Guide》.
6. Cash back with Amazon Store Card or Rewards Card
If you have an Amazon Store Card or Rewards Card, you can enjoy 5% cash back on all Amazon purchases, so that as long as you spend $250 per month, it is equivalent to a free membership.
7. American Express Card users may get 3 months free membership
If you hold any Amex credit card, you may receive 3 months of free Prime membership. This is invitation-only, and only users who receive the invitation can get it.
8. Register a new account with a new email address
There is a method shared by netizens on Reddit, which is to register with a new email address and continue the trial for 30 days. This may work, but it may fail. It is recommended to use this method 1-2 times.
If you have family members, friends, and roommates, you can actually let them continue the trial, but it may violate the ToS to register with multiple email addresses.
The above is a summary of how to get Prime membership for free, let’s see how to get Prime membership at a discount if it is not necessary to renew.
Other Tips
1. Join with TopCashBack to get $15 cashback
Join Prime with TopCashBack and get $15 back. The terms say that Existing Prime Member and Student Member are not counted, but I have shown in my own experience that after the membership expires, it is not counted as an Existing Member, and you can get cash back. Therefore, it is recommended not to renew the fee before it expires, and wait 1-2 days after the expiration to activate it.
If you are a new TopCashBack user, you can also get a $10 sign-up bonus by signing up through this link, for a total of $25.
How to use it: Click this link and scroll to the bottom to see the $15 in Prime cash back.
If you are interested in TopCashBack, you can read our previous article《$10 Sign Up Bonus – Earn Up to 40% Cash Back – Highest Cashback Rate TopCashback》
2. Join with BeFrugal to get $15 cash back
Join Prime with BeFrugal and get $15 cash back.
If you are a new BeFrugal user, you can also get a $10 sign-up bonus by signing up through this link, for a total of $25.
3. Discounted rates for those with EBT cards or Medicaid programs
If you hold an EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card or participate in Medicaid, you can join Prime for the low price of $5.99/month.
Generally, the following government benefits are eligible for EBT cardholders:
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Other programs by state
EBT card benefits are verified every 12 months and are only valid for a maximum of 4 years. After 4 years, regardless of whether you still hold an EBT card, you must renew as a regular member.
4. Discounted prices for students
If you’re a student, don’t forget that you can try it for free for 180 days, and after the trial expires, you can renew at a discounted price of $5.49/month. It can be renewed for a maximum of 4 years. After 4 years, even if you are still a student, you can only renew the ordinary membership.
To apply for student membership, you may need to provide proof of one of the following:
- School email, ending with .edu;
- School’s admission notice or transcript;
- Student ID.
Prime members can share Prime benefits with their family members through the Amazon Household program. Family members that can be added are:
- an adult
- Four children (under 12 years old)
- Four teens (ages 13-17)
Among them, the other adult will share the payment method with himself, and the other adult can place the order by himself. For children and teens, adult consent is required to place an order. All members have their own Amazon account and password, just join the same Amazon Household program and share Prime benefits.
6. Wait for the special dates every year to buy when Prime members are discounted
There are several special days every year (such as Prime Day, which may be different every year), Prime members will launch discounted purchases, such as the 10% discount for Prime members during Black Friday we reported earlier. You can continue to pay attention to the content of my blog, and I will report such preferential information as soon as possible.
7. On-demand monthly purchases
Yes, you read that right, monthly on-demand purchases do save money. If you don’t shop from Amazon every month, and don’t watch Prime Videos often, listen to Prime Music, you can buy a month’s membership during the shopping season (such as Black Friday, Christmas, Prime Day, etc.) , rather than buying annually. Otherwise, it’s a waste when you don’t use it. It is recommended that you think about your own needs and whether it is more suitable for you to purchase on demand on a monthly basis.
The above are several discount methods for purchasing Prime members. You can choose the suitable method according to your own situation to save money!
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