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Amazon Prime gives users access to a vast on-demand video library, free Kindle books, free shipping and more perks — all for an annual fee of $139. Luckily, there are still some ways you can get the benefits of an Amazon Prime membership without forking over the big bucks to the “Jeff Bezos vacation fund” or stealing a friend’s login information.
Listed below are some of the best ways to save on this popular service.
1. Opt For A Monthly Subscription
Paying for an Amazon Prime subscription on a month-by-month basis, rather than yearly, means paying $14.99 each month, which is a yearly spend of $180 for the service. But if you are someone who knows they will only use Prime a couple months out of the year — such as at Amazon Prime Day, around the holidays or when one of Amazon’s original series drops new episodes — then you might want to simply pay the $14.99 monthly fee a couple times a year and cancel before it automatically renews.
2. Be A Student
Obviously, enrolling in college simply to get a discount on your Prime subscription is a ridiculous idea. But in case you weren’t aware, people with an email address that ends in .edu are able to get Prime free for the first six months.
After that free trial ends, those subscribers get the service at half the typical annual cost for four years. So, if you’re in school and haven’t signed up for a Prime student discount, get on it!
3. Perfectly Time Your Free Trial
Anyone who isn’t a student can get a free trial of Amazon Prime for 30 days. If you mainly do your online shopping in the winter, start your free trial in late November and reap the benefits for the entire holiday season — just be sure to cancel it before you get charged.
4. Claim Your Government Assistance Discount
People who have an EBT or Medicaid card from the U.S. government can get an Amazon Prime subscription for $6.99 per month. That price only adds up to about $84 per year, which is obviously a great deal on the full service. This discount lasts for four years, but eligibility must be proven every 12 months.
5. Ask Another Member To Share
Amazon Prime subscribers are able to share their plan with one other adult through the Amazon Household option. If you join someone’s Amazon Household, you get all the benefits of a Prime subscription, but to be eligible you must add a personal payment method to the shared account, such as a credit card.
Does Amazon’s price hike make you reconsider getting or renewing a Prime account?
We were not paid to write this story. Our team scours the internet looking for tips, tricks and products that can help you save time and money. However, we may receive a small commission if you make a purchase from one of the retailers mentioned in this story.
About the Author
When he's not writing or spending time with his son and wife, Clint is probably watching sports, an old movie or adding to his VHS collection. A lifelong Ohioan, he's based in Columbus, and has two big dogs and a cat that's as soft as cotton. More.
