Posted on 04/24/2016 2:45:45 PM PDT by goldstategop
If you’re a regular shopper on Amazon and want the shopping benefits of Prime, it makes more sense to go with the full-year plan instead of the month-to-month option. Yes, you’ve got to pay $99 all at once for that membership, but that ends up significantly less expensive than the $131.88 you’d spend over the course of the year.
Depending on what you buy, and how quickly you need it, you may want to consider ditching Prime altogether. Amazon recently made it more difficult for non-Prime members to qualify for free shipping, raising the minimum order to qualify for free shipping on most (non-book) purchases to $49. Book purchases only need to hit the $25 mark to qualify.
So if you’re regularly making purchases that pass the free-shipping threshold and don’t mind waiting a few extra days for delivery, then maybe the money you’re spending Prime could be put to better use elsewhere.
(Excerpt) Read more at consumerist.com ...
"Important: Regardless of whether you try the $10.99/month full Prime access or the $8.99/month Prime Video access, make sure to keep track of when that month renews so that you’re not paying for months you don’t want or need."
Good news for lower income folks like me. Its worth just to save on shipping alone and to take advantage of the deals for Prime members. As Jeff Bezos wrote, "Amazon Prime is so good, you'd be irresponsible not to join."
Either way, it’s a great deal. I prefer to pay the $99 up front as I don’t like to deal with monthly payments when I can help it.
Make sure you take advantage of all the the Amazon Prime features like streaming music, TV shows and movies on demand, and unlimited storage for photos.
It’s a great deal. We order items that are hard to find in the desert all the time so we save on shipping. The kids use the video service all the time as well. We cut cable a little after the first Faux debate so we are getting our money’s worth.
Video streaming service is now stand-alone for $8.99 a month so now you can just get streaming video without having to sign onto the rest of Prime.
It pays for itself in about 3-4 months with the amoint of shopping i do on Amazon.
For me, I get my moneys worth and break even at Christmas with the free 2 day shipping. That makes the rest of the years Prime membership free. Shipping, music, movies and cloud storage, etc... Well worth the $99.
I agree about the discount, if you can afford it, its better to pay a year up front.
But if your budget doesn’t allow it, paying over time is great too and there’s no commitment to stay though Amazon is betting long-time customers will stay with them because of the free shipping and benefits only Prime members get.
I have to admit that I make up for the shipping in the first couple of months. I’ve started watching programs on their prime as well.
I think it’s as good a deal as Netflix. Plus the shipping.
I guess I’m ignorant. What’s with this Amazon membership? I have bought some things from Amazon but never joined a club or signed up for anything or paid any fees to Amazon. Are you supposed to be a member to shop there? I’m clearly misunderstanding how it works.
We love Amazon Prime via the annual fee. The quick shipping and tons of items we cannot find in our small town make it truly worthwhile.
First, since I live in a rural area with satellite internet as my only viable option, the Prime downloads are worthless because my data is restricted.
Second, because, since I live in a rural area, I don't get 2-day shipping anymore. Once they stopped using Priority Mail for PO Box addresses and started using Fedex-Smartpost, it routinely takes 10-15 days to arrive. Since my Mother lives nearby, but in a zipcode for a larger town, she DOES get things in 2 days, so I resort to sending them to her place if I need them faster, and driving 10 miles to her place to pick them up.
Anymore I'm wondering whether it's really worth it. If your are in a zipcode that FedEx-Smartpost gets there in 2 days, then it might be.
You needn’t be a member to shop there.
But if you shop often enough to benefit from getting free two-day shipping for $99 a year, Prime is worth it. Plus, you get a whole lot more that just free shipping.
I think it paid for itself in the streaming music alone. It stopped me from buying CDs. I’m old fashioned and like full albums.
If you have *any* kind of a student status [taking a course]....prime is $50./year
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-to-get-amazon-prime-for-half-the-price-2014-03-13
I don’t go to college, so its not an option for me. Attractive though.
I live in a rural area and I usually get UPS to ship within a week of ordering.
I can live with the fact its a long way from most warehouses.
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