There's a trick for locking in one last year of Amazon Prime at your current rate before it goes up to $139.
Among the many products impacted by rising inflation this year, Amazon Prime will be raising its membership rates later this month. The price hike is the first the online retail service has implemented since 2018. Amazon attributes the price increase to growing wages and transportation costs.
Carrying everything from celebrity-loved beauty products to stylish leggings, Amazon has become one of the biggest online retailers in the world. Amazon Prime subscribers enjoy two-day free shipping on eligible Amazon purchases, access to Prime Video and Amazon Music Prime along with deals at Whole Foods, and early access to Prime Day deals.
Formerly, access to all those benefits cost $119 annually or $12.99 per month, but beginning tomorrow, February 18, new members will be charged $139, or $14.99 a month for an Amazon Prime subscription. Current members will see the higher price reflected around March 25, or whenever their membership renews.
If you're currently a monthly Amazon Prime subscriber, now is the perfect time to switch to the annual membership: You'll avoid those higher monthly fees for the whole year, and save even more money on top of that.
While you can’t run from the Amazon Prime price hike forever, you can put it off another year. There is a hack that will lock in your old Amazon Prime price at $119 so you can keep accessing deals and two-day shipping on everything from Valentine’s Day gifts to Super Bowl party supplies. Keep reading to find out how to keep your Amazon Prime price from going up.
How to lock in the old Amazon Prime rate:
While you can't renew an existing annual Amazon Prime membership early, you can buy yourself a gift subscription to Amazon Prime for $119. Then, once your current membership expires, activate the gifted subscription. That means another 365 days at $20 less for continued access to Amazon Prime Video, Whole Foods deals, free Kindle books, Amazon Prime Music and more. Remember to disable auto-renew on your current subscription after purchase.
If you're not sure whether or not to renew your Amazon Prime membership, be sure to check out ET's guide for what to watch on Prime Video while you still have access to the streaming platform.
Alternatives to Amazon Prime:
Is Amazon Prime even worth it? If the price hike is just too much, one alternative is the lower priced Walmart Plus (or Walmart+). The monthly shopping membership is $12.95 a month, or $98 a year.
Walmart+ memberships grant free delivery from your local Walmart store, early access to Walmart deals, free shipping on any item with no minimum cost, member prices on gas (at participating stations) and money off on certain medical prescriptions.
Walmart+ is currently offering a 30-day free trial, though only paid subscribers can take advantage of early-access events (such as Black Friday deals and member-only PS5 restocks).
If you're a fan of buying in bulk, consider a Costco membership. A Costco Gold Star membership will cost you $60 a year. The membership comes with one free household card for anyone over the age of 18 and living at the same address and can be used to access anything from Costco, including: Costco gas stations, health services, Costco travel and all products on Costco.com.
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