Prime Video is also included in your membership, and it has some great original content. fall out and the boys In addition to other movies and shows, you can also watch Prime Video, which is sold separately and costs $9 per month. Note that these plans include ads. If you’re a Prime member and want to watch without ads, it will cost you $3 per month.
Finally, it would be remiss of me not to mention Prime Day, Amazon’s members-only event. This annual “holiday” has outperformed Black Friday and Cyber Monday in past years, but not all Prime Day sales are great deals. The WIRED Gear team is always covering this event to help you find great deals. What’s unique about our coverage is that instead of flooding the article with random questionable brands, we only write about sales on products that we have personally tested and confirmed to be worth buying. This year, Prime Day is in July. The official date has not yet been announced, but we expect the sales to be on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the middle of the month. Early Prime Day sales usually go on sale a few days before the sale. Here are the best deals.
Amazon Day
Are you overwhelmed by all the boxes arriving at your doorstep? (And let’s be honest, as a product reviewer, I feel the same way). With Amazon Day, you can schedule all your deliveries to arrive on a specific day of the week. Instead of processing one or two boxes over multiple days, you can consolidate all your orders into one package and receive it on the day of your choice. With Amazon Day, you’re not locked in, which means you can choose the fastest delivery method, even when ordering something you need right away. Amazon Day is a great way to cut down on cardboard (and your carbon footprint).
Exclusive Bonuses
Outside of Prime Day, Amazon Prime members can get special, member-only deals, like a few dollars off a portable charger, a 20% off coupon for dog food, or discounts on new Amazon devices. Discounts vary, but these promotions run frequently. And just like Prime Day, not all of them are great deals.
Early Access Lightning Deal
During and outside of special events like Prime Day and Black Friday, Prime members get early access to select Lightning Deals, letting you shop 30 minutes before other customers. Whether Lightning Deals are worth the money is another matter, but they’re definitely worth checking out.
Rewards for no rush
If you don’t need your order delivered right away, you may see the option for free No-Rush Shipping at checkout. When you select No-Rush Shipping, you usually get a free $1 digital credit to use on e-books, digital games, movies, and more. The offer may expire after a period of time. I’ve used No-Rush credits to save up to $10 on digital games on launch day. Video games are rarely discounted (especially right after release), so if you time it right (and don’t mind waiting for your purchase to arrive), this can be a win-win.
Grubhub+
Amazon Prime members get free access to Grubhub+ and free delivery on orders over $12, plus a variety of Prime-exclusive discounts at a variety of restaurants throughout the year.
Amazon Fresh
Amazon Fresh allows you to order groceries through Amazon and have them delivered to your door. It’s not available in all areas, but it’s an alternative shopping option if you want to avoid going to the store in person. You can also buy select Whole Foods products through Amazon Fresh. Somewhat confusingly, there are similarly named Amazon Fresh grocery stores in some cities.
Amazon acquired Whole Foods a few years ago, so you can find Whole Foods store-brand products within Amazon’s grocery service, which could be a good way to try new things or stock up on items you already love.
Amazon Family
For families, Amazon Household is a great way to share benefits among multiple people. Membership benefits can be shared between two adults, four teens, or four adults. Parents can use Amazon Household to approve teen orders and set parental controls for kid-friendly content.
Amazon First Lead
Every month, Prime members get Amazon First Reads, which allows them to read two Kindle books for free from a selection. Non-Prime members can buy two books for $2 each. By the way, you can read Kindle books even if you don’t have a Kindle device, thanks to free apps available for your phone or computer. We also have a buying guide to help you choose the right Kindle.
Prime Reading
In addition to First Reads, Prime members have access to a ton of Kindle books through Prime Reading, with over 1,000 items to choose from. Beyond books, you can also access audiobooks, magazines, and comics via Comixology. WIRED senior editor Michael Calore cited Prime Reading as one of his quarantine saviors in this post: Gadget Lab Podcast episode.
Prime Gaming
Every month, Prime members receive a variety of benefits through Prime Gaming (formerly Twitch Prime). The benefits include in-game items for a variety of popular games, free game downloads, free downloadable content (DLC) and expansions, and more. They also get a free Twitch subscription. While this sounds like you can watch Twitch for free, “Twitch subs” are actually subscriptions to individual Twitch streamers that usually cost money. You can use your free subscription from Amazon Prime to support your favorite channels. Creators earn some revenue from the subscription, but at no extra cost to users.
Get $10 off pre-ordering the game
This discount used to be better, but it’s still worth considering if you’re in the market for a new video game. Prime members can sometimes get $10 off when they pre-order a game. Eligible titles will appear here as they become available. Some video games also offer free release day shipping; look for that shipping option when you pre-order your game.
Try before you buy with Prime
Buying clothes online can be a daunting process. Prime Try Before You Buy (formerly Prime Wardrobe) offers a selection of items to try on at home before you buy. Once you pick what you want, you have a week to try it on. If you like it, you can keep it. If it’s not a good fit, you can return the item for free. We recommend using this method if the item is already discounted because if you decide to keep something, the price you pay is the price at checkout.
Unlimited online photo storage
Prime members have access to unlimited full-resolution photo storage and 5GB of video storage. You can use the Amazon Photos app to save, print, and share your photos, and back everything up to the cloud. If your account loses its Prime status, you’ll have to pay at least $2 per month to keep storing your photos and videos, so this shouldn’t be your primary backup method. You might also want to consider using one of these options:
Discounted Amazon Kids+
Amazon Kids+ (formerly FreeTime Unlimited) is Amazon’s content service for children. The service is compatible with several iOS, Android, and Amazon devices, including Fire tablets. Essentially, the service gives kids access to age-appropriate shows, books, games, and more, while offering plenty of parental controls. Kids+ costs $8 per month, but Prime members can subscribe for $6 per month (or $79 and $48 per year).
Additional benefits for selected customers
Adding a new member to your family? Select Prime members can claim a free Baby Registry Welcome Box by creating a registry that includes at least $10 worth of purchases (by themselves or someone else). Learn more here.
Some mobile phone companies offer special cell phone plans for Prime members, who also receive a 10 percent monthly credit. These plans aren’t for everyone, and your current provider may be cheaper, but they could be a good option for those looking for cheap, prepaid phone service.
