Every single benefit you get with an Amazon Prime membership

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Exclusive access to Prime Day is arguably the most notable benefit of Amazon’s loyalty program, and if you haven’t enrolled in it yet, now is a particularly lucrative time: October Prime Day (officially called Prime Big Deal Days) is happening two weeks on October 6 and 7. But getting to shop this mega sale just scratches the surface of what perks a Prime membership offers. It also opens doors to fast, free shipping, an included Grubhub+ membership, Whole Foods grocery delivery and more. Below, I break down everything that’s included in an Amazon Prime membership to help you decide whether to sign up before October Prime Day.

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What is Amazon Prime?

Amazon Prime (annual membership)

Much like Walmart Plus and Target Circle , Amazon Prime is Amazon's paid loyalty program, which launched in 2005. Shoppers in various countries can join, and it gives members access to perks across shopping, streaming, entertainment and more.

Amazon also offers loyalty programs in the form of a store credit card and an Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card . Prime members with an Amazon credit card get 5% cash back year round when they shop at Amazon, Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods, plus they’re eligible for the retailer’s Prime Card Bonus program, through which they can earn 10% cash back or more on exclusive deals.

How much does an Amazon Prime membership cost?

A Prime membership costs $14.99 monthly, or you can pay $139 annually. The yearly Prime membership includes a 30-day free trial for new members.

Does Amazon offer discounted Prime memberships?

Yes, Amazon offers two discounted Prime memberships: Prime for Young Adults and Prime Access.

Amazon Prime for Young Adults (annual membership)

Prime for Young Adults is a discounted Prime membership for those ages 18 to 24. You can access the discount after verifying your age or student status. Prime for Young Adults costs $69 per year or $7.49 monthly, and new members get a six-month free trial.

In addition to the standard benefits all Prime members get, Prime for Young Adults members have access to exclusive offers like discounts on textbooks, up to 10% off flights and hotels through Student Universe, a free three-month subscription to Calm Premium and a month of free homework help through Course Hero.

Prime for Young Adults members also get 5% cash back savings when they buy from popular categories like beauty, apparel, electronics and personal care, plus access to double or triple cash back boosters on specific brands throughout the year.

Amazon Prime Access (monthly membership)

Prime Access is a discounted Prime membership for those who qualify for certain government assistance programs, like EBT and Medicaid. It costs $6.99 per month, about half the price of a standard Prime membership, and new members get a 30-day free trial. You must verify your qualification every 12 months.

Prime Access members get the same benefits as those who pay the standard Prime membership rate. If you’re paying full price for a Prime account but qualify for the discounted rate, you can apply online by selecting a verification method. Once approved, your membership automatically switches over. Amazon also accepts SNAP EBT for eligible groceries and free shipping options are available.

Can you share your Prime membership?

Yes, you can share your Prime membership with multiple people through Amazon Family (previously Amazon Household). You can add up to five additional people to your Amazon Family, including:

Amazon previously allowed Prime members to share their account with up to four teens, too. That benefit is no longer active. If you added teens to your Amazon Family prior to April 7, 2025, they will remain on your account.

What are the benefits of an Amazon Prime membership?

A Prime membership includes various perks, including those that center around free delivery, streaming, shopping and reading. Below, I listed notable benefits you should know about.

Fast delivery and shipping

Deals and discounts

The most well-known benefit of a Prime membership is access to shop Amazon’s two biggest exclusive sales of the year: Amazon Prime Day and Prime Big Deal Days (it’s coming up on October 6 and 7, 2026), both of which historically offer some of the most worthwhile deals of the year. Beyond that, members can take advantage of other types of deals and discounts year round, like through Subscribe & Save and their baby registry , for example. But nothing compares to Prime Day and Prime Big Deal Days, when thousands of products across popular brands drop to their lowest prices.

Buy with Prime

Buy with Prime is a service that allows Prime members to order items through participating retailers’ websites using the payment and shipping information stored on their Amazon accounts. The service also extends the free, fast delivery options members get through Amazon. Prime members will see the Prime logo on eligible products in merchants’ online stores, which signals that the item is available for free delivery (sometimes even next-day delivery) with free returns.

Visit Amazon’s website to learn what brands participate in Buy with Prime — some of our favorites include Adidas , Jolie , Beast , IGK , Bearaby , Shokz and K18 . You can also take advantage of exclusive discounts through the program. Prime members get free shipping for items on Shopbop and free upgraded shipping at Zappos , too

Grocery delivery, pick-up and discounts

Amazon bought Whole Foods Market in 2017, leading to exclusive savings in stores and online for Prime members. Delivery from Whole Foods Market includes a $9.99 service fee, and additional rush fees apply on one-hour delivery orders. Eligible members with the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card also get 5% back on purchases at Whole Foods.

Amazon Fresh is the retailer’s grocery delivery service, and Prime members can book free 2-hour delivery windows. Members get free delivery on Amazon Fresh orders over $100, but there's a $9.95 fee for orders under $50 and a $6.95 fee for orders between $50 and $100. Amazon Fresh also runs an exclusive Prime savings program , which gives shoppers exclusive access to discounted grocery and household items every week.

Amazon's monthly grocery delivery subscription is available to Prime members for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. Both plans come with a 30-day free trial. All Prime Access members, regardless of their qualifying form of government assistance, can also sign up for $4.99 per month. Additionally, this discounted grocery subscription is available to those with a registered EBT card, whether or not they're a Prime Access member.

With this membership, you get unlimited grocery delivery on orders over $25 across Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market, as well as from select local grocery and specialty retailers like Rite Aid , Pet Food Express and Mission Wine & Spirits . Subscribers also get free access to 1-hour delivery windows.

Grubhub+

Amazon partners with Grubhub to offer Prime members Grubhub+ for free on an ongoing basis, allowing them to order food from the service without paying a delivery fee (as long as orders met a minimum of $12). Other perks of a Grubhub+ membership include lower service fees, 5% credit back on pickup orders and exclusive offers. Customers can also place Grubhub orders directly on Amazon.

Fuel savings

Prime members can save $0.10 per gallon if they fill up their tanks at participating bp , Amoco and ampm stations across the country. Members can link their Prime accounts with Earnify, the bp loyalty app, to get started and learn more here .

Streaming and entertainment

Other Prime membership benefits

Why trust NBC Selected?

I’m a reporter at NBC Selected who has covered Amazon for over six years. I wrote NBC Selected’s Amazon Prime Day history, and I've written extensively about Prime Day and Prime Big Deal Days. For this piece, I researched the Prime membership program and its offerings.

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