Buzz
If you're a regular Amazon shopper or fully enjoy Prime video and Amazon Music, the $119 yearly Amazon Prime subscription might be a great deal. But if that price feels too high for your shopping and entertainment needs, there are ways to enjoy Prime perks without paying (or at a lower cost). Here's how to make it happen.
Utilize Multiple Free Trial Offers
Amazon provides a 30-day free trial for all new accounts, and to qualify as new, you must sign up using an email address that hasn't been associated with Prime before.
This means you can keep enjoying the free trial as long as you're comfortable using different emails. Amazon's customer service has confirmed that a new email is sufficient to qualify for the promotional period.
If you're a student, the free trial lasts for six months. Since you need a .edu email to sign up for a student membership, this trick probably won't work for years. However, some schools let you create alias accounts or assign multiple usernames, which could allow you to sign up for the free trial more than once.
Unfortunately, you must enter a credit card to join Prime, and your account will automatically switch to a paid membership once the trial ends. To prevent this, you can either disable auto-renewal or set a reminder to cancel.
This method might be inconvenient and could be seen as a questionable way to save $119 annually, but Amazon appears to have no problem with multiple free trials.
Pay Monthly
Once your free trial ends, you can either pay $119 upfront or $12.99 each month ($6.49 for students and $5.99 for EBT and Medicaid cardholders). If your main goal is the shipping perks, you could opt for the membership during months when you expect to make plenty of orders (like during the holidays) and cancel when the benefits are no longer necessary.
This approach won't work if you want continuous access to Prime Video or other Prime benefits, but it can help you save some money if you're not a frequent Prime user.
Look for Deals with Other Retailers
Some retailers offer discounted Prime memberships to their customers. In the past, Amex has run Prime promotions, and Sprint includes Prime in its Unlimited Premium plan at no extra cost. If you're aiming to save, be sure to watch out for these offers.
Link Accounts for Shared Benefits
Amazon lets you link up to two adults, four teens, and four children under a single membership fee, known as a Household. This means that if a family member, friend, or partner is paying for Prime, you can enjoy the benefits without any extra cost. Alternatively, you can simply place orders on someone else's account since Amazon allows you to add multiple credit cards and shipping addresses.
This article was originally published in December 2016 and updated on June 10, 2020 by Emily Long. We made extensive revisions to reflect Amazon’s updated pricing and policies, along with new tips on sharing accounts and opting for month-to-month memberships.
