Amazon Prime 101: What to know about perks, pricing and more

Getting access to shop Prime Day is one of the most notable benefits of Amazon's loyalty program, but the perks of a Prime membership extend far beyond access to mega sales. You also get fast, free shipping, a free Grubhub+ membership, Whole Foods grocery delivery and more. All of these benefits incentivize members to renew yearly and encourage new sign-ups.

Below, I broke down everything that's included in an Amazon Prime membership. Is it worth it? Decide for yourself.

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

Beyond a Prime membership, Amazon offers loyalty programs in the form of a store credit card and an Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card — here’s what to know before signing up for Amazon’s credit card from CNBC Select’s money experts.

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.

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

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. New members get a six-month free trial.

In addition to the standard benefits all Prime members get, those with a Prime for Young Adults membership 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 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.

Multiple family members can share a Prime account through Amazon Household, which allows for up to 10 memberships:

• Two adults ages 18 or older, each with their own Amazon account.
• Four teens ages 13 to 17, each with their own Amazon login. This differs from an adult account since adults can share digital content with teens and set viewing restrictions.
• Four children under 13 years old. Children can’t shop on Amazon, but adults can share content with them, like eBooks, apps and games.

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An Amazon Prime membership includes various perks, including free delivery options and streaming, shopping and reading benefits. Below, I listed notable benefits you should know about.

• Free one-day shipping: A variety of items are eligible for next-day delivery with no minimum purchase for Prime members (cutoff time for eligible orders varies by zip code). When you’re shopping, filter items by “Get it tomorrow” to see which ones you can receive by 9 p.m. the next day.
• Free two-day shipping: This is available to Prime members who live in the contiguous U.S.
• Free same-day delivery: In select cities and towns, Prime members can shop for items eligible for delivery on the same day they were ordered. Same-day delivery is available without a Prime membership for up to $10 per order for eligible items. Prime members get same-day delivery for free on qualifying orders over $25, and they can pay a delivery fee of up to $3 per order for those under $25.
• Free release-date delivery: Prime members can have eligible pre-order items delivered on their release date for free.
• Free no-rush shipping: Members who select no-rush shipping — which delays delivery on orders — can earn rewards to use on future purchases.
• Amazon Day delivery: This option allows you to order items throughout the week and select up to two days to get everything delivered in fewer boxes. Prime members who live in certain zip codes can also get eligible items delivered inside their garage for free with a myQ smart garage.

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 and find exclusive discounts available through the program. Prime members also get free shipping for items on Shopbop and free upgraded shipping at Zappos.

In addition to Prime Day itself, Prime members are eligible for Prime Early Access, which gives them 30-minute early access to Lightning Deals on Amazon that typically last four to six hours. Beyond Prime Day deals, members get access to deals and discounts through Subscribe & Save, and 15% off eligible products from baby registries.

Whole Foods Market

Amazon bought Whole Foods Market in 2017, leading to exclusive savings both in stores and online for Prime members. Eligible Prime members with the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card get 5% back on purchases at Whole Foods — other credit cards incentivize via deals with Amazon and its affiliates, too. Delivery from Whole Foods Market includes a $10 service fee, and additional rush fees apply on one-hour delivery orders.

Amazon Fresh

Amazon Fresh is the retailer's grocery delivery service. Delivery includes a service fee for orders under $150 (exact fee varies based on the total cost of the order). Prime members get free delivery on Amazon Fresh orders that cost $150 or more, and free grocery pickup on orders over $35. In select cities, you can get food and household items within two hours of your order, or on another date and time you choose.

Amazon Fresh runs an exclusive Prime savings program, which gives shoppers exclusive access to discounted grocery items and household essentials every week.

Unlimited grocery delivery

Amazon's monthly grocery delivery subscription is available to Prime members for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year — the monthly plan comes with a 30-day free trial, and the annual plan comes with a two-month 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 $35 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.

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 now place Grubhub orders directly on Amazon.

• Prime Video: Prime members can stream unlimited movies and TV shows via Prime Video with limited advertisements or sign up for an ad-free option that costs $2.99 per month. Prime Video is available for non-Prime members as a standalone streaming service for $9 a month.
• Amazon Channels: Prime members can watch shows and movies from channels like Showtime and Starz through their Prime membership for $4.99 to $14.99 monthly without a cable subscription or additional apps.
• Prime Music: Prime Music offers members access to over two million unlimited, ad-free songs, as well as playlists and stations.
• Amazon Music Unlimited: Prime members can join Amazon Music Unlimited for $9.99 per month or $99 per year. Non-Prime customers pay $10.99 per month.
• Prime Gaming: Prime members can access free games, in-game content and a channel subscription to Twitch.tv every month. Additionally, Prime members can play a rotating selection of games for free through a dedicated channel on Luna, Amazon’s cloud gaming service. Anyone in the U.S. can use Luna, but Prime members get exclusive benefits through the platform.
• Prime Reading: Prime members have access to over a thousand e-books, audio books and magazines, which they can download onto their Kindle e-reader or Fire tablet, as well as read through the Kindle app. Prime Reading includes books with Audible narration, too. Other reading perks include Amazon First Reads, which gives members early access to a newly released book for free every month. If you're a new Prime member, you get a free Audible Premium Plus trial upon sign-up, and two credits that can be applied to any books in the Audible library.

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• Amazon Kids+: If you add this service to your Prime account for $4.99 a month, your children get access to age-appropriate books, movies and educational games.
• Amazon Photos: A Prime membership gives unlimited full-resolution photo storage and 5GB of video storage on Amazon Drive. You can also share your photos and videos with five family members.
• Prime Try Before You Buy: Get seven days to try on eligible clothing and shoes at home and only get charged for the items you keep. Prime members in select regions can also pay an additional monthly membership fee to receive a styling service.
• Amazon Elements: You have access to the retailer's exclusive line of everyday essentials, ranging from vitamins to baby wipes.
• Amazon Pharmacy: Prime members who fulfill subscriptions through Amazon Pharmacy get free two-day delivery and can take advantage of exclusive savings. Amazon also offers RxPass, which offers unlimited access to generic medications for $5 a month.

I'm an associate updates editor at NBC Select who has reported about Amazon since 2020. I wrote NBC Select's history of Amazon Prime Day, as well as a variety of Amazon Prime Day sales articles. For this piece, I researched Amazon's Prime membership offerings and referenced NBC Select's other Amazon coverage.

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