Pros and Cons Of An Amazon Prime Membership

Updated: Amazon prime membership fees have changed since this post was written. The current membership fees are as followed: Monthly subscription = $14.99, yearly membership fee = $139.00

The pros and cons of an Amazon Prime membership really depends on the person and their personals needs. For instance, someone who likes to read might not want to subscribe for a music plan. When I became an amazon prime member last year, I was only in it for the free two-day shipping. The reason is because I was part of a network for product testers and reviewers. In order to get considered for paid sponsored posts, I had to have a prime membership so the companies wouldn’t have to spend money on  shipping to send me free products for review, on top of the money they were paying me to do the review. It kind of makes sense, right? I did not mind paying $99 because I knew that I would make the money back after reviewing a few products.

But over time, I started enjoying some of the other benefits like Prime video, Free e-books, and Prime Pantry.

How Much Is Amazon prime?

As a prime member, for $99 a year or $10.99 a month, you can enjoy all the benefits listed below and more. Having an Amazon prime membership depends on one’s personal needs and lifestyle, like I mentioned above. For instance, if you don’t mind doing most of your shopping on the amazon website, a prime membership will be beneficial for you because you can choose to buy from different vendors and enjoy your free two-day shipping. But if you are a bargain shopper and like to browse different websites to find the best deals, it will not be in your best interest to sign up for a prime membership.

Pros and Cons of Having an Amazon Prime Membership

The PROS of Having An Amazon Prime Membership:

Pros and Cons of Having an Amazon Prime Membership

Free two-day shipping on eligible items to addresses in all states, except Alaska and Hawaii.

Free same-day delivery for eligible ZIP codes.

 Instant Video: Unlimited streaming of movies and TV episodes.

 Music: Unlimited, advertising-free access to hundreds of Prime Playlists and more than a million songs.

Photos: Secure, unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive.

Pantry: You can buy low-priced grocery, household, and pet care items. Shipping costs $5.99 for each Prime Pantry box.

Prime Early Access: 30-minute early access to Lightning Deals on Amazon.com and new events on MyHabit.com.

Kindle Owners’ Lending Library: Access to more than 800,000 e-book titles.

Kindle First: Download access to a new book for free every month from the Kindle First picks.

Deals and Discounts, Compliments of Amazon Mom: These include 20 percent off diapers through Subscribe & Save and 15 percent off eligible products from your baby registry.

Membership Sharing: Two adults living in the same household can create an Amazon Household to share certain Amazon Prime benefits.

  • Twitch: Get free game contents every month.
  • And more!

The CONS of Having An Amazon Prime Membership:

Pros and Cons of Having an Amazon Prime Membership
1. Not receiving your packages on time + Hidden fees

Shipping is free. Or is it? Most prime products are more expensive, which means shipping is probably already included in the purchase price. If you run a Google search, like I did here, You will find out that I am not the only one complaining about this issue. Some even call Amazon Prime the S word. They think it’s a scam.

Two-day shipping can mean five days, and sometimes never. But things happen, and we understand! 
When I first started using my membership, two-day shipping was a dream come true. So much so that I was buying products that I only wanted to try and experiment with. But towards the end of my membership, things went down hill. I ordered several items that were either 4 days late or never made it to the house. Keep in mind that Two-day shipping is not guaranteed. If you are going to a wedding on Saturday, don’t buy the dress on Thursday thinking it will arrive in two days.
BUT, I must admit that Amazon has the best customer service. If you did not receive your product on time or you did not receive it at all, they will refund your money right away. When my daughter’s tablet was broken, I sent it back and I received a brand new one in two days.

2. Paying for things that you don’t use or care about

 
I don’t Twitch (play online video games) listen to music online, and I don’t own an amazon card. So why was I paying for all these things that I don’t even care about?
 
 

3. Shopping Addiction Might Be Included in Your Prime Membership

You can catch what I call APSD (Amazon Prime Shopping Disorder). I am not a scientist, but after using Amazon Prime for a year, I was definitely eligible to self-diagnose and come up with a name for that disease. It is the side affect that amazon does not want you do know about. Early access deals + two-day shipping is a recipe for shopaholic-ism. Not all of us have that weakness, but I ended up buying more shoes last year than any other year. I definitely blame it on having a prime membership. But that’s just my personal experience. It doesn’t have to be like that for you.

In addition, having a prime membership may stop you from shopping around and exploring other sites. It makes you feel obligated to shop on the amazon website because you already paid for the two-day shipping.

Is Amazon Prime Worth Your Money?

Free Woman in Red and Black Floral Dress Standing Beside Boy in White Crew Neck T-shirt Stock Photo

I would be the biggest hypocrite if I told you a Prime Membership is not worth the money. Why? Because I am a current member and I am enjoying all the benefits that come with being one! It’s not the same as some of the medications that we take, but most things have either side affects or disadvantages. You have to evaluate the pros and the cons of the Amazon Prime Membership to see where the value lies. Is it for for you? And if you don’t want to commit, it will not hurt to give the 30-day trial a go. Just remember to cancel it before your 30 days are up!

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16 Comments

  1. Jackie Harrison
    March 27, 2017 / 10:05 am

    Great information and very helpful I was going to join I have not got around to it now I wonder do I really need to. Thanks for sharing.

    • March 27, 2017 / 12:01 pm

      You can try it for free, Jackie! Thank you!

  2. Veronica Lee
    March 27, 2017 / 2:24 pm

    The problem with Amazon is most sellers don't ship to Malaysia. Maybe they will in the future. Having an Amazon Prime Membership sounds advantageous.

  3. Lenya
    March 27, 2017 / 2:42 pm

    I am still debating with myself, should I? Do I really need it? Thx for listing all the pros and cons, Nerline. Happy new week, honeypie.
    kisses
    Lenya
    New update: Show Off Time

  4. The Glossychic
    March 27, 2017 / 5:59 pm

    The amazon prime sounds great except for the fact that I cant enjoy most of it because I'm in Ghana.

    Wendee//www.theglossychic.com

  5. Pilar
    March 27, 2017 / 6:02 pm

    I don't shop on amazon all that much lately, but at the time when I did I was thinking about getting an amazon prime membership. This post is really helpful for when I go back on amazon! Thanks for sharing!

  6. Ms Sparkle And Glow
    March 27, 2017 / 6:10 pm

    great post nerline, i saw it the other day when i was browsing but never really understood it thanks for the help!!
    have a great week
    http://www.mssparkleandglow.com

  7. Regine Karpel
    March 28, 2017 / 3:59 pm

    Thank you.

  8. March 28, 2017 / 8:25 pm

    Nerline, thanks for this post. I've been debating about joining Amazon Prime for awhile now. I really wanna do it, but TBH, the US benefits are a lot better IMO than the Canadian one, aside from better selection of products….boooo:(

  9. March 28, 2017 / 11:24 pm

    I get offered to try it free when I am on the amazon website and never have. I only shop for books on amazon and a Prime membership is not for me. Thanks for giving us the deets.

  10. Subha Bose
    March 29, 2017 / 5:55 pm

    Informative post, online shopping is addictive.

  11. Виктория Курик
    March 30, 2017 / 11:41 am

    So interesting information ) Thanks for sharing!
    http://beyoutiful.com.ua

  12. March 31, 2017 / 3:50 pm

    Great information; thanks a lot for sharing Nerline.

  13. April 4, 2017 / 1:56 am

    I have Amazon Prime and I agree with all of the cons. Lately I have also been noticing that a lot of the reviews on Amazon are from people who received the item for free in exchange for a review. I'm not sure I'm going to keep the Prime membership much longer.

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