Amazon Prime's monthly subscription receives $2 price hike

[Polycount]

It's safe to say that Amazon Prime is a fairly popular service. Though the service's free two-day shipping has always been one of its more attractive features, there's no denying the appeal of Prime Video or Prime Music.

The service got even more attractive back in 2016 when Amazon launched monthly subscription models for Prime and Prime Video. While the monthly plan worked out to a whopping $131.88 if used for 12 months (a hefty increase from the normal $99 / year subscription), the convenience and lack of any significant upfront costs undoubtedly attracted plenty of new customers.

Unfortunately for those customers, Amazon Prime's monthly options are getting a $2 price hike today, pushing the total monthly cost from $10.99 to $12.99. Furthermore, Prime members taking advantage of student discounts will also see a price increase, raising their monthly expenditure from $5.49 to $6.49.

It's not a significant price increase but at an additional $24 a year (if the subscription runs for a full 12 months) for standard Prime users, it can definitely add up.

Amazon did not offer details regarding their reasoning behind this change but it's probably fair to assume the company is attempting to push more customers towards their annual subscription instead.

As noted by Engadget, Prime's annual plan offers the company a much more stable revenue stream while also working out to be a significantly better deal for subscribers. Still, this will likely be a frustrating move for Prime members who simply can't afford the annual $99 fee.

Though this decision goes into effect immediately for new Prime monthly subscribers, existing subscribers won't have to pay the new price until after February 18.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/72844-amazon-prime-monthly-subscription-receives-2-price-hike.html

 

[cliffordcooley]

CEO must need a new $500K car for his collection.

 

[yRaz]

CEO must need a new $500K car for his collection.

to be fair, free 2 day shipping isn't cheap and $2 a month is inline with the rate of inflation.

 

[captaincranky]

Well it's about damned time! Go Amazon! Got start paying for that new center! Just please in Jesus' name, don't bring it anywhere near Philly.

 

[yRaz]

Well it's about damned time! Go Amazon! Got start paying for that new center! Just please in Jesus' name, don't bring it anywhere near Philly.

I was reading somewhere that it's unlikely to be in Pennsylvania because of the type of jobs our economy leans towards. Our job market leans towards farming and technology, not unskilled warehouse jobs. I live in Pittsburgh and we don't want that crap near us, price of housing is rising fast enough as it is. And the last thing we need here is road work to accommodate the extra traffic from 50,000 communicators and the trucking associated with an Amazon facility.

 

[Brock Kane]

Typical "Rich" greedy people! Just named the Richest man ahead of Bill Gates, now Jeff (Bozo) Bezos raises the Prime price! F-Him!

 

[Uncle Al]

As long as people are willing to pay it, they will continue to charge more and more ........ no big mystery there.

 

[Carmaine]

The idea isn't any different than Netflix, Hulu, your cable or cellphone companies. If you're still gonna pay for it, they're gonna keep slowly increasing it. Amazon ain't the first to do this.

 

[seeprime]

Well it's about damned time! Go Amazon! Got start paying for that new center! Just please in Jesus' name, don't bring it anywhere near Philly.

Having 50,000 new jobs that pay an average of over $100,000 per year (http://fortune.com/2017/10/18/amazon-hq2-top-cities/) is such a terrible thing for any town.

 

[captaincranky]

Having 50,000 new jobs that pay an average of over $100,000 per year (http://fortune.com/2017/10/18/amazon-hq2-top-cities/) is such a terrible thing for any town.

So hopefully, your new city is on the short list.(y) Unless you live in the same city as me of course.

Oddly, I don't consider boxing up Chinese merchandise and sending another big chunk of America's GDP to China, a "real American job". There's this dumb sh!t called a "trade deficit", maybe you've heard of it?

So, 50,000 more parasites to drain the American economy in furtherance of Jeff Bezo's ever expanding wealth and power, somehow offends me, rather than excites me.

Just call me "old fashioned".

 

[cliffordcooley]

Just call me "old fashioned".

Don't have a heart-attack because I give you a like.

 

[captaincranky]

Don't have a heart-attack because I give you a like.

Well Cliff, my ever increasing age, ever expanding waistline, ever enlarging prostate, along with a penchant for cheese steaks, pizza, TV diners, and Ring Dings, are all what you'd have to consider, "contributory factors toward a cardiac event". When you also take into account my 25 year old artificial heart valve, (long out of "warranty"), I doubt you could take credit or responsibility, (at least not in good conscience), for any heart attack I might suffer.

Nonetheless, I'm giving you a like on this post, for giving my earthly demise, "the old college try.."(y)

 

[Polycount]

Don't have a heart-attack because I give you a like.

Well Cliff, my ever increasing age, ever expanding waistline, ever enlarging prostate, along with a penchant for cheese steaks, pizza, TV diners, and Ring Dings, are all what you'd have to consider, "contributory factors toward a cardiac event". When you also take into account my 25 year old artificial heart valve, (long out of "warranty"), I doubt you could take credit or responsibility, (at least not in good conscience), for any heart attack I might suffer.

Nonetheless, I'm giving you a like on this post, for giving my earthly demise, "the old college try.."(y)

There's a second like. Now, if you do have a heart attack, the blame can be shared.

 

[lostinlodos]

Uh, post office rates went up. So shipping prices (via post) also go up. Hence everything that uses shipping also goes up.
This is a non story. It makes perfect sense.

 

[GAWoods]

CEO must need a new $500K car for his collection.

to be fair, free 2 day shipping isn't cheap and $2 a month is inline with the rate of inflation.

Then, to be fair, a $2.00/month increase in my Social Security payment should be inline with inflation but that's not likely to happen.

 

[yRaz]

Then, to be fair, a $2.00/month increase in my Social Security payment should be inline with inflation but that's not likely to happen.

well a private business can charge whatever they want, you should just consider yourself lucky that there is still money in social security.

 

[captaincranky]

Then, to be fair, a $2.00/month increase in my Social Security payment should be inline with inflation but that's not likely to happen.

Well first, Social Security payment increases are granted in percentages, not in dollar value.

In fact, SS went up over 2% this year! Sadly, increases in Medicare, as well as my prescription drug plan, caused my monthly payment to drop by about $10.00.

So, were I dumb enough to have a monthly subscription to Amazon Prime, my SS payment would be 12 dollars less. Although granted, payment for Prime isn't directly deducted by our Fed. Give Amazon and Bezos enough time though, and they're liable to try and make that happen!

 

[lostinlodos]

Then, to be fair, a $2.00/month increase in my Social Security payment should be inline with inflation but that's not likely to happen.

Social security did go up equally, as noted by another user