We’re here to tell you there are ways to spend a lot less on a Prime membership. Did you know there are different payment methods? You can reduce the cost significantly if you know where to look. Start with changing up your payment plan.
Save big with a new payment plan
If you like to buy in bulk, and therefore only shop a few times per year, this could be the perfect payment plan for you. Let yourself accumulate a few large-quantity orders, then sign up for one month of Prime. So long as they’re Prime eligible, all of your purchases will arrive in only two days, without extra shipping costs regardless of weight. Monthly Prime is particularly useful around the holidays, or birthday-heavy months.
Another option: share Prime
This means if you and a roommate, or you and your spouse, or even you and a friend in another city want to split a Prime account, you can. The catch is you have to agree to share payment methods. You’ll have access to each other’s credit cards, but if you trust the other person, it’s worth it. Unsure whether you’d rather share a Prime account or try a monthly plan? Let’s go over the exact costs of each, which might help you make the final decision.
Comparing the rates
We’ve broken down the exact costs of having your own Prime account, splitting the cost with a trusted loved one and paying for it monthly. We’ve talked about why you might want each above, but if you’re still uncertain, let the final costs below help you decide. Remember, the more people on the Household account, the less everyone pays. Plus, there are discounts for people on Medicaid or who have EBT cards, and for students as well. Here are the prices for different Prime memberships held for different lengths of time:
Prime Monthly, single user: $12.99/monthPrime Student Membership, single user: First six months free, then $6.49/month.Prime Monthly for those with an EBT or Medicaid card, single user: $5.99/month.Prime Annual, single user: $119/year.
Now, if you share an account with one other person, here’s how much each person pays:
Prime Monthly, two users: ~$6.50/month.Prime Student Membership, two users: First six months free, then ~$3.25/month.Prime Monthly for those with an EBT or Medicaid card, two users: ~$3/month.Prime Annual, two users: $59.50/year.
As you can see, you save the most money by sharing a Prime account — particularly with someone who is a student (or if you’re a student yourself). When broken down, the monthly membership always costs more than the regular Prime account. So even though Prime is expensive, you’re still getting a better deal than paying a monthly fee. The bottom line is monthly is more affordable if you only need it only a few months each year. For example, if you pay for nine months on the Monthly plan, you’ll pay about the same as Prime for a full year ($117 vs. $119, respectively).
