Amazon Prime subscriptions just rose by 25 percent to $99 a year

By Williams Pelegrin Published March 13, 2014

amazon open source product recommendation tech prime price increase — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Launched in 2005, Amazon’s Prime service offers free two-day shipping on certain products, a Netflix-like Instant Video service full of free content, and the Kindle Lending Library. For active Amazon customers, the $79-a-year fee can pay for itself rather quickly.

On March 13, Amazon sent out notices that Prime will soon cost $99 a year, a $20 increase. Amazon Student Prime isn’t left out of the price hike fun, with its price raised from $39 to $49 a year. The Prime Fresh membership, meanwhile, will remain at $299. The price hikes begin in a week. Current customers will pay the increased rate when their service renews.

We heard Amazon consider such a price hike earlier this year, with the increasing price of fuel and other shipping costs to blame. In addition, Amazon’s rumored music streaming service might factor into the increased prices, though that has yet to be officially announced.

If a poll conducted by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) is any indication, Prime customers may have no problem with the price hike. Wall Street does not, though. Amazon’s stock jumped almost 2.5 percent on news of the rate increase.

Amazon claims that more than 20 million items are available at free shipping rates through Prime, 500,000 titles are available for free in the Kindle Lending Library, and 40,000 movies and TV episodes are available for free viewing to subscribers.

Topics

Williams Pelegrin

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Williams is an avid New York Yankees fan, speaks Spanish, resides in Colorado, and has an affinity for Frosted Flakes. Send…

Deals

Best Prime Day Apple Watch Deals for October 2022

Prime Day 2022 Apple watch deals graphic.

Today is the final day of Amazon's Prime Early Access Sale, so if there's any Prime Day deals you want, you should nab them right now. That's right, now before they're all gone. If you’re in the market for an Apple Watch or any of the best fitness trackers, Amazon probably has a steep discount or two just for you. The event runs for the next two days until October 12, and Amazon is promising huge discounts. With the Apple Watch at the top of the wearables list for many shoppers, it will be a popular device to keep an eye on.

The Prime Day Apple deals earlier in 2022 included discounts on the popular Apple Watch SE, and any deals during the last day of the Prime Early Access Sale are expected to compete with the discounts we've seen previously. Apple has even released the Apple Watch Series 8 in the time since Prime Day, and its presence in the Apple Watch lineup could mean discounts for other models. Of course, the best Apple Watch deals you can shop today have already dropped, so read on for more details on those, and how best to navigate this event with Black Friday around the corner.
Today's best Prime Day Apple Watch deals
Apple Watch SE -- $199, was $299

Deals

The 5 best headphone deals in the Best Buy rival Prime Day sale

Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones seen in silver.

If you're planning to buy new headphones, you're in luck because with the launch of the Amazon Prime Early Access Sale, dubbed as October Prime Day, rival retailers like Best Buy are rolling out their own Prime Day deals. These include discounts on a wide range of headphones from different brands, so it's just a matter of looking through all the offers for the pair that match your needs and budget. To save you time from going through the Best Buy Prime Day sale, we've rounded up the five most attractive headphone deals from the retailer, though you should hurry if you want to avail of any one of these because stocks are going quickly.
Sony WH-XB910N -- $200, was $250

The Sony WH-XB910N are wireless headphones that offer noise canceling, which is one of the important features to consider, according to our headphone buying guide. These headphones also come with Sony's Digital Sound Enhancement Engine, which restores digital tracks to sound more similar to their original, high-quality recordings. The Sony WH-XB910N can last up to 30 hours on a single charge and can replenish 4.5 hours of usage after just 10 minutes of charging. You can wear them all day, and you won't mind because the soft earpads are made of comfortable synthetic leather and urethane materials.

Mobile

AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.