Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year in the United States, but the membership now includes much more than free shipping.
Prime members can receive faster delivery on eligible purchases and access services including Prime Video, Amazon Music, Amazon Photos, Prime Reading and Grubhub+. Discounted plans are also available to eligible young adults, students and qualifying lower-income customers.
The long list of benefits can make Amazon Prime appear valuable. However, the real question is not how many benefits the membership includes. It is how many of those benefits a particular household will actually use.
Here is what Amazon Prime costs in 2026, what the membership includes and how to decide whether it is worth paying for.
How much is Amazon Prime in 2026?
A standard Amazon Prime membership in the United States costs:
- $14.99 per month
- $139 per year
Paying annually reduces the effective cost to approximately $11.58 per month. Compared with paying $14.99 for 12 individual months, the annual membership saves $40.88.
Eligible new members can start with a 30-day free trial. Unless canceled, the trial normally converts into a paid membership at the end of the promotional period.
Amazon also offers two discounted versions of Prime.
Prime for Young Adults includes a six-month trial for eligible new members. Prime Access offers a 30-day trial before the discounted monthly price begins.
What benefits are included with Amazon Prime?
Amazon Prime combines shopping, delivery and digital services in one membership.
Fast, free delivery
Delivery remains the program’s central benefit.
According to Amazon, more than 300 million products in the United States are available with free Prime delivery. Tens of millions of popular products are eligible for free Same-Day or One-Day delivery.
Delivery speeds depend on the product, inventory and customer location. Not every Prime product qualifies for same-day or next-day service.
This benefit is most valuable to customers who order frequently and would otherwise pay shipping charges or wait longer for delivery.
Prime Video
Prime Video includes a catalog of Amazon Originals, licensed movies, television programs and selected live sports.
A few limitations are worth understanding:
- Some Prime Video programming includes advertising.
- Rentals and purchases are not included with the membership.
- Prime Video Channels are separate paid subscriptions.
- Catalog availability can change over time.
Customers should therefore avoid assuming that every title displayed inside Prime Video is included at no additional cost.
Amazon Music Prime
Amazon Music Prime gives members access to a large catalog of songs and ad-free podcasts at no additional cost.
It is not the same as Amazon Music Unlimited, which provides additional playback options and features through a separate paid subscription. The included version is most useful for casual listeners who do not need the extra features of a standalone music subscription.
Amazon Photos
Prime members receive unlimited full-resolution photo storage through Amazon Photos.
This benefit can be valuable for households that would otherwise pay for cloud photo storage. It provides less additional value to customers who already receive sufficient storage through Apple, Google, Microsoft or another service.
Prime-exclusive deals and Prime Day
Prime members receive selected member-only prices and early access to certain Lightning Deals throughout the year.
The largest shopping event is Amazon Prime Day. In 2026, it ran from June 23 through June 26 and featured millions of exclusive deals across more than 35 categories. Prime Day can add value for members planning major purchases, although comparing prices with other retailers remains important.
For Amazon sellers: Preparing listings for Prime shoppers
Prime-exclusive promotions can attract shoppers, but a discount alone does not explain why they should choose one product over another.
BeePOP helps Amazon sellers turn product photos into listing-ready visuals, including hero images, lifestyle scenes, benefit-focused graphics and A+ Content. Sellers preparing for Prime Day or other promotional periods can use BeePOP to create or refresh visual assets before launching a deal.
See how BeePOP helps sellers create Amazon listing visuals.
Grubhub+
An ongoing Grubhub+ membership is included with Prime for eligible U.S. members.
Amazon describes the benefit as having an annual value of $120. However, that value applies only to customers who regularly order from participating restaurants and meet the relevant order requirements.
Someone who rarely uses restaurant delivery should not count the full advertised value when deciding whether Prime is worthwhile.
Grocery, fuel and prescription savings
Prime also includes or provides access to selected grocery, fuel and healthcare savings.
Depending on location and eligibility, benefits may include:
- Savings at Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market
- Fuel discounts at participating bp, Amoco and ampm locations
- Prescription discounts at participating pharmacies
- Access to Amazon Pharmacy services
- The optional RxPass prescription program
Some of these benefits have geographic restrictions or additional requirements. Their practical value will therefore vary considerably between members.
Is Amazon Prime worth $139 per year?
Amazon Prime is most likely to be worth the annual price when a household regularly uses several of its benefits.
For example, a customer who places frequent Amazon orders, watches Prime Video and uses the included Grubhub+ membership may receive clear value from the subscription.
The calculation becomes less convincing for someone who orders only occasionally and does not use Amazon’s entertainment or additional services.
NerdWallet notes that $139 can be a high price if a customer is interested only in faster shipping. It concludes that the value is more persuasive for people who combine frequent online shopping with reading, music or video streaming.
Consumer Reports similarly presents Prime as a tradeoff rather than an automatic bargain. The membership offers convenience and a large collection of benefits, but customers can end up paying for services they rarely use.
Who is most likely to benefit from Amazon Prime?
Prime is more likely to provide good value if you:
- Place multiple Amazon orders each month
- Regularly use Same-Day or One-Day delivery
- Watch Prime Video originals or live sports
- Use Amazon Photos for photo storage
- Order through Grubhub+
- Shop frequently at Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods Market
- Use eligible fuel or prescription benefits
- Qualify for Prime for Young Adults or Prime Access
The discounted plans significantly change the value calculation. A qualifying customer paying $6.99 or $7.49 per month needs to receive less value to justify the membership than someone paying the standard price.
Who may not need Amazon Prime?
Prime may not be worthwhile if you:
- Order from Amazon only a few times per year
- Usually qualify for free non-Prime shipping
- Do not need faster delivery
- Already pay for several competing streaming services
- Do not use Prime Video, Amazon Music or Amazon Photos
- Rarely use restaurant or grocery delivery
- Frequently purchase from Walmart, Target or other retailers instead
Prime can also encourage customers to default to Amazon without comparing prices elsewhere. Faster delivery and convenient checkout do not necessarily mean that Amazon offers the lowest available price.
A membership should be judged by measurable savings and actual usage rather than convenience alone.
Monthly or annual: Which Prime plan is better?
The annual plan is more economical for customers who expect to keep Prime for a full year.
Twelve monthly payments cost a total of $179.88, compared with $139 for the annual plan. That makes the annual option $40.88 cheaper.
The monthly plan may still be appropriate for customers who:
- Need Prime only for a short period
- Want to test the membership beyond the free trial
- Do not want to commit $139 upfront
- Expect their shopping habits to change
- Need Prime temporarily for a major purchase or seasonal event
Customers who are uncertain should start with the trial or monthly plan rather than purchasing an annual subscription immediately.
How to determine whether Prime is worth it for you
Before renewing, review how you used Prime during the previous year.
Ask the following questions:
- How many Amazon orders did I place?
- How often did Prime provide meaningfully faster delivery?
- How much Prime Video content did I watch?
- Did I use Amazon Music, Amazon Photos or Prime Reading?
- Did I use the included Grubhub+ benefit?
- Did I receive meaningful grocery, fuel or prescription savings?
- Would I pay separately for any of these services?
- Did Prime cause me to buy products I would not otherwise have purchased?
Only count benefits that replace spending you would genuinely make elsewhere.
For example, Prime Video should not be assigned the full value of another streaming service if it is rarely opened. Similarly, Grubhub+ has little practical value for someone who does not order restaurant delivery.
The bottom line
Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year in the United States in 2026.
For frequent Amazon customers who use fast delivery and several included services, the annual membership can still provide substantial convenience and value.
For occasional shoppers, the standard $139 price is harder to justify—especially when many advertised benefits duplicate subscriptions or services they already have.
The best approach is to ignore Amazon’s total list of benefits and calculate the value of the features you actually use. If those savings and services consistently exceed the membership cost, Prime may be worthwhile. If they do not, the convenience alone may not justify another annual subscription.
FAQ
How much is Amazon Prime in 2026?
Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year in the United States. Paying annually saves $40.88 compared with making 12 monthly payments.
Does Amazon Prime offer a free trial?
Eligible new members can receive a 30-day free trial. Prime for Young Adults provides eligible customers with a six-month trial.
Are Prime Day deals available without a Prime membership?
The main Prime Day event and its member-exclusive deals require an active Prime membership or eligible free trial. Some retailers and Amazon sellers may offer separate discounts that do not require Prime.
Is Amazon Prime worth it?
Prime is more likely to be worth the price for customers who order frequently and use several included services. It may offer less value to occasional Amazon shoppers who do not use Prime Video, Grubhub+, Amazon Photos or other membership benefits.
