How to Block Amazon Prime at the Old Rate (at Least for a Year or Two)
For a while, I refrained from getting an Amazon Prime membership. Imagining myself a prodigy planning ahead, I didn’t see the need to pay $100 a year for free shipping on things that I could get free shipping on if I thought ahead and bought them at least two weeks in advance. How hard was it? And then I had my third child, got a more demanding job, and genuinely laughed at my former arrogance.
Now, as someone whose kids watch Prime Video daily, who buys almost every birthday and Christmas present on Amazon (last minute) and sees dollars magically fall off my Whole Foods checks on every visit, I’m a skeptic. become true. a believing child from an Amazon Prime membership poster. And while I don’t like the recently announced membership price increase , I know it costs another $1.66 a month.
Price increase details
Citing rising wages and travel costs, Amazon announced earlier this month that the cost of their Amazon Prime membership will increase from $119 to $139 per year (for monthly subscribers, the cost will increase from $12.99 to $14.99 per month) . For new subscribers, the price increase will take effect on February 18, 2022, while for existing subscribers, the increase will not occur until their subscription is renewed after March 25.
Depending on how often you use Amazon’s services—from free two-day shipping and access to Prime Video to Try Before You Buy and unlimited cloud storage on Amazon Photos —an extra $20 a year might seem like something downright worth it or a reason to. in order to finally cancel the subscription permanently. (For reference, this year’s increase from $119 to $139 per year represents a 17% increase. The last time Amazon Prime raised its annual subscription price was in 2018; also by $20.)
How to fix another year at the current rate
However, there is a way to trick the system and lock in the $119 annual rate for at least another year (or two). If you are not yet a member, please subscribe by February 18th. While you’re there, buy yourself a Prime Gift membership , which will be activated before your regular subscription automatically renews. As a new client, theoretically you will receive two years at the current exchange rate.
For existing Prime members, simply purchase a gift membership before February 18th. Then, on the Amazon home page, go to: Membership & Subscriptions > Basic Membership Settings > Manage Membership to cancel auto-renewal (if it’s set to renew after March 25th at a higher rate). Pay attention to the expiration date of your membership and when it ends, immediately re-subscribe using a gift membership.
In theory, you can purchase more than one Prime gift membership for different members of your family and keep the $119/year rate for several years. We couldn’t find any information on whether they expire, so be sure to check the fine print when purchasing.