The Best Amazon Prime Benefits You Probably Don’t Know About

If you’re going to commit to an Amazon Prime membership, you might as well squeeze as much as you can out of the deal. And there’s a good amount of juice to squeeze there. The price you pay for Amazon depends on many factors, but regardless of how much you’re paying, it’s worth it for most people (we did the math).

If you’re on the fence about signing up, Black Friday is just around the corner, and Amazon already has early Black Friday deals. It’s a great time to sell your soul—or take advantage of the 30-day free trial—and there’s a lot more to your membership than just deals and free shipping.

How much does Amazon Prime cost?

The standard Prime membership costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year, but there are other tiers that some people might qualify for. For example, the new Amazon Prime Student program allows young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 to get all of the Prime perks for half the cost—$7.49 per month or $69 annually.

The benefits of Amazon Prime

I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t know all of the benefits that Amazon Prime offers to its members. There are a lot more perks than people think. Here are the most impressive ones (and check out the full list):

Fast and free shipping

• Fast free shipping on millions of items: Depending on where you live, shipping can take one or two days, and some even come on the same day—and it’s always free (if being shipped by the Amazon store).

• Pre-ordered items can be delivered on their release date for free.

• The option to have items delivered inside your garage with a smart garage device (depending on where you live).

• Earn rewards for future purchases when you select free no-rush shipping.

• The option to have all your weekly orders delivered on a specific day, to reduce waste from boxes.

• The ability to try before you buy when you order clothes or shoes, meaning you have seven days before you get charged for the items you decide to keep.

Deals, savings, and sales

• Subscribe & Save deals that allow you to place recurring orders and save money when you do so.

• Amazon Prime Rewards Visa card: Cardholders get 5% back on Amazon/Whole Foods purchases. So Prime members who use this card extensively can earn rewards that offset the annual fee.

• A free year of Grubhub+, normally $9.99 per month, which gets you free delivery on eligible orders, lower service fees, exclusive deals, and other perks. 

• Sharing with family or friends: Prime benefits can be shared with other members of your household. The more users, the more value per person.

Medical care

• Amazon Health: Prime users get One Medical access for an additional $9 per month. Through your devices, you’ll have 24/7 access to on-demand virtual care, plus real-life access to primary care offices in a number of U.S. cities. It accepts most major health insurance plans, too.

• Amazon Pharmacy: Access to free two-day delivery and other savings on medications.

Streaming and digital perks

E-books and audiobooks