Five ways to get Amazon Prime for free or at a lower price
The cost of Amazon's Prime subscription can be cut or avoided through free trials, discounted plans, household sharing, or perks from employers and other services. The overview applies to US customers.
Amazon's Prime subscription service costs $14.99 per month at the standard US rate. Technology site Engadget has rounded up several ways to avoid paying that amount or to pay less. The service includes fast shipping, discounts on some products, an improved Alexa voice assistant and access to the Prime Video streaming platform.
Trials and cheaper plans
The standard 30-day free trial requires a payment method and converts automatically into a paid subscription unless it is cancelled before renewal. Amazon does not specify a waiting period before a former subscriber can get another trial, so customers should not count on one every year.
Prime for Young Adults gives new members aged 18 to 24, as well as higher-education students of any age, six free months. Afterward the price is $7.49 per month or $69 per year. Proof of age or enrollment is required.
Prime Access costs $6.99 per month after a 30-day trial. It is meant for people who receive qualifying government assistance, including SNAP or Medicaid, or who meet Amazon's income requirements.
Sharing and other offers
Amazon Family lets a paying subscriber share selected Prime benefits with another adult living at the same address. Each person keeps a separate account, but the family organizer must share a payment method. In October 2025, Amazon ended its Prime Invitee program, which had allowed free shipping to be shared with people outside the household. Free-trial and Young Adults members cannot share benefits through Amazon Family.
Free Prime is available to eligible Amazon employees in the US, and to Whole Foods hourly workers starting January 1, 2027. Mobile carrier Metro by T-Mobile stopped offering Prime to new customers on September 17, 2026, though existing customers can keep it.
Holders of the Navy Federal Visa Signature Flagship Rewards card receive a $139 statement credit toward Prime, but the card is closed to new applicants. Its annual fee rises from $49 to $95 on November 2. Other options include Microsoft Rewards points, the Amazon Prime Visa card with five percent back, and Spectrum's Internet Assist plan for low-income customers.
