Amazon Prime price hike deadline — here’s when existing and new users will pay more

The cost of an Amazon Prime membership is about to increase. Amazon recently announced it will increase the price of its Prime membership from $119 per year to $139 per year. For those who’ve opted for the no commitment monthly option, those rates will also increase from $12.99 to $14.99 per month. 

While there are plenty of Prime member benefits that come with a Prime subscription, the new price hike makes Amazon Prime one of the costlier subscription services around. Whether you’re a non-member interested in joining or one of the millions of Americans already subscribed to Prime, here are the dates you need to know. 

Amazon Prime price increase deadlines

Non-members will begin paying the $139/year price beginning Friday, February 18, 2022. Current Prime members will begin paying the $139/year price after March 25, 2022, on the date of their next renewal.

• New members: $139/year starting February 18
• Current members: $139/year after March 25 (on the date of next renewal)

If you’re not a member, but you’ve been interested in joining — your best bet is to join Prime before February 18 and enjoy a free 30-day trial of Prime before the new rates kick in. If you’re already a member and your subscription expires after March 25, you can gift yourself a year of Prime for $119 right now and activate the “gifted” subscription on the day before your current membership ends. (This prevents Amazon from auto renewing your subscription at the new, higher rate). 

In addition to fast shipping, Prime members also get exclusive access to Prime Day deals, discounts at Amazon-owned Whole Foods, free music streaming via Music Unlimited, and a host of other benefits.

However, Amazon Prime isn’t the only subscription service on the block. Walmart launched its Walmart Plus program back in September of 2020. Priced at $98/year or $12.95/month, it’s now considerably cheaper than Amazon Prime. (Keep in mind that the perks between both retailers vary and Prime offers many more benefits for the price).