Amazon Prime Is About To Cost More

Amazon is raising the price of Prime memberships from $119 to $139 per year starting February 18 for new subscribers. If you choose to have a month-by-month Prime membership, the cost is increasing from $13 to $15 per month.

Current subscribers whose subscription is up for renewal before March 25 will only be charged $119 for the next year.

This is the first price increase for Amazon Prime since 2018, when the membership cost went up from $99 to $119.

The price of Prime Student memberships is also increasing on the same dates. Monthly membership costs will go up to $7.49 (up from $6.49), while annual student memberships will cost $69 (up from $59).

Amazon Prime memberships include a bunch of perks--most notably free one- to two-day shipping. Subscribers also gain access to Prime Video, Amazon's streaming service, as well as Prime Gaming, a subscription that includes a handful of free PC games and in-game loot each month. Additionally, Prime members can access exclusive deals, including the annual Prime Day blowout sale. Other perks include access to Amazon Music's streaming library and free books to read on the Kindle app.

If you've been thinking about signing up for Amazon Prime, new subscribers can get a free 30-day trial. It may be smart to sign up for that now, so you can lock in the $119 rate--plus, you can cancel before you're charged if you change your mind.