Before I delve into all the reasons why I love Amazon Prime and why I think you will, too, I want you to know that I am an Amazon affiliate. What this means, is that if you click on a link to Amazon on The Birch Cottage blog, I may make a small commission at absolutely no additional cost to you. It's one of the ways that helps support this blog so I can bring you free content. (Read my full disclosure here.)
Now that we have that little disclosure out of the way. The next thing I want to make perfectly clear is that I would recommend Amazon Prime regardless. In fact, as of the writing of this post, I make next to nothing from Amazon Prime (sad but true). The entire month of December? $2.19 - hardly worth my time to even mention, right?
I hope that amount increases, because, quite frankly, if it doesn't then I will be removed from the affiliate program. Even so, I'd still recommend Amazon Prime to you!
20 Reasons to Love Amazon Prime
#1: Convenience
I love Amazon Prime for its convenience (you can try it for free for 30 days). I hate shopping. Fighting with crowds. Driving from store to store to find just what I'm looking for. Standing in line for what seems like an eternity so I can give someone money. Touching things that possibly thousands of other people have touched.
With Amazon Prime I can shop from the convenience of my home, in the car, in the airport or anywhere I happen to be. I can also shop any time of the day or night. No rushing to the store before they close - Amazon is always open!
#2: Delivery to Your Door in 2 Days
When you order from Amazon, you can have a package delivered straight to your door (or just about any door, for that matter). No standing in lines. No driving around the parking lot looking for a parking spot. Simply place your order and your item(s) are shipped directly to your door. With Amazon Prime you even get 2 day delivery with eligible Prime items. Order it on Monday, delivered on Wednesday.
#3: We Have Large Dogs
We have two German Shepherds and these pups can go through a lot of dog food. We used to drive to our local pet supply store to purchase their dog food in 40 pound bags. I'd have to ask for help loading the bag into my cart and then help again loading the bag into my vehicle. With Amazon Prime, we order the dog food and someone else does all the heavy lifting and it gets delivered right to our front door! (Then we have one of the kids lug the bag into the kitchen.) If you have pets, you're gonna love the convenience of having your food and supplies delivered directly to your door. Just one more reason why I think you're gonna love Amazon Prime!
#4: Easy Returns
We shop on Amazon a lot! I mean hardly a week (or day) goes by that we aren't shopping on Amazon. Sometimes we order things and they just aren't quite what we expected or sometimes (very rarely) a package will arrive damaged. Returnins are hassle-free and easy. Amazon even has a 30 day return policy on most items. But, seriously, the procedure and process are pain-free and make using Amazon Prime worth the subscription cost alone! (Subscription currently costs $10.99/month or $99/year.)
#5: Exclusive Offers and Early Access
As an Amazon Prime member, you will receive notifications from Amazon on discounts, offers, special prices and early releases. Some of these deals can be just amazing. Like purchasing a Kindle for $29! With Early Access, Prime members get to see and order products listed in Amazon's flash-sale Lightning Deals 30 minutes before non-Prime customers.
#6: Shipping to APO and FPO Addresses
With three children serving in the US military, being able to ship care packages to them no matter where they are stationed has been a real blessing to our family. Our oldest son was stationed in Germany and also served in Turkey and Afghanistan. Getting packages to him? Not a problem with Amazon Prime! Even when our daughter was on deployment with the US Navy, we were able to order her favorite Candy Cane Tootsie Roll Pops (enough to share and then some) and have them shipped to her. You can learn more about Shipping to APO and FPO Addresses with Amazon Prime by clicking here.
#7: Same Day Shipping
If 2 Day Shipping isn't exciting enough for you, Prime members in over 8,000 cities and towns can get delivery as fast as today on over a million items with qualifying orders over $35. You can check your zip code here to see which options are available in your area.
#8: Free eBook with Amazon First Reads
We have Kindles, iPads and other tablets that we use a Kindle app on to access our Amazon Kindle Library. Each month, Prime members are introduced to a selection of new release books for the month and you get to pick one FREE eBook each month. It used to be called Kindle First, but Amazon recently changed the name of this feature to Amazon First Reads. Be the first to read some really great books from all sorts of genres and authors!
#9: Prime Now!
So, 2 Dayshipping doesn't cut it for you and you really don't even want to wait a day? Well, with Prime Now, you can have qualifying items shipped to your door within two hours. Not days. Not even one day. Delivery within two hours!
#10: Prime Video
If we were to look at our usage of all the services Amazon Prime offers, Prime Video would probably top our list. Prime Video offers unlimited streaming of certain movies and TV shows in Amazon's enormous library. Have you watched the movie Still Mine? It's a tear jerker, but a great story!
#11: Prime Music
As a Prime member, you have access to a a ton of music. You can literally stream over 2 million songs ad-free, listen to the music on any Echo device and even take your music anywhere with offline listening. You can curate your own playlists or take advantage of the many playlists and channels Amazon's experts have created for you!
#12: Kindle Owners Lending Library
In #8 above, I mentioned the Amazon First Reads where you can select one free book from a selection of six each and every month. Amazon even has a Kindle Owners Lending Library where, as a Prime member, you'll have access to more than 800,000 books to borrow for free with no due dates. Amazon says this even includes current and former best sellers and all 7 Harry Potter books.
#13: Kindle Prime Reading
Maybe you're the kind of person who likes to buy all their books so they have them to read over and over again (like our daughter). With Prime Reading you have access to free books, magazines, audiobooks and more for free!
#14: Prime Photo
With Amazon Prime Photos you get unlimited photo storage. One of the Prime exclusive features is Prime Photo. You not only get unlimited photo storage, but you can invite up to 5 family members or friends to also receive unlimited photo storage. Prime Photos has a feature called Family Vault that allows you to identify photos you want to share or allow your 5 family or friends to contribute to as well.
#15: Release Date Delivery
When the newest Hunger Games video was released, our youngest daughter couldn't wait. So we ordered the video for her and it was shipped out the day it was released. As a Prime member, release-date delivery is available for eligible items to ZIP codes within the continental U.S.
I'm sure there are many other Prime benefits, including the following that I'm aware of but haven't tried yet. As Amazon continues to grow, I'm sure the perks and benefits of Prime will, too! I've included the following in my list of reasons to love Amazon Prime so you can get a full picture of the benefits. Maybe one of these services that I haven't even used yet will be of interest to you
#16: Whole Foods Discounts
Amazon purchased Whole Foods and will be offering discounts at Whole Foods to Amazon Prime members.
#17: Prime Pantry
Prime Pantry was introduced by Amazon as a way for people to order low-priced everyday essentials, in everyday sizes and delivered to your home. No more buying in bulk. Buy what you need, when you need it and even use coupons! Prime Pantry has a flat $5.99 shipping fee. You know, it costs about that much in gas to make a trip to the grocery store and back, plus your time. And you don't have to buy in bulk to save money!
#18: Prime Wardrobe
Prime Wardrobe, according to Amazon, is a service that brings the fitting room to you. You can try on the latest styles and find your perfect fit in the privacy of your own home before you buy. You simply order clothing, shoes and accessories at no upfront charge (up to 10 items). You'll then have seven days to decide what works for you and only pay for what you actually keep. Amazon even offers discounts at $20 off if you keep at least $200 worth of merchandise, and $50 off if you keep $400 worth of merchandise. Shipping and returns are free. Order as often as you like. It's not yet available everywhere, but you can ask to be notified when Prime Wardrobe is available in your area here. Just scroll down to the big blue button where it says "Get notified when Prime Wardrobe launches". (Remember: You do have to be a Prime Member to use this service.)
#19: Outfit Compare
What a fashion forward concept! Outfit Compare is available in the Amazon App only. It's available for download in both the Apple Store and Google Play. Using the Amazon app, you add two photos of yourself wearing different outfits and the fashion specialist at Amazon will respond in about a minute to let you know which outfit looks better on you. Why didn't I know about this app when my daughter was trying to figure out which coat to buy?! Seriously!
#20 Twitch Prime
Twitch is a popular online service for watching and streaming digital video broadcasts. Originally started as an online gaming streaming service and has branched out into video and live TV broadcasts - all for free. Amazon actually purchased Twitch in 2014. Twitch streams can be viewed on the official Twitch website and via one of the many official Twitch apps which are available for iOS and Android devices, Xbox 360 and Xbox One video game consoles, Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, Amazon's Fire TV, Google Chromecast, and the NVIDIA SHIELD. Watching broadcasts and videos on Twitch is completely free and doesn't require viewers to login.
#21 Baby Registry
Before you start wondering, let me clarify - NO, I am not expecting! However, our daughter is and I've become familiar with Amazon's Baby Registry as a result.
#22 Amazon Dash Button
Make reordering your favorite items with Amazon a dash (pun intended)! With a simple click, Prime Members can order their favorite products. Dash Button is free after first press: buy it for $4.99 and receive a $4.99 credit on your first order placed through the button. You can learn all about the features and benefits of Dash Button here.
#23 Audible Channels
Although Audible is a separate subscription from Amazon Prime, Prime Members do receive free access to Audible Channels, which includes a selection of spoken news stories, podcasts, and other short form audio content. Audible can make your commute to work or long road trips so much more enjoyable!
I think it's clear that I love Amazon Prime and I'm hoping that these 20 plus reasons have given you a few reasons to love it as well! You can even find some of my favorite kitchen essentials here.
I hope you get the idea that with the Amazon Prime membership, you really get a big bang for your buck! Like I said, Amazon is constantly adding to and improving the membership perks. To the best of my knowledge, this information is accurate as of today's date, January 8, 2018.
UPDATE: January 24, 2018 - I told you things are always changing! This time, it's a price increase. The price of the monthly Prime membership for new members increased from $10.99 to $12.99 on January 19, 2018. The price of the discounted Prime Student monthly plan for new sign-ups increased from $5.49 to $6.49 on January 19, 2018. Existing monthly Prime and Prime Student members will pay the new price for renewals happening after February 18, 2018. Annual Prime members continue to pay $99. Annual Prime Student members continue to pay $49.
If you have questions about these services, please ask and I'll answer to the best of my ability. And, for the record, I absolutely only recommend products and services that I use myself, can highly recommend and think are of value to you. Amazon Prime is definitely one of those services!
Til next time...
