Amazon Prime is one of those subscriptions that almost everyone seems to have, but not everyone needs it. The $14.99/month (or $139/year) membership includes perks like free two-day shipping, access to Prime Video, and exclusive deals during big sales like Prime Day. These deals are a major part of what makes shopping on Amazon so convenient.
However, convenience always comes at a cost. When you break it down, that annual fee isn’t exactly pocket change, and it’s pricier than competitors like Walmart+. So if you’re not placing regular orders, streaming Prime Video, or using Prime’s grocery delivery, you might not be getting your money’s worth from Amazon Prime.
How much do you really need to use Amazon to justify the triple-digit subscription cost? Roughly speaking, you need to make about two purchases a month, or 24 purchases a year, to make the math work. Otherwise, you might be better off skipping the subscription renewal and pocketing the savings.
Fast, free shipping is Amazon Prime’s main draw
At its core, Amazon Prime is all about convenience, and for most members, including myself, the prime appeal is fast and free shipping. Prime users get unlimited same-day, one-day, and two-day delivery on millions of items, often without a minimum purchase. That alone is why many people, including myself, signed up in the first place.
But there’s a lot more baked in than just quick delivery. A Prime subscription also unlocks access to Prime Video, Amazon Music, and exclusive discounts at Whole Foods and Grubhub. You’ll even find smaller perks sprinkled in, like options to save at gas stations or on select prescriptions. Prime members also get front-row access to major shopping events like Prime Day, where you can find some of Amazon’s biggest discounts locked behind the membership wall.
Not everyone has to pay full price for Prime, either. Government assistance recipients (such as SNAP participants) can sign up for Prime Access at $7/month, while students and young adults ages 18 to 24 qualify for Prime Student at $7.50/month.
How to make your Amazon Prime membership worth it
For many people, Amazon Prime is about fast and free shipping. So even if you ignore other perks like Prime streaming and Whole Foods discounts, let’s consider whether the shipping benefit alone is worth the $139 yearly price tag.
According to Meredith Dietz, a reporter at Lifehacker, the average shipping fee for a standard Amazon order without Prime runs about $6. Since Prime costs roughly $12 a month when billed annually, you’d need to make at least two Amazon Prime purchases per month, or around 24 orders a year, for Prime to pay for itself. Anything beyond that is pure convenience value.
Of course, there are a few catches. You don’t actually need Prime to always score free shipping from Amazon. Regular shoppers can still qualify by spending around $25 to $35 per order, though they’ll miss out on one-day or same-day delivery speeds. Additionally, not every product on Amazon ships via Prime since third-party sellers set their own shipping terms.
If you are someone who is placing Amazon orders regularly for essentials, tech gear, or even those late-night impulse buys, Prime can absolutely justify the cost. But if you’re only hitting “Buy Now” occasionally, you might be paying more for speed than you actually use.
