The time may have finally come for you to stop mooching off your parents' or children's Amazon Prime account and sign up for your own membership. It currently costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year, which most people justify by the free shipping and lightning-fast delivery. However, this is only the beginning when it comes to the perks of Amazon Prime. According to retail experts, your membership can get you everything from free food delivery to discounts on gas to actual cash back. Read on for the full list of perks.
RELATED: 5 Unexpected Freebies Included in Your Walmart+ Membership.
1. Access to Amazon First Reads
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You may remember that Amazon started as an online bookstore. Today, the company has its own industry-leading e-reader, the Kindle, which makes it easy to keep your latest page-turner with you wherever you go. And if you're already paying for Prime, you can find your next read for free.
"Prime members can select a free ebook every month from a selection of titles and genres with access to Amazon First Reads," says Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst with DealNews.com. "Even better, you should be able to get another of the titles for a discounted rate if you like more than one and just can't decide."
Normally, a second title will cost you $1.99, but this past October, for example, Prime members could choose two free e-books. The monthly selection usually includes around seven to ten titles to pick from.
2. Free Grubhub+
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As a Prime member, you could save some money the next time you want to order takeout.
"I'm always surprised people don't know you can get a Grubhub+ subscription free for a year with your Amazon Prime membership. This is a $119.88 value!" says Melissa Cid, consumer savings expert at MySavings.com.
With this perk, delivery fees are waived on orders over $12, and service fees will be lower overall. You'll also receive access to exclusive offers that could help you save even more.
3. Gas station discounts
iStockJust last month, Amazon Prime introduced its newest perk—fuel savings "of nearly $70 per year on average," according to a press release. "Prime members can now save $0.10 per gallon at approximately 7,000 bp, Amoco, and ampm gas stations across the U.S."
All members have to do is visit amazon.com/fuelsavings and link their Prime and earnify accounts. Then, when you visit a gas station, simply enter your linked phone number or payment method, or scan your earnify app.
If you're an electric vehicle owner, Amazon plans to add an "electric vehicle charging savings offer with bp" next year.
RELATED: Amazon Has a New Return Policy—Here's How It Affects You.
4. Free photo and video storage
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There's a free Prime perk that comes in handy when snapping too many photos and recording too many videos has clogged your smartphone's memory.
"It's an overlooked bonus, but Amazon Prime members get unlimited full-resolution photo storage and five gigabytes of video storage with their subscription," says Trae Bodge, a smart shopping expert at TrueTrae.com. "This is nice because you will pay for storage on other platforms (like Apple) if you take a lot of pictures."
5. Free Prime Music
iStockMusic streaming services can seriously drain one's budget. However, Prime members might be surprised to discover that they have plenty of tunes included in their subscription.
"Again, most people don't know this, but Prime membership comes with free access to over 100 million songs on Prime Music," Bodge tells Best Life. In addition to ad-free music, you also get access to top podcasts without commercials.
6. Cashback (with a co-branded Visa credit card)
iStockPrime membership already offers a direct way to save on your purchases by providing free shipping. Experts say that one form of payment can help you reap even more benefits on the platform.
"The Prime Visa card is a fee-free card that I would recommend for frequent Amazon shoppers—so long as they have a healthy relationship with their credit cards," says Bodge. "By using it, you'll earn 5 percent cash back on Amazon, Whole Foods, Amazon Grocery, and Chase Travel; 2 percent back on gas, restaurants, and commuting costs; and 1 percent everywhere else."
In some cases, there can be an even better return: She explains that cardholders can often get 6 percent cash back if they opt for slower shipping and 10 percent on select sale items. Some users will also receive an Amazon gift card worth up to $100 when they enroll.
RELATED: 5 Warnings to Shoppers From Ex-Amazon Delivery Workers.
7. Free movie theater screenings
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By the time you've bought your ticket and gotten some snacks, a trip to the movie theater can be a major budget buster. But money savings expert Vivian Tu, aka Your Rich BFF, shares in a TikTok video that Prime members can score serious savings through Prime Premiere.
"Prime Premiere allows Amazon Prime customers to sign up for exclusive early screenings to view Amazon's original movies and series at their local theaters for no cost," she shares.
You can reserve two tickets on the Prime Premiere website, each of which comes with a complimentary soda and popcorn.
8. Prime Gaming perks
ShutterstockLove video games? Access to Prime Gaming is just another one of the perks that comes with your membership.
"Just by being a Prime member, you can get your hands on exclusive in-game loot and free monthly PC games," says Ramhold. "It also includes a free monthly Twitch subscription that you can use to support your favorite streamers."
9. Deal alerts
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According to Ramhold, your Prime membership can alert you to upcoming sales and specials ahead of other customers. However, it might take some extra equipment to get the full benefit.
"You'll need a newer Echo device in order to take advantage of this perk, so you may want to watch for device deals around Prime Day if you have older models," she says. "But once you have them, you can essentially set up alerts so that Alexa will inform you of upcoming deals on products that you want to track."
RELATED: 7 Things You Didn’t Realize You Can Get for Free With a Verizon Phone Plan.
10. A free baby registry box
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Whether you're taking your first step into parenthood or adding another member to the family, having a baby is an expensive endeavor. A Prime membership can also help here.
"Select members can get a free welcome box when you create a baby registry for more than 10 unique items and make $10 worth of purchases," explains Bodge.
She advises reading the fine print, though: Shipping and tax don't count towards the amount, nor do gift card purchases.
11. Free access to Prime Video
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Over the last few years, streaming services have become so common that some companies will include membership as a perk when you buy an item or sign up for a service. This includes Amazon Prime members, who get full access to streaming movies and TV shows on Prime Video with their membership, says Bodge.
The service also includes access to some live events, including MLB and NFL games. However, the company recently caused controversy when it announced that Prime members would have to pay an extra $2.99 per month to avoid "limited advertisements" while watching the service.
12. Grocery discounts at Whole Foods
ShutterstockYears ago, Whole Foods got the nickname "whole pay check," but since Amazon bought the grocery store, it's a bit of a different story.
Each week, Whole Foods announces new sales, many of which are for Prime customers only or provide members with additional savings on top of the sale price. You can view the new weekly deals each Wednesday on the Whole Foods app. At checkout, simply scan the bar code on your app or enter the phone number associated with your Prime account.
If you like to get your groceries delivered, you can sign up for Amazon Grocery Pass, which pays for itself in just one use. This added benefit is $9.99 a month for Prime members and provides unlimited free delivery on orders $35.00+ from Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, and select local retailers.
