Sharp price increase in the USA
Amazon Prime is getting more expensive: How to get the cheaper old price
Amazon Prime currently costs EUR 7.99 per month – that could change soon.
© Leon Neal / Getty Images
In the US, Amazon is once again increasing the prices for the popular Prime membership. From mid-February, subscription costs there will increase by almost 17 percent. When is Germany’s turn?
A price increase for Germans Amazon-Prime user is actually only a matter of time. Because the last adjustment was five years ago and it would be surprising if Amazon left out other markets after the renewed price increase for subscriptions in the USA.
From mid-February, Amazon will charge $139 annually for the American Prime instead of $119, and the monthly price will increase from $12.99 to $14.99. The company states: “As Amazon continues to expand Prime benefits and increases in wages and transportation costs, Amazon will increase the price of Prime membership in the US.”
Is a doubling imminent?
Should Amazon raise prices in Germany, it will be interesting to see how much. When converted exactly, an increase to American prices would mean around 120 euros for the annual subscription and 13 euros for the monthly membership. Compared to the current 7.99 euros per month or 69 per year, that would be almost twice as much. Such a price hammer is probably not to be expected. With the fact that it stays at the current prices, but also not.
The good news: The point in time at which prices will rise for subscribers can be delayed a little. For example, Amazon has announced March 25, 2022 as the conversion date for existing customers in the USA, but the prices only apply from the point at which current annual or monthly subscriptions are renewed.
That means: If you still before the deadline sign up for an Amazon Prime subscription, keep the old prices for the entire duration. In this way, the higher price can be avoided for a year at best. The Prime subscription currently includes services such as free premium shipping, Prime Video, Music Prime, Prime Reading, Prime Gaming, Prime Photos and occasional exclusive offers, for example on Prime Day or when buying a Playstation 5.
Free shipping even without Prime
A popular trick for those who only care about free shipping: A book in the shopping cart usually reduces the cost of shipping cheap items to zero, as soon as you reach a goods value of more than 29 euros, Amazon waives the freight fee anyway.
Amazon announced the price increase for Prime services in the USA as part of a presentation of the quarterly figures. Accordingly, profit in the fourth quarter of 2021 was $ 14.3 billion, sales rose to $ 137.4 billion.
This article contains so-called affiliate links. Further information are available here.