Starting on Friday, February 18, Amazon will start charging more per month and per year for Prime membership. The monthly charge will be $14.99 instead of $12.99 (an increase of $2 per month) while the yearly fee will be $139 instead of $119 (an increase of $20 per year).
Current members will see the increase applied after March 25 on the day of renewal. If your yearly membership was just renewed, you’re in luck as the higher fee won’t take effect until the year is up.
Why the increase in fees? Well, it seems like everything is costing more post the Covid-19 pandemic. Amazon, per a statement, claims the increase comes with “the continued expansion of Prime member benefits as well as the rise in wages and transportation costs.”
Is there a way around the increase in fees? There is the possibility of gifting a Prime Membership to yourself or someone else before February 18 To lock in the $119 price, but that subscription would only last a year (unless you want to take a chance and buy multiple gift subscriptions).
You could also buy a subscription for a different email address, but keep in mind that would probably mean cancelling your existing membership and losing all the data associated with it (your digital library, purchased items, etc.).
