We’ve been writing about Amazon Prime price hikes for a long time. We warned readers when Prime went from $79 to $99 in 2014, from $99 to $119 in 2018, and from $119 to $139 in 2022.
See the pattern? Every four years. And the last one was more than four years ago.
Now Amazon has tipped its hand. On Sept. 21, it told Prime members in Mexico that their monthly fee is rising from 99 pesos to 129 pesos, about 30%. It’s the first increase there since 2016, and it hits current members at renewals on or after Oct. 21, TheStreet reported.
To be clear, nothing has been announced here in the U.S. In June, we reported that JPMorgan analysts had pushed their call for a U.S. increase out to 2027. They may be right.
Membership businesses tend to sit on price hikes for years, then make them stick. Costco waited from 2017 until late 2024 to raise its fee.
But Amazon just showed it’s willing to raise Prime prices again. When a company that predictable starts moving, you want your ducks in a row before the email lands.
Here are five moves to make now.
1. Stop paying month to month
Here’s the most telling detail in Mexico’s increase. The monthly price jumped about 30%. The annual price rose only about 5%, from 899 to 945 pesos.
In other words, the people who got hit hardest were the ones paying by the month.
Even without a hike, monthly Prime is a lousy deal. At $14.99 a month, you pay $179.88 a year. The annual plan costs $139. That’s almost $41 a year for the privilege of paying in installments.
If you know you’re keeping Prime, switch to the annual plan on your Prime membership page. It’s the easiest raise you’ll give yourself all year.
2. Know your renewal date
Price hikes hit when your membership renews, not the day they’re announced. That gap is your window.
Amazon announced its last increase on Feb. 3, 2022, per CNBC. New members paid the higher price starting Feb. 18, but existing members didn’t pay it until renewals on or after March 25. Mexico’s hike follows the same playbook: announced Sept. 21, effective for current members a month later.
So look up your renewal date. It’s listed on your Prime membership page. If you’re an annual member and a hike is announced shortly before you renew, you could get one more full year at $139.
3. Be ready for the gift trick
During the 2014 and 2022 hikes, savvy members bought a one-year Prime gift membership at the old price, then redeemed it for themselves when their current membership ran out. It saved $20 each time.
There’s a catch you have to handle. Amazon’s terms say gift memberships don’t renew automatically, but your regular membership does. Turn off auto-renew on your own membership first, or the new price will hit anyway.
There’s no advantage to doing this before a hike is announced. And Amazon changes its offers often, so make sure a 12-month gift is still for sale when the time comes.
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4. See if you qualify to pay less
Hike or no hike, plenty of people pay full price when they don’t have to.
If you get government assistance such as SNAP or Medicaid, Prime Access costs $6.99 a month. If you’re 18 to 24, Prime for Young Adults costs $7.49 a month. We covered both, plus a few other angles, in “6 Ways to Get Amazon Prime for Free or Cheap.”
And if two adults in the same home are each paying for Prime, stop. Amazon Family lets a Prime member share benefits with one other adult in the household. That’s $139 back in your pocket, today.
5. Decide whether you want Prime at all
A price hike is the perfect excuse to ask the real question: Is Prime worth $139 to you now, let alone $159?
Pull up last year’s orders. How many couldn’t have been bundled into a $35-plus order that ships free without Prime? Then think about what you watch on Prime Video, which now comes with ads unless you pay extra.
While you’re at it, look at every subscription on your statement, not just this one.
Those monthly charges add up faster than most people realize, and we’ve flagged 10 subscriptions to cancel right now. If you want help getting a grip on them, you’ll find budgeting tools in our Solutions Center.
Leaving is easier than it used to be, too. After the FTC went after Amazon over its cancellation maze, the company is now paying refunds to millions of current and former members. Here’s who’s getting money from Amazon.
And if any company makes canceling a hassle, your state’s law may be on your side.
If you decide to walk, here are smart ways to live without Prime. If you stay, stay on your terms: annual plan, shared with your household, renewal date on the calendar.
Amazon will raise the price when it’s good and ready. Your job is to be ready first.
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