"Of all of the different subscription services that I invest in, Amazon Prime is my most beloved of all. I jumped on the train when I was in college for free, two-day shipping and I stuck around for all of the other perks that it has to offer. Out of toilet paper? Amazon Prime. Ready to revamp my workspace? Amazon Prime. Need a refill on my favorite makeup primer? Amazon Prime. Don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on sunglasses that I’ll likely lose or accidentally sit on? Amazon Prime.
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Besides knowing that I’m one click and two days away from getting an item that I need STAT, there are plenty of Amazon Prime hacks that make the $12.99 per month price more than worth it. If you thought that speedy shipping was the only benefit of Amazon Prime, buckle up. Here are 11 Amazon Prime hacks that’ll help you make the most of your membership:
1. Free, unlimited photo storage on up to five devices
The most consistent relationship in my life is the one I have with my iPhone storage alerts. Could my phone be bursting at the seams because I have an app for every single storefront that I shop at? The 19,000 photos that I keep at my fingertips? Or the three years’ worth of text messages that I’m too lazy to delete? The world will never know. I’ve recently been looking into photo storage and was willing to pay extra to make it happen until I learned that Prime members get free, unlimited, high-resolution photo storage just by having a membership. And that’s a win in my book.
2. Early access to Lightning Deals
If you’ve never heard of Amazon Lightning Deals, here’s the sitch: A Lightning Deal is a promotion in which a limited number of discounts are offered on an item for a short period or while supplies last. They can be found throughout Amazon and, most frequently, are featured on the Today’s Deals page. Prime members get 30-minutes of early access to Lightning Deals and, on Prime Day, get exclusive access to markdowns.
While Prime Day is definitely a great time for Prime members to get down and dirty with discounts, Lightning deals are one of the most slept-on perks that Amazon has to offer, especially if you’re on top of them and checking them often. While everyone gets access to these deals at some point, if you click on Upcoming Deals, you can keep your eye on hundreds of different items (drawer organizers, wireless Bluetooth headphones, kitchen gadgets, massage therapy guns, fashion items, and more) and see a countdown on when the deal will be available to you as a Prime member; a time when first come, first serve really works in your favor.
3. Ad-free, on-demand tunes from Amazon Music
I know what you’re thinking… I’m a Spotify junkie and I’ll never listen to anything else. To that, as a fellow Spotify listener, I say, fair enough. But did you know that a Prime membership gives you free access to Amazon Prime Music which allows you to stream 2 million songs plus millions of podcast episodes? Your Prime membership gives you access to Amazon Music’s most basic membership and, if you want to upgrade to Amazon Music Unlimited (over 7 million high-definition songs), you get a two-dollar discount on the membership (Prime members pay $7.99 while non-Prime members pay $9.99/month).
Amazon Music Unlimited is most comparable to Apple Music and Spotify Premium in terms of underlying features but if you already have a Prime subscription, it’s definitely cheaper than the other two leading options which are priced at $9.99/month.
4. Share your account with friends and family with Amazon Household
Get two for the price of one when you sign up for an Amazon Household account which allows you to share Amazon Prime benefits with another adult. Just link two accounts through Amazon Household, agree to share payment methods, and boom… spread the love of Prime Shipping, Prime Video, Amazon Photos, Prime Gaming, other digital benefits, and exclusive offers.
5. Free access to Prime Reading
Never had I ever heard of Prime Reading until recently and, now, I’m never turning back. Grab your reading glasses and download the Kindle app because members have unlimited access to over more than 2,500 books, magazines, comics, Kindle Singles, audiobooks, and more from both Amazon and non-Amazon devices.
To get started, just head over to the Prime Reading hub, browse titles (right now, Prime members have access to notable titles like The Sun and Her Flowers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) and simply click “Read for Free.” Titles that also have audiobook options will have the option to “Read and Listen for Free.” Once you click this magical, music-to-our-ears button, the item will be available for download on your Kindle, Fire tablet, or on the Kindle app through other, non-Amazon devices. You can continue to download up to 10 titles at a time and, if you want to try out something else at that point, simply digitally return one of your other titles back to the Amazon Library.
6. Guaranteed two-day shipping
It’s no secret that Amazon Prime’s two-day shipping situation is a winning one but did you know that it’s guaranteed? Meaning that if you don’t receive your package in two days as promised, you get one month of Prime for free.
7. Financial perks for opting for longer shipping times
As much as I love two-day shipping, I’ll agree that I don’t need a lot of items that I buy within two days. For those types of items, you can opt for Amazon’s free No-Rush Shipping options to receive instant discounts or rewards after your order ships.
8. Stream movies, TV shows, and live sports on Amazon Prime Video
Prime Video is one of my favorite Amazon Perks and for good reason. From Amazon Originals (Fleabag, The Big Sick, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), to award-winning titles (The Handmaiden, Manchester by the Sea, Knives Out) to binge-worthy shows (HIMYM, Suits, House), and live sports, Prime Video has everything that you need for a perfect night in.
9. Exclusive offers, discounts on sale items, and 10% discount at Whole Foods
Name a better marriage than Whole Foods and Amazon Prime… I’ll wait. If you don’t already shop at Whole Foods as a Prime member, now is the time to start. Amazon Prime members get exclusive deals, discounts on already-on-sale items, and an additional 10% off at checkout.
10. Access to Prime Wardrobe
What is Prime Wardrobe and why didn’t I hear about it sooner? As a Prime member, you have free access to Prime Wardrobe which allows you to try up to eight items for a seven-day period. You keep what you like and only get charged for the items that you decide to add to your personal wardrobe. Returns are free and easy thanks to a resealable box and a pre-printed return label.
11. Free two-day shipping on Shopbop
We are huge fans of shopping for designer items on Shopbop and I was today year’s old when I realized that Amazon Prime members get free two-day shipping and free returns on their site. AKA, I can feel one percent better about splurging on those AGOLDE jeans I’ve been eyeballing for the last year.