With so many subscription services out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by options. I’ve been paying for several, but making multiple payments to a bunch of different companies every month is getting really costly, so I've scaled it back and settled for just eBay Plus and Disney Plus.
However, I was recently convinced to try Amazon Prime which, I was told, would get me similar shopping perks to eBay Plus, and offer a decent amount of entertainment too. I was hesitant to spend AU$9.99 a month, but I'm taking advantage of its 30-day free trial. I soon discovered that, despite a higher cost, there is value for money here.
While I’ve always known about Amazon Prime’s shopping benefits, there are some other services included in the subscription cost that I wasn’t fully aware of, like access to Prime Photos which gets me a little additional cloud storage for photos and videos. Although the 5GB storage limit doesn't go too far, it's in addition to the 5GB iCloud storage I get with my iPhone. More importantly, as a gamer, I'm finding there's benefits to getting Prime Gaming as part of my membership too.
I've only been a Prime member a few days, but I'm already doing the maths in my head and finding that if I shop regularly on Amazon, my savings in shipping costs alone makes back the cost of the subscription. While that's the same with eBay Plus (which costs me AU$4.99 a month), I'm getting a lot more with Prime than just free, fast shipping.
Below are the six reasons why I think an Amazon Prime subscription is worth my money.
1. There's a lot to watch on Prime Video
As one of the best streaming services here in Australia, Prime Video has a stack of content to rival the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus. Boasting Amazon Original shows such as The Boys, Daisy Jones & the Six, Picard and The Rings of Power, I’ve now got access to a massive catalogue filled with some of the latest and greatest TV currently out there. And I'm enjoying them all as part of the Prime subscription – no additional charges apply unless I choose to rent a blockbuster like John Wick: Chapter 4 or The Super Mario Bros Movie.
2. Prime Gaming will let me play a stack of games
Sure, Netflix might also offer some games with a subscription, but it’s not quite at the level as what's included with an Amazon Prime membership. Each month there’ll be new free games to claim through Prime Gaming that can be downloaded directly onto a PC. The games are only available for a limited time, and right now you can pick up the classic RPG Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition. Personally, I'm excited to grab Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, which is listed as an upcoming Prime Day offer.
If none of those games take your fancy, Prime Gaming even has some bonus loot to score in other popular titles such as Fall Guys or Overwatch 2. There's also the option to subscribe to one Twitch streamer for free, if you prefer to watch someone else play and you want to support your favourite streamer.
3. There's great tunes and podcasts on Prime Music
Included in my Prime membership is Prime Music, which allows me to listen to around two million tunes ad-free. There are podcasts too at no additional cost. Just like other streaming subscriptions like Spotify or Apple Music, Prime Music is accessible through a simple app and you can play your tunes whether you’re at a party or during your daily commute. While you can select specific songs to play, a playlist will always be in shuffle mode. I’ve been using a free Spotify subscription for ages, so shuffling playlists is the norm for me anyway. It is worth noting that get HD audio quality or spatial audio, but that doesn’t bother me at all.
4. Prime Reading lets me access hundreds of books
I love to read a good book, especially in this cooler weather, and I’m looking for a cheap and simple way to expand my library. With Prime Reading included in an Amazon Prime membership, I get just that. There's hundreds of books on offer, and while my choices are limited, there are a few hidden gems in the Prime Reading library, including Neil Gaiman’s Sandman and Tolkein’s Silmarillion. I don’t even need one of the best Kindles to access these books as I can just download the Kindle app onto my phone to read to my heart’s content.
5. I can nab exclusive discounts on Amazon Prime Day
Once Amazon Prime Day kicks off, the best deals are going to be exclusively for Amazon Prime members. While I may not buy any big-ticket items as I’m keeping my spending down, I’ve been told I can stock up my pantry and pick up other bare essentials for a fraction of the price. And that’s got me quite excited for the two-day shopping bonanza.
If I do decide to keep my membership after my free 30-day trial, there’s also the chance of another Amazon Big Smile Sale later in the year, plus even bigger discounts during Black Friday and Cyber Monday in November – Prime members always seem to get the lowest prices on items.
6. And I won’t have to worry about shipping costs either
Living in the inner suburbs of Sydney, I’ve got access to same-day delivery on select items (which I don't always get with eBay Plus), and I’ve already discovered it's a boon. I desperately wanted to grab a copy of Sonic Frontiers for the Nintendo Switch while it was on sale, and had it delivered to my door by 8pm that very same day – almost as fast as the blue hedgehog himself.
This same-day delivery option, however, is not available Australia-wide – only select suburbs in Melbourne and Sydney can take advantage of this on certain Prime-eligible products. If you live outside of those specific suburbs, you are eligible for one- or two-day delivery from Amazon as a Prime member.
Considering Amazon sells products shipping from the US, UK, Japan and Germany, international shipping is also free for a bill totalling AU$49 or more on eligible products.
If, like me, you want to test out each one of these perks, they’re all included in the 30-day free trial for Amazon Prime. You can always cancel before the payment cycle comes around if you’re not happy with the service.
