How to Sign Up for Amazon Prime - Start Ordering Right Away

The annual deal event Amazon Prime Day gathers thousands of online shoppers at a single website where more than a million items are heavily discounted. But the epic sale is organized exclusively for Prime members, and you’ll need to figure out how to sign up for Amazon Prime to get in on the action. 

Luckily, creating an account and upgrading the membership to Prime is an easy process. We’ll walk you through it and tell you about the benefits of the service and the requirements for certain discounts.

About Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime is a premium subscription-based service. Launched in 2005, the service was initially available for US residents before expanding to the UK, Germany, Japan, Canada, and other countries. The idea was to provide Amazon users with a single, annual subscription that unlocks free two-day shipping and generous discounts on one-day shipping right after joining Amazon Prime. Today, the service is available in 17 countries around the world and has more than 200 million subscribers.

Amazon Prime Perks

As both the service and Amazon grew, so did the list of perks and features. What started out as an online shopping site is now a service with streaming video and audio, thousands of e-books, photo storage options, and various gaming content. The Amazon Prime subscription also evolved, and your membership will unlock more than just free, fast shipping for a brand new wireless router you’ve just ordered.

Here’s what you currently get with Amazon Prime:

• Free shipping: All two-day shipments on eligible items are free, along with select one-day and same-day shipments. Groceries and medicine can even be delivered within hours, depending on your location.
• Scheduled shipping: Set a day when you want your big order to arrive. Amazon can also deliver the packages to your garage if you wish.
• Deals and discounts: Signing up for Amazon Prime unlocks a set of exclusive deals on select brands, with an annual Amazon Prime Day that has more than one million items on discount.
• Digital book library with Amazon First Reads: Instant access to tens of thousands of  Kindle e-books and other e-reader devices, with exclusive previews and pre-release access to the most sought-after titles.
• Prime Video: A streaming video service akin to Netflix with thousands of movies and TV shows and a growing catalog of original content.
• Amazon Music Prime: A library of two million songs and podcasts. Subscribers can upgrade their membership to Unlimited and get access to 70+ million songs.
• Prime Gaming: Since Amazon now owns Twitch, you can sign up for Prime through that website, too. This streaming service offers a lot of perks, including free games and add-ons, as well as one free subscription to your favorite streamer each month.

There are also photo backup services, access to kid-friendly content, and even a wardrobe service that allows you to enjoy a seven-day try-on period with up to eight items of clothing. You only pay for the items you keep. Some of these services aren’t available in all Prime territories, so be sure to check on Amazon’s website if you’re eligible.

Amazon Prime Pricing and Plans

Once you sign up for Amazon Prime, you’ll get to choose between two membership plans: monthly and the Prime annual membership. Whichever you choose, the membership renews automatically, so keep an eye on the renewal dates if you’re planning to use the service for a limited period of time.

Following the recent price hike, the monthly subscription is $12.99, while the annual membership costs $119 (plus taxes). If you’re a student, you can enjoy Prime at half the price of just $6.49/month. Moreover, when you subscribe to Amazon Prime as a student, your first six months are completely free.

There is a third tier reserved for government assistance recipients at $5.99/month for up to four years. Amazon will request an additional verification document from customers that wish to use these discounted plans.

Aside from these plans, customers can sign up solely for Prime Video for $8.99/month. That’s without taxes, and the full cost depends on where you live. One additional note - Prime Video and Prime Gaming are available in many more regions than Amazon Prime.

How to Sign Up for Amazon Prime

Now that we’ve covered all the perks and plans, it’s time to upgrade from your current free Amazon account to Amazon Prime. 

Of course, you’ll first need a regular Amazon account. To create one, visit the Amazon website or install the Amazon mobile app. Then, locate the “Hello, Sign in” button in the top right corner. Hover over it and click on “Start here” next to the text asking whether you’re a new customer. Before you can get to the Amazon Prime signup part, you’ll need to provide your name and email address.

Once you’ve got your basic account, it’s time to upgrade to the paid membership:

• Sign in to your Amazon account.
• Hover over your name in the top right corner, and from the drop-down menu, select Amazon Prime Membership.
• On the next page, you’ll be able to start your Amazon Prime free trial. You’ll be asked whether you want a monthly or annual membership, but you won’t be charged right away.
• Enter your billing information and confirm your address.
• Your membership is active now. Congratulations! Keep in mind that after 30 days, the site will start charging you based on the membership you’ve chosen.

How to Sign Up for Amazon Prime Student

We’ve mentioned there’s a way for students to get access to Prime without paying the full price. This is called a Student account, and it’s free for the first six months. 

To get things rolling, access the Amazon Student sign-up page and hit the Try Prime Student button. Sign in with your basic account and then follow the on-screen instruction. Make sure you’ve provided your .edu address. Once you complete the registration, Amazon will send you an activation link to your email address. Click it, and your Prime account will become active.

How to Sign Up for Twitch Prime with Amazon Prime

You’ll be glad to hear that there is a way to grab all those gaming-related freebies and support your favorite streamer while you’re at it. After all, why not use all the benefits of your Amazon Prime membership. 

Once you’ve activated everything related to Amazon Prime, you can head over to the Prime Gaming page. From the top right bar, click Log in if the site doesn’t already show your Amazon username. Log in to your Amazon and Twitch accounts. Click Confirm when the site offers you to connect those two accounts, and voila! Now you know how to sign up for Amazon Prime and get all the benefits on Twitch. That means you’re able to donate to Twitch streamers and subscribe to their channels for free. Your streamer friends will love you for all this support.