Is Amazon Prime Worth It? Here’s What $139 Actually Gets You

Let's start with full transparency from the top: I have an Amazon Prime membership. My Best of the Year cofounders and colleagues do, too. And there’s a very good chance so do you.

In fact, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, a Chicago-based firm that tracks consumer trends, spending, and behavior, estimates that 196 million U.S. Amazon customers had access to Prime in 2025, up from 180 million in 2024. That number includes multiple people in the same household (a total of four, in my case, if you include our fur child, don't @ me), so it’s not the same as 196 million individuals paying for Prime. But still. That's a lot of Prime.

"Prime is woven into our lives at this point," says Rachel Rothman, a product-testing expert and Best of the Year's Chief Innovation Officer. "We use it for video and music, the kids' devices run through it, and we use Alexa all day. I order Whole Foods through Prime, and we've got the Amazon card, so between the 5% cashback and the member deals, it stacks up in a way that far exceeds what it costs — at least for us."

Stepping back, it's hard to put an actual dollar value on something that so many people in our testing community say has saved them countless times in a pinch. We've all been there. The 8 p.m. emergency, when your kid announces they require poster board for tomorrow's school project. Your dog is almost out of food, but your usual pet supply shop is closed. You need sunscreen, a phone charger, and laundry detergent before a vacation, but don’t have time to visit three different stores. And on, and on it goes.

Except, of course, Amazon does put a price on it: $139 per year, or $14.99 per month. Pay monthly for a full year, and you’ll spend almost $180, so the annual membership saves you about $41. Amazon also offers discounted memberships for eligible young adults and students ($69 a year or $7.49 a month) and qualifying Prime Access customers (for the Access membership, you must meet income eligibility requirements and/or show participation in certain assistance programs. Then you'll pay $6.99 a month, about 50% off the regular cost).

Is Amazon Prime Worth $139 a Year?

For our experts and members of our at-home consumer testing community, the answer is a resounding yes. "With my family, Prime’s appeal is the combination of benefits and convenience," says Birnur Aral, PhD, Best of the Year's Chief Science and Standards Officer. "We appreciate the fast, free shipping on eligible purchases and the Prime discounts at Whole Foods, where we scan our in-store code. We also use the Amazon Prime Video app on our TV and have loved watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Reacher exclusives. The trade-off is that convenience can make it easy to stop comparing options," she continues.

If you're in the increasingly smaller group of people who aren't Prime subscribers and you're still undecided about whether it's for you, it's worth looking beyond the long list of Prime benefits (see below). Instead, try to zero in on the ones you think you'll actually use. (You might also consider starting a free trial to conduct your own personal experiment before committing to a full year upfront.)

"Prime’s appeal is the combination of benefits and convenience." -Birnur Aral, Best of the Year Chief Science and Standards Officer

What Do You Actually Get With Amazon Prime?

If you think of Prime as a thing you pay for so you don’t have to pay for shipping, you’re right. But you're missing some substantial perks. A quick scan of the Prime sign-up page lists a wide variety of current benefits, including:

• Fast, free shipping: More than 300 million items qualify for free Prime delivery in the U.S., with tens of millions eligible for same-day or next-day Delivery. (Consider the environmental impact.)

• Prime Video: So many movies, TV shows and live sports are included. (Though not everything you see inside Prime Video is free with Prime. You still have to rent or pay for some movies and live action sporting events, for example, depending on your subscription level.)

• Amazon Music: Prime includes ad-free music listening, although it’s not the same experience as paying separately for Amazon Music Unlimited. (Hard to compete with Spotify or Apple Music, let's be honest. But great if you already have an Alexa device or have been wanting one. Side note: The newest model is currently about $100 off.)

• Amazon Photos: Unlimited full-resolution photo storage. (Likely underused or never used even if it's there.)

• Prime Reading: Discover a rotating selection of ebooks, audiobooks, comics, and other reading material. (Could be useful, especially when traveling.)

• Grubhub+: A Grubhub+ membership is currently included with Prime, with $0 delivery fees on eligible orders and other benefits. (That's interesting. Still need to try it.)

• Gas discounts: Prime members can save 10 cents per gallon at more than 7,500 participating bp, Amoco, ampm and Thorntons locations. (Who knew?)

• Grocery benefits: Depending on where you live, Prime includes grocery discounts and delivery benefits through Amazon, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods Market. (Big plus!)

• Prime Day and other member-only deals: You need Prime to access many of Amazon’s biggest promotional offers. (Big plus, again! Especially right now with Amazon Prime Big Deal Days happening October 6 and 7, and you can easily stock up on some of the 2026 Best of the Year Award winners. Check out our story for more.)

• Other extras: There are also benefits involving prescriptions, gaming, Alexa+, Buy with Prime, and more.

Where Do People Get the Most Value From Prime?

In a 2024 survey of nearly 6,000 U.S. consumers conducted by PYMNTS Intelligence, free shipping was the leading reason people said they joined Prime, with Prime Video coming in second. The speed factor seems to be less important if you ask the Best of the Year community. "I try not to use the fast shipping unless I really need to," says Jesse Poddell, a Best of the Year at-home consumer tester. "I'd rather consolidate into one weekly delivery and fewer boxes." Another echoes that sentiment, saying, "I try not to use the fast free shipping unless I genuinely need something fast. It's so easy to treat two-day shipping like it costs nothing, but it does, there's a real footprint there."

Amazon says U.S. Prime members saved an average of more than 500 on delivery each year. But we haven't independently reviewed data to verify it, so take it with a grain of salt. And definitely don't automatically think it translates into "500 back in your pocket." You might have consolidated orders, bought locally, or qualified for free shipping another way if you weren't a member.

Some of the lesser-known benefits can add up surprisingly quickly, too. Take gas. Amazon estimates that a typical driver who consistently uses participating stations could save close to $70 a year with the 10-cent-per-gallon Prime discount. If you already order through Grubhub, Amazon values the included Grubhub+ membership at $120 annually. Use both regularly and, at least on paper, you've already exceeded the $139 annual Prime fee before we've even talked about shipping.

"It's so easy to treat two-day shipping like it costs nothing, but it does, there's a real footprint there." -Best of the Year Consumer Tester

What About Prime Video?

Prime Video absolutely adds value if you use it. In a February 2026 survey by Hub Entertainment Research of 2,659 U.S. consumers ages 16 to 74, 54% said they subscribed to TV streaming services through Amazon Prime Video.

For me personally, Prime Video is probably the most valuable part of the membership. I'm not a big shopper, and I'm more likely to grab groceries, gifts, and household necessities when I'm out in my neighborhood versus ordering from my computer. As a household. we've loved watching shows like The Summer I Turned Pretty, Gilmore Girls, House, The Americans (when it first came out), and many others — all included with our Prime membership.

The sometimes frustrating thing to keep in mind with Prime Video is that Amazon mixes titles you get free with other movies and shows you must pay extra for as. This includes movies you can rent or buy, pay-per-view programming and additional subscription channels. Those extra subscriptions are billed separately, so you can add a lot of extra charges if you're not careful.

Another caveat: Basic Prime Video now has advertising. So if part of your personal calculation is, "Well, at least I'm getting a premium streaming service included," make sure you're comparing the service you're actually receiving with whatever you'd otherwise pay for.

Does Prime Make Us Spend More?

Consumer Intelligence Research Partners estimates that Prime members historically spend about twice as much at Amazon as non-Prime customers. Their data suggests that Prime customers spent an estimated $1,170 annually on Amazon versus $570 for nonmembers. Similarly, they found Prime members order from Amazon roughly twice a month, compared with about once a month for nonmembers. Our experts agree. "The trap is over-buying, usually little organizing things for the house or kids that I don't really need," says Rothman.

Before checking out, it might be worth asking yourself: Would I have bought this if it weren't so damn easy? Free shipping removes friction. One-click ordering removes friction. Same-day delivery removes friction. And friction, annoying as it can be, occasionally gives you enough time to realize that maybe you don't need another set of packing cubes. (I say this as someone who loves packing cubes.)

“The convenience can make you complacent. We still need to do our homework, because sometimes another seller offers a better price or service," says Aral. It's definitely something to pay attention to.

Watch Out For Subscriptions You Don't Know You Have

Choosing to pay for Prime is one thing, but Amazon offers a long list of add-ons and upgrades that you might unknowingly already be paying for. This happened to me last year. By pure coincidence, when I was reviewing my credit card statement for something else, I discovered that in addition to Amazon Prime, I was being charged about $10 a month for an Audible membership. I didn't recall ever signing up or even using Audible.

I actually borrow books from the library or shop at my local bookstore, Books Are Magic. (Indeed they are magic!) By the time I discovered this charge on my credit card statements and did the recon to figure out when it started, I had already paid for over 12 months of Audible. That was annoying. Luckily, I immediately called Amazon customer service (once I found the right number), and after a brief verification, they quickly refunded every payment six months' worth at a time.

Turns out I wasn't the only one dealing with unknown charges. In 2025, Amazon agreed to a $2.5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations that the company enrolled consumers in Prime without adequate consent and made cancellation unnecessarily difficult. The settlement included a $1 billion civil penalty and up to $1.5 billion in consumer refunds. Amazon did not admit wrongdoing. Then in September 2026, the FTC announced they were expanding the refund program, with additional eligible consumers receiving automatic payments of up $200. The lesson here is one we've heard many times: always check your account history and credit card statements. Every month. If anything doesn't look right, investigate immediately.

The (Almost) Last Word: Is Amazon Prime Worth $139 a Year?

If you're still not a Prime member and you're still undecided, here's another way to look at it. Review your actual Amazon history over the last year. If you order from Amazon several times a month, watch Prime Video, use Grubhub+, buy gas at participating stations, and want to shop Prime Day deals, $139 can be pretty easy to justify.

If you place six Amazon orders a year, never watch Prime Video, and don't own a gas-powered vehicle, that's a different story. Also, don't forget the alternatives. You don't need Prime to shop at Amazon, and other retailers increasingly offer fast shipping, free pickup and membership programs of their own. "Don’t assume Amazon always has the best price," says Aydemir Nehrozoglu, a Best of the Year consumer tester. "When we recently visited a Nespresso store to replace our machine, we found a better subscription offer directly through Nespresso." You can also shop local in your own neighborhood for books, gifts, food staples, and more.

But if you like discounts or the feeling of getting something unexpected, Amazon Prime helps. “The best part is seeing how much we accumulate in cash-back rewards," says Aral. "I don’t usually use them when it’s just a few dollars, but hey, if there’s $25 available, I’ll gladly apply it to my shopping cart. Watching the total come down is instantly gratifying.”

Best of the Year Bottom Line

Prime isn't worth $139 because Amazon gives you $139 worth of benefits. It's worth it only if it saves you at least $139 in money, time, or inconvenience on things you would have bought or used anyway.

Laurie Jennings is an award-winning writer and trusted editorial expert with expertise across health, travel, home, parenting, automotive and other consumer lifestyle categories, including product reviews and shopping advice. She turns rigorous product testing results into clear, actionable insights to help readers make smarter decisions.