From the grocery store to the gas station, the prices of many products are going up. For Amazon Prime members everywhere, the membership is just the latest thing to go up in cost.
Earlier this week, Amazon announced it would be raising prices on its Prime membership from $119 to $139 a year. For Prime members who pay monthly will go up from $12.99 to $14.99, the company said on its annual company earnings call.
New members who join will be charged the new, higher rate, beginning February 18, CBS Essentials reported. Current members will see the price hike beginning March 25, or whenever it’s time to renew their membership.
Tips for Locking In the Old Rate
If you’re looking to for some ways to save on the subscription service, CBS Essentials suggests that current monthly Prime members switch to an annual membership since you’ll avoid higher monthly fees for a year and save even more on top of it.
You should know that avoiding the price hike all together isn’t necessarily an option, but locking in savings for a year can be. Here’s how:
Since you can’t renew a membership early, CBS Essentials suggests purchasing a gift subscription for $119 and then activate it when you current subscription expires. That’ll give you access to all of the Prime perks: Amazon Prime Video, Kindle, Whole Foods savings, for $20 less than the new price for a whole 365 days.