Free, next day delivery, Amazon Prime Instant Video and an eBook landing library... We take a look at Amazon's Prime Membership
It’s evident that video on demand and buying physical goods online seems to be the way of the future in a majority of instances. With that in mind, earlier this year Amazon debuted its revamped Amazon Prime membership scheme in the UK.
Amazon is constantly evolving its operation as well. Just this year the company added in food delivery for certain regions in the UK, as well as drone delivery, and same day delivery, and while these are exclusive to certain areas, the features will one day become the norm for all Prime Membership holders.
Make no mistake, Prime is exceedingly important to Amazon. So much so the company does it at a loss – seriously, every Prime delivery costs Amazon money. But in the grand scheme of things the company views it as a necessary evil to its bottomline; without Prime... Amazon would not be Amazon.
Prime is not is profitable, says Forrester Research analyst Sucharita Mulpuru.
“Mulpuru,” says Tech Review, “estimates that free shipping on Prime purchases costs the online retailer $1 billion a year. Because of the logistical challenges of getting shipments to a customer in 48 hours, Prime orders often have to be split up and sent from more than one location—a big cost for a retailer operating at a thin profit margin to start with.”
And Prime is always evolving. Whether you’re talking about new methods for delivering goods (drones) or new media offers (Kindle Lending Library) the entire package is hugely compelling.
I’ve had Prime for as long as I can remember. I got it primarily for the free, next day delivery, as I do a lot of shopping online and Prime, and this meant, for me, that a Prime membership would pay for itself within about 15 purchases throughout the year.
Amazon Prime now costs £79.00 a year or £7.99 a month. Now, that might sound like a big number, but consider what else you get alongside free, next day delivery: Amazon Prime Music, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Pantry, Prime Early Access, Lending Library, Amazon Family and much more besides.
And ALL for around the same price as a Netflix subscription.
Amazon Prime: Free One-Day Delivery
Let’s start with the biggest feature of Amazon Prime. The annual £79 fee includes unlimited free one-day shipping on anything labelled “Prime” inside Amazon – around seven million products, apparently. How good of a deal is this? That totally depends how often you use Amazon and how fast you want your items.
Right now most items on Amazon come with free Super Saver shipping. Under this scheme you’ll get free shipping on anything you order over £10. That free shipping has a 3-5 day window, however, in my experience (and since the UK isn’t that big) anything I order from Amazon with Super Saver shipping gets to me in about 2-3 days.
If that’s still too long for you, then Amazon Prime might be the way to go because its one-day delivery is guaranteed. Plus, Prime delivery isn’t limited to item size. You can order something small like a book or something massive like a TV and the shipping is free and the item is delivered to you in one day.
Of course if you rarely shop on Amazon, free one-day delivery is a feature of Prime you’ll hardly ever use. Nevertheless, once you’ve had a taste of Amazon Prime and experienced just how fast and reliable it is you’ll likely find it very difficult to cancel your subscription.
This exact thing happened to me when I reviewed the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX. I just cannot, for the life of me, bring myself to cancel my subscription – and the reason is Prime delivery. It really is that good.
Amazon Prime: Unlimited Access To Amazon Prime Instant Video
A few years back Amazon acquired a Netflix rival called LoveFilm. Amazon kept its branding until earlier this year when it rolled out its new Prime program. Under that program LoveFilm became Amazon Prime Instant Video – and it’s one of THE tentpole features of Amazon Prime.
So just what do you get with Amazon Prime Instant Video? Unlimited streaming of more than 15,000 movies and TV episodes. That may sound like a lot, but it actually pales in comparison to Netflix. If you’ve ever browsed what’s available on Netflix in the US – or are running US Netflix in the UK – you’ll know what I’m talking about.
To its credit, Amazon Prime Instant Video does have a lot new TV shows, like Arrow and The Walking Dead, as well as a HBO deal in place. It also has a nice selection of pretty big films and film series like the latest Batman trilogy, Inception, Toy Story 3, and more. And like Netflix, Amazon is also keen on ramping up its original programming as well as taking chances on new shows like Halle Berry's Extant.
Netflix does feel more established and focussed, however, but that's not to say Amazon won't catch up to it sooner or later.
In fact – in recent months I’ve found myself using Amazon Prime more and more. Whether for renting movies or watching series on Prime, I frequently marvel at how little I actually use Netflix these days (no VPN, no likely).
Amazon is committed to building Prime Video as well; I mean, it spent $160 million on The Grand Tour and is pushing forwards with tons of new, exclusive shows and documentaries.
I do still think Netflix has one over Amazon in this regard; Better Call Saul, House of Cards and Arrested Development, to name but a few, have been hugely successful for Netflix. Still, there is plenty of potential in Amazon’s veritable treasure trove of exclusive content.
Amazon Prime Instant Video can be viewed on iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Wii, Roku, and an insane amount of smart television sets.
Amazon Prime: Unlimited Access To Amazon Prime Kindle eBook Library
The third and final feature of Amazon Prime is access to the Kindle eBook Library. And just what is this, you ask? It’s a digital library for Kindle owners’ that allows you to check out one digital book at a time. There are no time limits or due dates when the book must be “returned”.
If you’re a big reader, this is a very appealing feature especially because there are over 500,000 titles in the Kindle eBook Library. However, take note, most of the eBooks in this library are older titles. You won’t find the latest book that hit the shelves only last week here. You also won’t find complete collections of author’s works, either – no matter how old they are. And just because you see an eBook is available to buy on the Kindle, don’t assume you’ll be able to borrow it through the Kindle eBook Library – because it’s probably not on there.
Another caveat to the Kindle eBook Library is that you actually need an Amazon-made piece of Kindle hardware to take advantage of this Kindle eBook Library. Books cannot be borrowed on the official Kindle apps on iOS or Android. You must have an Amazon Kindle reader or Amazon Fire tablet to access the library.
Amazon Prime: Amazon Prime Right For You?
That’s the big question. From the outside £79 looks like a heck of a deal for free one-day shipping, unlimited streaming of 15,000 movies and TV shows, and unlimited access to 500,000 eBooks. Breaking down the £79 annual fee it’s only £6.58 a month.
Still, at that price I can’t say it’s a good deal for everyone.
It’s not a good deal for those who shop at Amazon infrequently, as they won’t take advantage of the one-day shipping too often. It’s not a good deal for those without a Kindle reader or Kindle Fire, as they can’t access the Kindle eBook Library. It’s an okay deal for those who watch a lot of streaming video though because at an average cost of £6.58 a month, Amazon Prime Instant Video comes in at 41p cheaper than Netflix’s £6.99 monthly charge. But if all you care about is streaming video you’re better off going with just an Amazon Instant Video subscription at £5.99 a month.
However, Amazon Prime could be a great deal for some. It’s a brilliant deal for those that shop at Amazon a lot. “A lot” here is 2-3 times a month or more. It’s also a great deal if you own Kindle hardware and are a big reader, because you’ll have access to half a million free eBooks whenever you want them. And it’s a great deal if you love the content Amazon Instant Video has on tap.
In short, I’d recommend you go with Amazon Prime if you’d see yourself using two or more of its features – one-day shipping, Kindle eBook library, Amazon Instant Video – regularly. If not, I’d steer clear. And if you’re on the fence, unsure whether Prime is for you, you can always sign up for Amazon’s 30-day free trial.
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