Is Amazon Prime Worth It? Here Are the 17 Best Perks

Amazon Prime has become a indispensable companion for online shoppers. The service, which costs $99 per year, offers free two-day shipping and has grown to more than 67 million subscribers. Amazon has continued to add perks to keep its existing customers happy and attract new shoppers. But not all of them are well known.Here's a look at Prime’s best perks.

Arguably the most important Amazon Prime perk is its shipping offer. Amazon Prime customers get free two-day shipping through the service, and can get overnight shipping for as little as $2.99 per item. Amazon also offers same-day delivery on qualifying orders in certain cities, as well as special offers on products with its “no-rush shipping,” which Prime customers can choose if they’re willing to wait a bit longer for an item.

Amazon’s Prime Video has become a real competitor in the streaming-video market, thanks to popular original series like “Transparency,” which has won several EMMY awards. In addition to original programming, the streaming service, which comes free with a Prime subscription, offers a wide range of network and broadcast television content, as well as lots of free movies.

Amazon’s Lightning Deals offers customers the opportunity to get a compelling offer on select items. However, because the deal is offered for a limited time and on a limited supply, customers need to move fast. To give Prime subscribers a better chance at finding a deal, Amazon offers them access to the deals 30 minutes before its non-subscribers. Who doesn’t like to get a jump on a good deal?

Prime Reading is a relatively new perk that allows users to read more than a thousand books, magazines, comics, and other content for free. Best of all, there is no limit on how much content Prime subscribers consume and on which device they decide to read it. Think of Prime Reading as a one-stop shop for heavy readers to get access to the content they care about – and not have to pay for it in the process.

Amazon has spent the last several years investing heavily in the cloud, and is now one of the foremost content delivery companies in the world. However, Amazon has also found a way to bring cloud delivery to Prime subscribers by offering them unlimited photo storage in its service. The Prime Photos offer means users can upload photos from any device to Amazon’s cloud and, whenever requested, download that content to the device of their choosing.

Amazon Prime is an even better deal for students, because they get a 50 percent discount. So for about $50 per year, Prime Student members free two-day shipping, unlimited photo storage, Prime video and deals and promotions for students. Plus, you'll get a $10 credit if you refer a friend. The best part? Sprint picks up the tab for a 6-month free trial.

Prime Pantry is designed to be an easily accessible service for people to stock up on household goods. The service sells everything from food and beverages to cleaning and beauty items. Better yet, it offers pre-selected “theme boxes,” so customers don’t need to spend too much time picking and choosing products. Prime Pantry is available only to Amazon’s Prime subscribers and offers free shipping on up to five qualifying items. After that, shipping costs a flat fee of $5.99 per Pantry box.