10 Amazon Prime Perks You Could Be Wasting

Don't Miss Out

Introduced in the U.S. in 2005, Amazon's Prime service has grown by leaps and bounds, with more than 100 million members worldwide as of April. The program, which offers free two-day shipping on an unlimited number of orders for a flat annual fee, has steadily added perks over the years — to the point where some members may be unaware of all the benefits the Prime membership fee (recently increased to $119 a year from $99) has bought them. Here's a rundown of 10 lesser-known advantages of being a Prime customer. And since Amazon just announced that Prime Day will take place on Oct. 13 and 14 this year, months after the usual July dates, now seems like a great time to brush up on the perks.

couple at home on laptop and phone — Prostock-Studio/istockphoto

Membership Sharing

Even seasoned Prime members may be unaware that another adult living in the same household can be added to the membership and access many of the benefits from their own account. One catch: Payment must be made from the authorizing member's credit card. That may be no big deal if the benefits are shared with spouse or partner, but it could get a bit dicey with, say, a roommate.

Unlimited Photo Storage

That's right, unlimited. And there are free apps available to help upload photos to the cloud. Members also get 5 GB of storage space for videos and other files. Prime members who have run out of room on other cloud storage services — or don't have a backup at all — can breath a sigh of relief.

Amazon Prime Day Deals — txking/istockphoto

Free Same-Day Delivery

Free two-day shipping is the most talked about benefit of Amazon Prime, but members also have the option of free same-day delivery in select locations (a growing list) and on specific, qualifying items. There is a $35 minimum order.

Prime Now

Amazon promises free two-hour delivery from local stores and restaurants through Prime Now, within eligible ZIP codes. The offerings include household items and groceries.

Early Access

Amazon gives Prime members an early crack at its limited-time "Lightning Deals" — though inconsistent application have some users expressing skepticism. Officially, lightning Deals are good only while supplies last and could mean the difference between scoring a deal and missing out.

Discounted Diapers

Prime members with babies or toddlers can save up to 20 percent on diapers through Amazon Family. They'll save 15% when they set up a subscription option (which can be canceled or changed) and buy five or more baby products in a month going to a single address A 10% discount is applied at checkout and 5% is credited as Amazon Pay balance cash back within 60 days of order delivery.

kids looking at tablet — manonallard/istockphoto

Amazon Kids+

Prime members get a discount on Amazon Kids+, formerly Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, a service that offers books, movies, shows, apps, and games designed for kids 3 to 12, with no ads or in-app purchases. After paying 99 cents for the first three months, Prime members pay $3 a month for single memberships or $7 for family memberships, a 40 percent discount from the standard $5 fee or $10 fee.

Kindle Lending Library

Prime members (and anyone who shares the membership) can borrow a book a month for free from the Kindle Lending Library. But the book must be read on an Amazon Kindle Reader, Fire Tablet, or Fire Phone, not just a device with the Kindle app. Prime members are also automatically registered for Amazon First Reads, allowing them to download and read select titles a month before the release date for free or at a reduced rate.

Prime Pantry

With Amazon Pantry, Prime members can have grocery and household item orders of $35 or more delivered for free. Weekly deals and discounts can increase savings. But shoppers won't find the giant sizes available at big-box retailers such as Costco or Sam's Club. Rather, the focus is on regular sizes — a good deal for urban dwellers without a car or extra pantry space.

Prime Day

Prime Day, an annual event when Amazon offers exclusive deals for Prime members, occurred on July 15 in 2019 (beginning late the day before and ending at a minute to minight the following day) and it saw stunning figures: $7.16 billion transactions worldwide, according to Statista. That's a huge jump from the 6.7 million from the previous year. Due to the panemic this year, Prime Da will take place on Oct. 13 and 14, so prepare yourself by finding out which Prime Day deals to look out for this year.