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It pays to be a Prime member in 2019 for a number of reasons, but some Amazon customers have been receiving Prime perks since the program launched in 2005 — and let’s just say the membership amenities have come a long way since then.
Prime Day 2019 — aka the biggest Amazon sale of the year — begins July 15 and runs through July 16, and while this huge savings event is reason enough to become a Prime member, there are plenty of other benefits you can reap from the $119 yearly Prime membership.
You can start by signing up for afree 30-day trial to give the membership a test run — and be eligible to take advantage of Prime Day deals — but once you see how far Amazon Prime has come, you might be convinced to maintain your membership status. If Amazon’s proven anything over the years, it’s that it only gets better with time.
Amazon Prime In 2005
According to CNN Business, Amazon Prime memberships became an option for Amazon customers back in 2005 and was available for $79 per year. The membership allowed access to free two-day shipping for all eligible products, as it still does today.
Amazon Prime In 2011
By 2011, Amazon Prime memberships had expanded to include access to over 5,000 movies and TV shows through an instant streaming service. The Prime membership was still available for $79 a year, so having access to movies and TV shows through Prime was actually cheaper than a Netflix subscription at the time.
Amazon Prime In 2014
In April 2014, Amazon Prime expanded to include Amazon Pantry, giving customers access to non-perishable items for a flat fee of $5.99. This was also the year that Amazon Prime introduced Prime Music (commercial-free streaming of songs) and Prime Photos (unlimited photo storage for Prime members). Late 2014 also saw the launch of free two-hour delivery (and one-hour delivery for $7.99) in New York City, a service that is now offered in 32 metro areas.
Amazon Prime In 2015
In 2015, Prime membership offered one-day shipping on eligible items, but the yearly membership price had also risen from $79 to $99 a year. Since 2015 marked the 20th anniversary of Amazon, the company also held its first ever Prime Day sale in this year. It was a one-day sale at the time.
Amazon Prime 2016-2018
These years saw the launch of Prime Reading (unlimited access to a rotating offering of books, audiobooks and magazines) and Prime Wardrobe, with which customers can order clothes and accessories to try on before buying them. Early 2018 brought the option of getting free two-hour delivery from Whole Foods in certain cities, and a few months later, the company launched a service that delivers packages to the trunks of cars for free for Prime members.
Amazon Prime Today
Now, Prime Day is as huge an event as Black Friday or Cyber Monday, and it no longer lasts for just one day. This year, the sale will take place on July 15 and July 16 and it’ll feature incredible deals — all exclusively available to Prime members.
According to Business Insider, the sale will include over 1 million deals on everything from kitchen appliances to TVs and much more. In 2019, the price of a membership went up from $99 to $119. In 2019, it’s predicted that more than half (51.3%) of U.S. households will hold Prime memberships, so clearly, the price increase didn’t deter many from taking advantage of all the Prime perks.
Amazon Prime 2020 And Beyond
With over half of U.S. households taking advantage of Prime memberships, Amazon Prime has no signs of scaling back. So, there’s a lot to look forward to in the coming years if you’re an Amazon Prime customer. Every year, Amazon seems to find a way to top itself, offering bigger and better ways to delight Prime members.
What will they think of next? We’re curious to find out!
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