Amazon Prime price rise: $99 a year, $12.99 a month

Your Amazon Prime membership is about to cost more. Amazon’s Australian site now lists Prime at $99 a year or $12.99 a month after the free trial.

Information Age reports the old prices were $79 a year and $9.99 a month. That’s $20 more a year for annual members, and $3 more a month for everyone paying monthly.

New members pay now, existing members at renewal

After a free trial, Amazon’s Prime fee page says “your card will be charged $99 for an annual membership or $12.99 per month”. The sign-up page shows the same two prices.

If you’re already a member, Information Age reports the new price applies from 25 November 2026. Read with Amazon’s terms, that means your first renewal on or after that date.

Amazon’s own Prime terms add an important detail. They say any fee increase “will not apply before the end of your current membership period”. So if you paid $79 for a year in, say, June, you keep Prime at that price until the year is up.

The terms also say Amazon gives prior written notice, by email or a similar method, when it decides a change will leave you worse off.

What Amazon says you get for it

Information Age reports Amazon defended the rise by citing an expansion of Prime benefits over the past six months. The publication notes Amazon didn’t name any major new service to go with it.

Amazon’s sign-up page lists these benefits:

Delivery. Free delivery in as fast as one day, with no minimum spend on Prime-eligible orders. Select remote areas are excluded.
Prime Video. Movies, TV shows and live sports, with limited ads.
Amazon Music Prime. Music and podcasts, ad-free.
Prime Reading. A rotating selection of more than a thousand e-books, comics and short works.
Amazon Luna. PC games to claim each month.
Deals. 30 minutes’ early access to Prime-eligible lightning deals, plus shopping events such as Prime Day.

Monthly now costs a lot more than annual

Twelve months at $12.99 comes to $155.88. That’s $56.88 more than the $99 annual plan, on our sums.

If you use Prime all year round, the annual plan is the cheaper way to pay. If you only want it for a big sale or a series you’re watching, monthly lets you drop out sooner.

Cancel, pause or get a reminder

Amazon’s help page on ending Prime says you can end your membership from Manage Prime Membership in Your Account. Select End membership and benefits.

If no one on your account has used a Prime benefit this period, such as free delivery or Prime Video, you get a full refund.

On the same page, under Next Payment, you can select Remind me before renewing. That option isn’t available when your renewal is within three days.

You can also pause Prime for one, two or three months, from Manage my membership in Prime Central. The pause starts after your current billing cycle. It isn’t available if you joined through a third party, are on a Prime Video or Prime Business plan, or are on a trial.

Reviewing other subscriptions too? See how X Premium changed into a five-tier plan.

Checklist

Find your renewal date. Open Manage Prime Membership in your Amazon account. Note when you’re next charged, and whether you pay monthly or yearly.
Set a renewal reminder. In Manage Prime Membership, under Next Payment, select Remind me before renewing. It isn’t offered within three days of renewal.
Compare monthly and annual. Monthly now costs $155.88 over a year, against $99 for the annual plan. If you use Prime all year, the annual plan is cheaper.
List what you actually use. Tick off delivery, Prime Video, Amazon Music, Prime Reading and Luna. Decide whether they’re worth $99 a year to you.
Pause instead of cancelling. If you won’t use Prime for a while, pause it for one to three months from Prime Central. Trials and third-party plans can’t be paused.
End it before renewal if you’re done. Select End membership and benefits in Manage Prime Membership. If no one has used a Prime benefit this period, you’re due a full refund.