Why an Amazon Prime membership is totally worth it for Prime Day

• Amazon has confirmed its annual Prime Day sale will be a 4-day event, running from June 23 through June 26.
• A standard Amazon Prime membership costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year, but a free 30-day trial is available.
• Discounted memberships are available for young adults aged 18-24 and for individuals receiving qualifying government aid.
• Membership benefits include fast and free shipping, access to Prime Video, and exclusive deals during major sales events.

Over the last few years, I’ve become pretty obsessed with Amazon. While most shoppers eagerly await Black Friday sales, Prime Day is when you can find some of the most insane deals before the holiday rush. Last year, Amazon shook things up by introducing its first-ever four-day Prime Day event in July—and it looks like that extended format is here to stay.

We can officially confirm that the 2026 Amazon Prime Day sale will run from Tuesday, June 23 through Friday, June 26, locking in another epic, 96-hour shopping spree!

If you aren't an Amazon Prime member yet—even after considering the fuel discounts, lightning-fast delivery options and Prime Video streaming—shopping during one of these massive events might finally pull you in—and these events are primarily for Amazon Prime members. The deals are often just too good to pass up. In fact, I always find myself using the sale to stock up not just on fun splurges and gifts, but on my everyday household essentials, too.

The incredible savings are truly what set this event apart from any other. If you haven't signed up for a membership just yet, now is the perfect time to do so and start building your wishlist. Below, I’ve curated the best perks of an Amazon Prime membership and why it’s your ultimate pass to unlocking Prime Day this June. With so many ways to save, it's easy to see why the membership is more than worth it. Read on to discover all the hidden benefits, how to try Prime for free and start saving across categories.

Here's what you need to know about a Prime membership

1. What is Amazon Prime?
2. How much does Amazon Prime cost?
3. Does Amazon offer any discounted Prime memberships?
4. What are the benefits of an Amazon Prime membership?
5. What are the streaming and digital benefits included with a Prime membership?

Amazon Prime membership

Sign up for an Amazon Prime membership to get exclusive perks and benefits all year. Join Amazon Prime

What is Amazon Prime?

Amazon Prime is a paid membership service that offers perks like free shipping and access to exclusive deals and shopping events, including the upcoming June 2026 Prime Day. The popular membership can be paid monthly or annually, and users can cancel at any time during the billing period without penalty. That means there's no commitment, especially if you opt to pay month-to-month.

How much does Amazon Prime cost?

Right now, members can try Amazon Prime for free with a 30-day trial. After that, Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year. The annual plan will save you about $40 total compared to paying monthly.

Are there discounted Amazon Prime memberships?

Yes! Amazon has two discounted Prime membership options:

1. Amazon Prime for Young Adults (previously Prime for Students) is a new membership that is focused on perks for young adults between the ages of 18 and 24.

Eligible young adults can get a six-month Amazon Prime membership at zero cost and pay a discounted fee of $7.49 per month or $69 annually after that. This is a 50% discount compared to the full price of Amazon Prime. You no longer need to verify that you're a student for this discount, as long as your age falls between 18 and 24, you qualify for Prime for Young Adults. In order to verify your age, you will need to provide a copy of your driver's license, passport or other official documentation.

2. Prime Access: If you receive SNAP, EBT, Medicaid or other qualifying government aid, you can save with a discounted Prime Access membership.

Prime Access costs $3.50 per month for the first three months for qualifying EBT and Medicaid recipients, and $6.99 per month after that.

What are the benefits of an Amazon Prime membership?

The ultimate perk of an Amazon Prime membership has always been the lightning-fast, free delivery options—ranging from two-day shipping to immediate same-day drop-offs on millions of items. But the value just got a massive upgrade with the arrival of Alexa+, Amazon's next-level virtual assistant. There will be a fee of $19.99 per month to utilize the new assistant, but that fee only applies to non-Prime members. Prime members will get Alexa+ for free. Other benefits include:

• Special access to sales and lightning deals: Members get early access to select sales and timed lightning deals throughout the year, including events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon’s Summer Beauty event and more.
• Discounts on groceries: Prime members can shop Amazon Fresh online or in-store and save 10% thanks to exclusive deals. Get unlimited free delivery on orders of $35 or more from Whole Foods Market, Amazon Fresh, and local retailers for $9.99 per month.
• Same-day grocery delivery: Amazon is significantly expanding its free same-day grocery delivery service for Prime members, now available in over 1,000 cities and towns across the U.S. You can get fresh grocery items like produce, meat and dairy, along with non-grocery items, all in one single cart for delivery within hours. This benefit is planned to be expanded to over 2,300 locations by the end of the year. For Prime members, same-day delivery is free for orders over $25, with a small fee for smaller orders. To see if this service is available in your area you can head over to the Amazon Same-Day Store.
• Free Grubhub+: Prime members get a free Grubhub+ membership with $0 delivery fees, discounted service fees and more.
• Prime Fuel savings: As a Prime member, you will save $0.10 a gallon at more than 7,000 participating gas stations across the country.

What are the streaming and digital benefits included with a Prime membership?

• Prime Video: Prime members have access to Prime Video's extensive selection of premium content accessible across multiple devices. Users can stream and watch movies, television series, documentaries and live sports, including productions from Amazon MGM Studios; licensed popular titles; and content from partners like Max, Crunchyroll, and MGM+ via Prime Video Channels add-on subscriptions.
• Prime Gaming: Prime Gaming is a benefit included with your Amazon Prime membership that gives you access to free games, exclusive in-game content and a free monthly Twitch channel subscription. It’s like a bonus level for your Prime perks.

USA TODAY Shopping will be covering all the best deals and drops, so be sure to sign up for text alerts, check us out on Flipboard, follow us on TikTok, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Instagram to stay updated!

• Free titles at Audible: Prime members can sign up for an Audible Premium Plus trial with two free included credits that can be used on any titles.
• Prime Reading: Members get unlimited access to thousands of eBooks, magazines, comics and audiobooks, including quick reads from Amazon Original Stories.
• Amazon First Reads: Get early access to new books a month before they release. Prime members can choose one free Kindle book each month; non-Prime members pay $1.99. Titles are yours to keep.
• Amazon Music for Prime members: This included music streaming service allows members to shuffle through all music in Amazon's impressive catalog of top podcasts without advertisements.
• Amazon Music Unlimited: Offering 100 million songs on-demand and the majority of top podcasts without ads, this upgraded music streaming service provides offline listening and HD audio quality starting at $10.99 per month for Prime members.
• Amazon Photos: Prime members benefit from unlimited full-resolution photo storage and 5GB of video storage with Amazon Photos. You can order printed products or even personalize your Echo Show or FireTV using Amazon Photos.

Is Amazon Prime worth it?

An Amazon Prime membership gets you fast shipping, access to popular subscription services, gas discounts and thousands of deals. If you want convenient shopping perks, affordable products and exclusive discounts, an Amazon Prime membership is totally worth it.

How do I sign up for Amazon Prime?

It is so easy to sign up for an Amazon Prime membership. Visit this link and enter your information, select your preferred payment cadence (monthly or annual) and you're in! Start shopping and enjoy all the benefits!