What you get with each Amazon subscription

Amazon offers several separate subscriptions, and they do not all come bundled together. Amazon Prime is the main one — it covers fast shipping, Prime Video streaming, Prime Music, and photo storage. Prime Video can be bought on its own without Prime membership. Amazon Music Unlimited is a separate music streaming service. Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods+ are grocery delivery and discount programs. Each one charges its own monthly or annual fee, and you can cancel any of them without affecting the others.

The cost and what is included varies depending on whether you pay monthly or annually, and whether you are a student. A standard Prime membership costs less per month if you commit to a year upfront than if you pay month-to-month. Student Prime costs less overall but requires a valid .edu email address. Prime Video alone costs less than Prime membership because it does not include shipping or the other perks.

Key Takeaways

  • Amazon Prime includes fast shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music, and photo storage, but you can buy Prime Video separately if you only want the streaming service.
  • Monthly Prime membership costs more per month than annual membership, so paying yearly saves money if you plan to keep it for twelve months.
  • Student Prime costs less than standard Prime and includes the same benefits, but you must verify your student status with a .edu email address.
  • Amazon Music Unlimited, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods+ are separate subscriptions with their own fees and can be started or stopped independently.
  • You can pause or cancel any subscription through your Amazon account settings without calling customer service.

Amazon Prime membership tiers and pricing

Standard Amazon Prime membership comes in two payment options: monthly or annual. The annual option costs less per month overall, but requires paying the full year upfront. The monthly option lets you pay a smaller amount each month but adds up to more over a year. Both options give you the same benefits — there is no "basic" tier that includes less.

Student Prime is available to anyone with a valid .edu email address and costs less than standard Prime. It includes all the same Prime benefits: two-day shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music, and photo storage. Amazon asks you to verify your student status once, and the discount lasts for four years. After four years, your account converts to standard Prime at the regular rate unless you cancel.

What Prime Video includes and how to watch it

Prime Video is the streaming service included with Prime membership. It has movies, TV series, and original shows that Amazon produces. You can watch on your phone, tablet, computer, or TV using the Prime Video app or website. You can read episodes to watch offline on phones and tablets, which is useful if you travel or have spotty internet.

If you do not want full Prime membership, you can buy Prime Video as a standalone subscription for less money per month. You get the same video library — the only difference is you lose the shipping benefits, Prime Music, and photo storage. Standalone Prime Video works the same way: you watch through the app or website and can read to your device.

Prime Music and photo storage explained

Prime Music is included with Prime membership and lets you stream over two million songs ad-free. It is not the same as Amazon Music Unlimited, which has a much larger library and costs extra. Prime Music works on phones, tablets, computers, and smart speakers. You can create playlists and read songs to listen offline.

Amazon Photos is also included with Prime membership and gives you unlimited photo storage in the cloud. You can back up photos from your phone automatically, and they stay safe even if your device is lost or damaged. Video storage is limited to five gigabytes, but photos are unlimited. You can access your photos from any device through the Amazon Photos app or website.

Amazon Music Unlimited and how it differs from Prime Music

Amazon Music Unlimited is a separate subscription that costs more than Prime membership alone. It has a much larger music library than Prime Music — over 100 million songs instead of two million. You get ad-free streaming, the ability to skip songs without limits, and offline downloads. If you are a Prime member, the monthly cost is lower than if you are not.

You do not need Prime membership to buy Music Unlimited on its own. It works on the same devices as Prime Music: phones, tablets, computers, and smart speakers. You can have both Prime Music and Music Unlimited at the same time, though that is redundant — most people choose one or the other. You can cancel Music Unlimited anytime without affecting your Prime membership.

Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods+ grocery programs

Amazon Fresh is a grocery delivery service that requires a separate subscription. It delivers groceries from Amazon Fresh stores and partner retailers in your area. You pay a monthly fee for unlimited free delivery on orders over a certain amount. If you do not meet the minimum order size, you pay a delivery fee for that order.

Whole Foods+ is a membership program for Whole Foods Market stores. Prime members get a discount on Whole Foods+ membership. It includes weekly deals, special discounts on certain products, and other perks at Whole Foods locations. You can use it in-store or for Whole Foods delivery through Amazon Fresh. Like all Amazon subscriptions, you can cancel it anytime.

How to manage your subscriptions and cancel anytime

You manage all your Amazon subscriptions in one place: your Amazon account settings under "Memberships and Subscriptions." You can see which subscriptions are active, when your next charge is due, and how much each one costs. From this page, you can pause or cancel any subscription without calling customer service or talking to anyone.

When you cancel a subscription, your access ends on the date your current payment period ends — you do not lose access when ready. For example, if you cancel Prime on the 15th of the month and your annual payment was on the 1st, you keep Prime until the 1st of next year. If you cancel a monthly subscription, you keep access until the end of that month. You can restart a cancelled subscription anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get Prime Video without paying for full Prime membership?

Yes. Prime Video is available as a standalone subscription for a lower monthly cost than full Prime membership. You get the same video library and can watch on the same devices, but you lose the shipping benefits, Prime Music, and photo storage. You can switch from standalone Prime Video to full Prime anytime.

Does Prime membership include music streaming?

Prime membership includes Prime Music, which has over two million songs. If you want a larger library with over 100 million songs, you need Amazon Music Unlimited as a separate subscription. Music Unlimited costs more but gives you more songs and the ability to skip without limits.

What happens to my subscription if I cancel Prime?

Cancelling Prime does not affect other subscriptions like Prime Video standalone, Music Unlimited, Amazon Fresh, or Whole Foods+. Each subscription is separate, so you can cancel Prime and keep any of the others running. You manage each one independently in your account settings.

Can I pause my subscription instead of cancelling it?

Yes. Most Amazon subscriptions can be paused for up to three months without cancelling. When you pause, your subscription freezes and you are not charged, but you can restart it anytime within the pause window. After three months, a paused subscription automatically restarts unless you cancel it.

Do I have to pay the full year upfront for annual Prime membership?

Yes, annual Prime membership requires paying the full year at once. Monthly Prime costs more per month but lets you pay smaller amounts. If you are unsure whether you will use Prime for a full year, monthly membership is less risky, even though it costs more overall.