How to get Amazon Prime for free.

For millions of people, Amazon is a way to get whatever they need, whenever they need it – and wherever they are. (More on that in a minute.) That’s why the rebranding of the “Prime Student” program is worth noticing. Amazon is offering six months’ worth of Amazon Prime for free to people aged 18 to 24, plus half-price Prime after that.

That means not just free parcel delivery, but also:

  • Discount textbooks
  • Free access to GrubHub
  • Prime Video
  • Prime Music
  • Prime Gaming
  • Free digital comics, audiobooks and e-books
  • Discounts at Whole Foods
  • Early access to Lightning Deals

Again, it’s free for the first six months. After that, the Prime membership costs $7.49 per month.

Amazon Prime options

If a family member or friend in that 18-to-24 demographic likes to shop online or use any of the above-noted benefits, let them know about this deal! Keep in mind it’s for new sign-ups only, not for those who are already Prime members.

Two other options:

  • If your relative/friend has a roommate, suggest they sign up and split the $7.49-a-month cost. The free GrubHub access alone would be worth it, if they use this service (to say nothing of the music, books, video, etc.).
  • Get bonus mensch points by offering it as an early birthday or holiday gift: First six months are free and then I’ll pay for the following six (or more) months.

My favorite Amazon Prime story comes from a 2017 New York Times article written by a former newspaper colleague named Julia O’Malley. “In Alaska’s Far-Flung Villages, Happiness Is a Cake Mix” mentions that an Utqiagvik baker, Mary Patkotak, never gets her Amazon parcels on time. But that is fine by her, because it entitled her to partial refunds.

“I can’t remember the last time I paid the Amazon Prime fee,” she told O’Malley.

Amazon Prime is a fact of life

Not everyone loves Amazon Prime, or Amazon itself for that matter. Detractors claim that the site makes it waaaay too easy to overbuy. They cite at-times harsh labor practices, questionable product sourcing and a rise of scammers* posing as third-party sellers.

However, we’ve become a nation (and a world) of get-it-now shoppers. If you can’t regularly get out to shop due to disability** or some other reason, having something shipped to your door is pretty darned cost-effective. In that New York Times piece, O’Malley noted that a cake mix at the village store was $4.59*** but that Patkotak could get it for $1.29 through Amazon.

Full disclosure: Surviving and Thriving is part of Amazon’s affiliate program, which means I will get a finder’s fee for any Prime memberships opened using my link. Amazon affiliate income is one of the ways that I pay for site hosting, domain renewal and other costs incurred running this website.

Fact is, I think this is a good opportunity whether or not I make any money from it. If you don’t believe in affiliate marketing, you can just go to Amazon and look it up yourself, rather than using my link.

So if you know someone between the ages of 18 and 24 who uses GrubHub or any Amazon Prime services, consider signing them up for a year or two. Just don’t forget to cancel your payment when they age out of the system, or when you’ve decided you have given enough – whichever comes first.

*If you’re scammed, Amazon gives you 90 days to file for a refund.

**People receiving certain government benefits (or who just have very low income) can also get a price break through “Prime Access.” The cost is $6.99 per month. Qualifying programs include SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, Supplemental Security Income and WIC; see the link for a full list.

***That was back in 2017. Pretty sure the price has gone up.

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