• An Amazon Prime membership comes with free one-day delivery, access to nearly endless video and audio content, grocery discounts, and many more great perks.
  • Roughly 59% of American households now use Amazon Prime, and the United States Post Office has reported a 54% increase in package deliveries in the past five years.
  • Signing up for Amazon Prime is quick and easy, and it can cost as little as $6.49 a month ($59.99 annually) for students, and less than $12.99 a month ($119.99 annually) for everyone else.
  • Here’s how to sign up for an Amazon Prime Membership to unlock one-day delivery and other great perks.

Amazon Prime, the fast and free shipping (and everything else) service launched by Amazon in early 2005, has changed the way Americans shop for just about everything. It has also changed the way many of us watch TV and movies, listen to music, read books, and even store our personal photos and videos. Also, in some places, you can order food for delivery via Prime.

Are you asking yourself: “Should I sign up for Amazon Prime?” The answer is probably yes, if you want to live in an estimated 59% of the households in the United States. And, the snowball is still rolling: US Postal Service data show that USPS package deliveries have gone up by more than 54% in the past five years, with Amazon accounting for much of it.

Also, you can take it from me: I’ve been a Prime member and devotee since 2006. We go way back.

So if you want free, one-day delivery on baby clothes, seltzer water, sleeping bags, cat litter, and a million other things, or access to hundreds of TV shows and movies, both old and new, and a massive catalog of songs, books, and other media, then you really should sign up for Prime.

Ah, but how much does Amazon Prime cost? The best route is the annual membership, which means a once yearly cost of $119, or about $9.91 a month. You can also start out with a free month, and then opt for monthly billing if you're still unsure. The cost of monthly Amazon Prime membership is $12.99, which works out to $155.88, a good deal more expensive than the annual rate.

Students can enjoy a monthly rate of just $6.49, however, or only $59.99 per year, and can also take advantage of a six-month free trial period. And, don't forget about the gift of Prime: You can sign someone up for a gift membership for the same $119.99 annual rate or for a three-month Prime gift subscription for $39.99. Or, you can ask for the gift of Prime for your birthday, now armed with all the info your gift getter needs.

Assuming you're convinced that an Amazon Prime membership is right for you, here's how to sign up for Prime.

How to sign up for Amazon Prime

Foto: sourceLeon Neal/Getty Images

Before you can sign up for an Amazon Prime membership, you need to have a basic Amazon account. And, for the record, if you only order a few things online each year, a free basic Amazon account may be all you need, but it comes without any access to media, and with slower and (of course) pricier shipping.

To sign up for an Amazon account and then an Amazon Prime membership follow these steps:

  1. Go to Amazon.
  2. Hover over (or tap on mobile) where it says Hello, Sign in and Accounts & Lists in the top right corner of the screen.
  3. On the drop down menu, click Start Here under the New Customer? question.
  4. Enter your name, email, and a password in the fields provided, then click Create Your Amazon Account.
  5. You will be automatically signed in or you can sign in using the same Hello, Sign in link if you wish to proceed with Prime membership later.

Now, to continue to the matter at hand.

You're a few clicks, a free trial, and then a payment away from fast, free shipping, lots of movies and music, discounted eats from Whole Foods, and a whole lot more.

To sign up for a Prime membership, follow these steps:

  1. Sign in to your basic Amazon account.
  2. Click on your account icon on the top right (it should say Hello, Your Name where before it said Hello, Sign in.).
  3. Click Prime Membership from the dropdown menu.
  4. On the next page, select Start your free trial, and make sure to opt for the six-month option if you're verifiably a student.
  5. Select the type of Prime membership you want, from the $8.99/month video-only option to the monthly payment plan for everything to the annual fee for everything.
  6. Enter credit or debit card info when prompted, or select the card already on file (from your basic membership) that you want to be charged for membership.
  7. Confirm your billing and shipping address(es).
  8. Enjoy Amazon Prime - yours is now in the majority of American households.

Check out our other guides to Amazon Prime to learn about all the perks that are included in a membership.

Foto: sourceAmazon