Last Updated on May 11, 2021 by Kari
We have had Amazon Prime for about 6 years. We first bought it when we needed to get some Christmas gifts delivered to us quickly, and we have kept it ever since because it is such a useful service for us. The benefits far outweigh the cost of Prime, even though we don’t use all the benefits that come Prime. Let me tell you what we use the most.
Amazon Prime Music
We use Amazon Music the most.
For a long time, we just used the regular music membership that comes with Amazon Prime at no extra cost.
If you just like to listen to some music without needing specific songs played, then that’s a bonus of having the Amazon Prime membership.
But, the music that comes with Amazon Prime is incomplete when it comes to songs available. You can find a lot of songs, but not every song.
We decided to try out the unlimited membership when we got our Echo, and it’s totally worth it. You can get unlimited music without the Amazon Prime membership. But, as Amazon Prime members, we get a small discount on our membership price.
Here are a few things we like.
- It has any song you can think of. My husband is a metal fan, my dad is an Elvis fan, and I’m an 80s fan, and we have all been able to find any song we want to hear.
- You can play it on your phone through a mobile app, your desktop through the Amazon Music dashboard, and through your Echo.
- With the family package, you can authorize up to 10 devices to get access to your music library. But, be aware that other people will see your playlists. There is no way to separate different user’s stuff, so I can see all the playlists that my husband has created, and he can see mine. We can also see what each other have been listening to lately.
- You can pay monthly or annually. And you get a free trial to start.
- Besides music, you can find nature noises, which is a favorite of mine to play on the Echo when I’m working.
My husband has used iTunes for years, and he liked Amazon Prime Music enough to end his subscription there and stay on here. But he does say that it’s missing some features that iTunes had, such as bio/history of the artist and song lyrics.
Prime Video
I’ve talked about Prime Video on here a while ago.
They’ve updated their video platform a bit to make it more user-friendly. For instance, now you can easily continue off from the last video in a series or from the place you left on in a particular video.
Like Netflix, they have some really good originals, like Jack Ryan. And, if you are an SNL fan, then you will like Forever, a cute little show with Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen.
When you click on a show to check it out, you can see in the following screenshot that you can add the entire season to your Watchlist and play from where you left off.
You can easily click on the + button to add shows to your watch later shelf.
There’s not a ton to say about this. Amazon Prime Video is extremely user-friendly, just like Netflix and Crave, and well worth the money you pay for Prime.
Free Two-Dayish Shipping
This Amazon Prime benefit gets used a lot by us. There are a few things you need to know, though.
You can’t get the free two-day shipping unless it has the word prime with a checkmark next to it.
For instance, when we ordered the GermGuardian, prime shipping was offered (see the little prime with a checkmark below each option in the picture below), so we were able to get the air purifier in a few days. However, there have been some items that don’t qualify for Amazon Prime shipping, and we would have to pay shipping if we want them.
Also, sometimes it takes longer than two days to arrive. You can see in the picture below, on the top right, it says that it will take 4 days for the delivery to come, and when you expand on the details, it says it may take up to 6 business days to be delivered.
For most items, it only takes two days to come. And if you pay an extra $4 or so, you can get one-day shipping. We’ve only had to do that a few times, and we really did get our package the next day, so that was worth it.
We’ve found Amazon Prime free shipping valuable. You can order a little thing, like a toothbrush for your dog for $2, and get free shipping on it. You could order something every single day and get free shipping.
It’s worth it when:
- You don’t feel like going out to buy something and can wait a few days for it.
- You have urgent gifts that you want to buy.
- You have gifts that you want to send other people, as you can ship for free to any address. My friend lives on the other side of the country, so this comes in handy.
- You can’t find something in a store, but Amazon has it.
It’s also important to note that you are depending on delivery drivers to get your stuff to you. So the quick shipping with Prime may be negated by them.
For example, we’ve had our stuff delivered to the wrong address a few times. And one of those times was when I needed the package the same day as a gift for someone. That was beyond frustrating to drive around my neighborhood trying to find my package and then, when I found it, trying to convince the homeowners to open their door to give me the package.
Also, if the weather is bad, you can expect to wait longer than usual for your package. In other words, don’t order something vital if you know a snowstorm is coming.
And, we’ve had some boxes come to us that looked damaged. Thankfully the packaging was done well inside and our stuff wasn’t damaged, but the way it was handled, it could’ve been.
Lastly, if you want to return an item, it’s a longer process than going back to the store. But, Amazon makes it pretty easy for you. You simply go into your account and find the item you bought and then follow the instructions on how to get a refund.
Prime Early Access
When we feel like shopping, we’ve been suckered into a few things from Prime early access. It makes you feel like you are part of a special club.
Basically, you get access to lightning deals 30 minutes earlier than other people. But, in my experience, that’s not a huge advantage. It’s not like things sell out that quickly. Maybe I’ve missed the really popular lightning deals – I don’t know.
Other Amazon Prime Benefits We Don’t Use
The music, video, and shipping are worth the membership price of $79 CAD for us. We use them all the time, so we more than make up for the cost. But, there are some things that we have access to that we don’t use.
For example, there’s also some sort of photo benefit with Amazon Prime, but we haven’t looked into it. We store all our photos on our computer and external hard drive, so we don’t really need storage space or for photos.
And there’s something to do with Twitch, but I have no idea what it is. I can’t even understand what they are saying you get with an Amazon Prime membership, because I don’t understand Twitch at all. So I can’t say whether it’s worth it or not.
Amazon Prime Canada Versus The United States Prime
I’m in Canada. In the United States, there are a few extra benefits it seems.
Following is a video listing some of the differences between Prime in the two different countries.
We Think Amazon Prime Is Worth It
We got my parents Amazon Prime for Christmas because we wanted to give them the freedom to order things without having to drive all over the city. I doubt they will use the video or things we don’t use. They are using unlimited music on their Echo, so that’s a benefit. But, it still costs them a few dollars per month.
I also want to say that I think the cost is worth it for making things more accessible that might not otherwise be easily accessible. For example, if you are unable to drive or live in a small town, then Amazon Prime would be worth it because you could order things without having to spend a ton of time trying to get to the place that sells what you want.
All in all, I wish we had the Amazon Prime reading benefits or food benefits that the United States has, but even without them, I feel like we use the shipping and video enough to justify the yearly subscription price we pay.
You can check it out for yourself here if you live in the United States or here if you live in Canada.
And if you have Amazon Prime, please feel free to share your thoughts on it in the comments below.
