Amazon Prime price jumps 80% to €36 annually

Amazon Prime rises to €36: an 80% hike for the same shipping

Amazon Prime no longer costs €19.95 per year. Existing subscribers keep that rate until October; after that, each renewal is priced at €36. The jump is nearly 80%, and the company has notified users via email. Among those complaining about the move, it is assumed there is no intermediate tier or option to pay only for fast delivery. A simple strategy has spread among customers: stick with €19.95 until the deadline, then decide.

The decision is not trivial. Free shipping on orders over €29 exists with and without a subscription, so the price hike relies on services many buyers claim they do not use. Video, music, and digital books are part of the offer; the argument for cancelling is that nobody asked for these extras.

What does Prime include at €36 and what is lost by not renewing?

At €36, the subscription maintains fast shipping and the multimedia catalog. What hasn't changed is the standard rule: any order over €29 ships free even without Prime. Those who group large purchases pay no shipping fee regardless of subscription status, while those making small, frequent orders are the ones who truly benefit from the fast rate. That is the profile hit hardest by the change.

Feedback on the catalog is mixed. Some complain that search results show titles unavailable in their region, cite neutral Spanish subtitles, and note documentaries appearing only in original language versions. From that perspective, nothing justifies paying nearly double.

Cancelling auto-renewal: service continues until payment date

Disabling auto-renewal does not cut access immediately: the service remains active until the day renewal was due, expiring only then. This warning comes from those who have already cancelled, pointing out a revealing detail: the process chains together up to four confirmation screens, and the option has changed from "cancel auto-renewal" to "cancel subscription."

They argue this label change aims to scare users into thinking they will lose everything. The flip side is different: if the intent to avoid the new price is measured, cancelling as soon as possible is the only way to count in the company's statistics. Some play a different card, relying on trial months that reappear when not renewed.

Is paying €36 a year worth it? Calculating by orders

For those who order often and cheaply, yes; for those who order rarely and group items, no. Two orders over €29 placed after the subscription expired arrived within the same timeframe and without fees, according to user reports. Some maintain that heavy Amazon users still get a bargain; the opposite scenario involves a small, sporadic basket where the fee eats up any savings, and some users report returns are not always free.

The fine breakdown—annual orders, average amount, avoided shipping, returns—is where the result flips sign, and shared calculations reach opposite conclusions with the same numbers.

Those staying: intensive use and shared accounts

Some clients renewed without hesitation. Their argument is usage: for constant orders, the fee remains cheap, and delivery to pickup points or work eliminates the problem of not being home. Several admit their subscription effectively allows office colleagues to place orders without shipping costs, using the workplace address. One has calculated charging a few cents per external order to split the cost.

Among this group circulates a warning about the platform's likely next move: limiting the number of delivery addresses. For now, this is a prediction, not a fact.

AliExpress, PcComponentes, and the local bookstore

The price hike is also read as a gift to competitors. Some announce switching to AliExpress for better prices, while others assume platforms like PcComponentes or El Corte Inglés will gain ground. The smallest yet most significant case: ordering books from the neighborhood bookstore instead of online, costing one euro more each, with the feeling that the extra cost was reasonable.

The most repeated prediction—that cancellations will be substantial—relies on a simple data point: almost all leavers admit they barely used the added services. The counter-thesis circulates too, suggesting cancellations are seasonal pressure tactics and most will return when needed. Only renewal figures will reveal who was right; until then, it is all speculation.