Amazon hikes Prime membership by up to 30% in Australia ahead of Black Friday and holiday sales nico.arboleda@futurenet.com (Nico Arboleda) | usagoldmines.com

• Amazon Prime subscriptions will increase to AU$12.99 per month or AU$99 per year, up from AU$9.99 and AU$79, respectively
• These prices are effective immediately for new subscribers, while existing members will be charged starting from November 25
• Inclusions and perks like Prime Video, Music Prime and sale events remain unchanged

Amazon Australia has revealed its monthly Prime membership fee has increased from AU$9.99 to AU$12.99, effective immediately for new subscribers — a significant 30% hike from the previous cost. The annual membership price also increases from AU$79 to AU$99, a 25% rise.

In emails sent to Prime members, Amazon said the new pricing reflects the growing range of products and benefits available through the service, although the inclusions remain the same, including free and expedited delivery, Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Reading, video games with Amazon Luna, and member-only events such as Prime Day and Prime Big Deal Days.

Existing customers will continue to pay the usual AU$9.99 per month and the price increase will apply from their first membership renewal date on or after November 25, 2026.

In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson told TechRadar that this price change is specific to Australia and attributes it largely to the expanded delivery footprint, new Prime Video content and access to Alexa+.

“We are committed to growing the value of Prime for members, and in just the last six months we have brought Prime Free overnight delivery before 8am on hundreds of thousands of products to four cities, expanded Prime Free Same-Day Delivery available now in nine regions across Australia, added new TV series and movies to Prime Video plus live sport, given free access to Alexa+, provided exclusive deals through events like Prime Day, and more,” the spokesperson said.

“With the continued expansion of Prime member benefits, and so we can continue growing the offering, we will change the price of Prime to $12.99 per month or $99 per year. Prime has never offered as much value for members as it does today.”

This price hike comes just in time before Amazon’s own Black Friday sale in Australia, which we expect to start a few days before the actual Black Friday date of November 27, and will run until Cyber Monday on November 30.

While the US has seen multiple price increases recently, this is Amazon’s second round of hikes in Australia since launching in 2018. Initially just AU$6.99 per month or AU$59 per year at launch, Amazon later bumped that up to AU$9.99 per month (43%) or AU$79 per year (34%) in May 2023 as more inclusions were added. As mentioned, the price doesn’t reflect better inclusions, which is surely going to factor into household costs for many regular Amazon shoppers.

Earlier this month, Amazon opened its third Sydney fulfilment centre located in western suburb of Horsley Park which is “a 12-hour drive of 80% of Australia”, meaning even more shoppers will benefit from same-day delivery. Perhaps this goes some way in justifying a price increase, along with the fact that Amazon typically offers the best prices on thousands of items even outside of major sales. However, with an additional AU$2 monthly payment to get rid of ads on Prime Video, this news is sure to sting some customers.

While the Amazon Black Friday sale in Australia isn’t a Prime-exclusive event, the best prices will be for subscribers, so it does still pay to have a subscription. Thankfully, Amazon also makes it easy to cancel your subscription any time, although you won’t be eligible for the usual 30-day free trial if you’re a returning customer.