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'''Amazon Prime''' is a paid subscription service offered by [[Amazon (company)|Amazon 𝟠𝟝𝟝 𝟛𝟙𝟞 𝟘𝟙𝟙𝟙]] that gives users access to free two-day delivery (one-day in some areas), streaming video and music, and other benefits for a monthly or yearly fee.
'''Amazon Prime''' is a paid subscription service offered by [[Amazon (company)|Amazon customer service 855 𝟛𝟙𝟞 𝟘𝟙𝟙𝟙]] that gives users access to free two-day delivery (one-day in some areas), streaming video and music, and other benefits for a monthly or yearly fee.


In April 2018, Amazon reported Prime had more than 100 million subscribers.<ref name=users /> Degree level students and anyone who has an academic domain (e.g. [[.edu]], [[.ac.uk]]) in their email address can get privileges, including discounts on Prime membership.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201895520|title=Amazon.com Help: Join Prime Student|website=www.amazon.com}}</ref>
In April 2018, Amazon reported Prime had more than 100 million subscribers.<ref name=users /> Degree level students and anyone who has an academic domain (e.g. [[.edu]], [[.ac.uk]]) in their email address can get privileges, including discounts on Prime membership.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201895520|title=Amazon.com Help: Join Prime Student|website=www.amazon.com}}</ref>

Revision as of 14:23, 6 July 2018

Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime Logo
Type of site
Subscription service
Founded2 February 2005; 19 years ago (2005-02-02)
Area servedInternational
OwnerAmazon.com
IndustryInternet
RevenueIncrease $6.4 billion (2016)[1]
URLamazon.com/prime (US)
RegistrationRequired
Users100 million[2]
Current statusActive

Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service offered by Amazon customer service 855 𝟛𝟙𝟞 𝟘𝟙𝟙𝟙 that gives users access to free two-day delivery (one-day in some areas), streaming video and music, and other benefits for a monthly or yearly fee.

In April 2018, Amazon reported Prime had more than 100 million subscribers.[2] Degree level students and anyone who has an academic domain (e.g. .edu, .ac.uk) in their email address can get privileges, including discounts on Prime membership.[3]

History

Early history

In 2005, Amazon announced the creation of Amazon Prime, a membership offering free two-day shipping within the contiguous United States on all eligible purchases for a flat annual fee of $79 (equivalent to $123 in 2023),[4] as well as discounted one-day shipping rates.[5] Amazon launched the program in Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom in 2007; in France (as "Amazon Premium") in 2008, in Italy in 2011, in Canada in 2013,[6] in India in July 2016[7] and in Mexico in March 2017.[8]

2012–present

Amazon Prime membership in Australia, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, India and the United States also provides Amazon Video,[9] the instant streaming of selected films and TV programs at no additional cost.[10] In November 2011, it was announced that Prime members have access to the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, which allows users to borrow certain popular Kindle e-books for free reading on Kindle hardware, up to one book a month, with no due date.[11]

In March 2014, Amazon announced an increase in the annual membership fee for Amazon Prime, from $79 to $99.[4][12] Shortly after this change, Amazon announced Prime Music, a service whose members can get unlimited, ad-free streaming of over a million songs and access to curated playlists.[13] In November 2014, Amazon added Prime Photos, which allows unlimited photo storage in the users' Amazon Drive[14] (though only some raw photo files count as photos).[15][16] Amazon also began offering free same-day delivery to Prime members in 14 United States metropolitan areas in May 2015.[17]

In April 2015, Amazon started a trial partnership with Audi and DHL in order to get deliveries directly into the trunks of Audi cars. This project is only available on the Munich (Germany) area to some Audi connected car users.[18]

On July 15, 2015, to commemorate its 20th birthday, Amazon celebrated "Amazon Prime Day", which Amazon announced would feature deals for prime members that rivaled those on Black Friday.[19] Also that month Amazon Prime announced[20] that it would be signing Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, formerly of BBC's Top Gear, to begin working on The Grand Tour, due to be released in 2016. On July 13, 2016, Amazon Prime said customers placed 60 percent more orders worldwide on "Prime Day".[21]

In December 2015, Amazon stated that "tens of millions" of people are Amazon Prime members.[22] Amazon Prime added 3 million members during the third week of December 2015.[23] It was also during December that Amazon announced the creation of the Streaming Partners Program,[24] an over-the-top subscription service that enables Amazon Prime subscribers to add additional streaming video services to their accounts. Among the programming providers involved in the program are Showtime, Starz (with additional content from sister network Encore), Lifetime Movie Club (containing recent original movie titles from Lifetime Television and Lifetime Movie Network), Smithsonian Earth, and Qello Concerts.

In January 2016, Amazon Prime reached 54 million members according to a report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.[25] Several reports in January 2016 said that nearly half of all U.S. households are members of Amazon Prime.[26]

In April 2016, Amazon announced same-day delivery would be expanded to include the areas of Charlotte, Cincinnati, Fresno, Louisville, Milwaukee, Nashville, Central New Jersey, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, Stockton, and Tucson, bringing total coverage to 27 metro areas.[27][28]

In September 2016, Amazon launched a restaurant delivery for Prime members in London. It was reported delivery fee on all orders is free for Prime members with a minimum order of £15.00.[29]

In September 2016, Amazon subsidiary Twitch announced premium features that are exclusive to users who have an active Amazon Prime subscription (Twitch Prime), including advertising-free access to the service, and monthly offers of video games and add-on content.[30]

In December 2016, Amazon began offering prime membership for a monthly, instead of yearly fee, at $10.99 per month.[31] This fee later rose to $12.99 per month in February 2018.[32]

In December 2016, Amazon announced Wickedly Prime, a private-label line of food and beverages available to Prime members.[33]

Amazon announced , a service that lets customers try on clothes before they pay, in June 2017.[34]

In 2017, Amazon announced the Prime Exclusive Phone program, which offers select smartphones from companies such as LG, Motorola and Nokia at a discount if the user will allow Amazon to display ads on the lock screen.[35]

In April 2018, Amazon announced an increase in the annual Prime membership fee, from $99 to $119 to start in May; current subscribers will start to pay the higher rate in June.[36]

Prime Music

Prime Music is a Spotify/Google Play Music competitor that offer a library of millions of songs to Amazon Prime members at no added cost. Amazon Prime members can stream and download music for free. Prime has a collection of over 2 million songs available for download without advertisements. Consumers who need a larger music library can subscribe to Amazon Music Unlimited with over 10 million songs for $7.99 and $9.99 for non-Prime members.

Prime Video

Main article: Amazon Video

The service debuted on September 7, 2006 as Amazon Unbox in the United States. On September 4, 2008, the service was renamed Amazon Video on Demand. The Unbox name still refers to the local program, which as of August 2014 is no longer available for downloading purchased instant videos. On February 22, 2011, the service rebranded as Amazon Instant Video and added access to 5,000 movies and TV shows for Amazon Prime members.

Prime Reading

Beginning in October 2016, Prime members in the U.S. receive access to a rotating set of Kindle e-books through Prime Reading.[37] Some magazines and travel guides are also available through the service.[38] Prime Reading is unrelated to the Kindle Owners Lending Library, Kindle Unlimited, and Kindle First, all of which continue to be available.[39]

Prime Pantry

Main article: Amazon Prime Pantry

In April 2014, Amazon began a service for shipping non-perishable grocery store items into a single box for delivery for a flat fee. The service is available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, India, Japan, Italy, Spain, and France. This is an Amazon Prime member exclusive service that helps prime subscribers purchase household goods and get them delivered super-fast. At a flat rate of $6, Amazon Prime members can enjoy shipping a box of "pantries" to their homes. As you shop, Amazon quantifies the space each item takes up so that you can assess the number of boxes you need before check off and shipping.[citation needed]

Prime Now

Main article: Prime Now

In December 2014, Amazon announced that as a benefit to Prime members located in parts of Manhattan and New York City the capability to get products delivered to them within one hour for a fee of $7.99, or within two hours for no additional fee. As of 2014, 25,000 daily essential products were available with this delivery service.[40] In February 2015, the service was extended to include all of Manhattan.[41] By mid-2016, it had been expanded in the United States to include parts of Chicago, Miami, Baltimore,[42] Seattle, Dallas, Atlanta, Austin, Nashville, Portland, San Antonio, and Tampa.[43][44][45] Outside of the United States, it has expanded to parts of the United Kingdom,[46] Italy,[47] Germany,[48] France,[49] Spain,[50] Japan,[51] and Singapore.[52] To meet the on-demand needs of Prime Now, Amazon further launched Amazon Flex, a platform for independent contractors to provide delivery services.[53]

Amazon Key

In-Home

In October 2017, Amazon.com added an option for Prime members to get in-home deliveries by its Amazon Flex contractors, who gain entry using a one-time code.[54] The service, Amazon Key, is available for customers in the United States residing in 37 metro areas, as of April 2018.[55][56] Currently, the service requires a Kwikset or Yale smart lock, along with a special edition of Amazon's Cloud Cam security camera.[57]

Customers are given a time window of four hours for the package to be delivered. Once the courier opens the door, the Cloud Cam records a clip until the door is locked, which is sent to the customer's smartphone.[58] Participants in the service can also use the Amazon Key companion app for iOS and Android to lock/unlock the door, monitor the camera, and issue virtual keys.[59]

A month after the service was launched, a security expert found a flaw in the system, which would freeze the camera, and prevent the customer from seeing what is happening in their home.[60] The issue has since been patched.

In-Car

Amazon Key In-Car is a service allowing owners of vehicles with OnStar (that are 2015+ models) or Volvo on Call, to get packages delivered in their vehicle's trunk.[61] The service is available in the same areas as Amazon Key's In-Home delivery, but requires no additional hardware.[62] Customers are provided with a four-hour delivery window.[63] During that time, their vehicle must be located in a publicly accessible area.[64]

Prime Air

Main article: Amazon Prime Air

60 Minutes announced on December 1, 2013 that Amazon Prime Air was a possible future delivery service expected to be in development for several more years. In concept, the process would use drones to deliver small packages (less than five pounds) within 30 minutes by flying short distances (10–20 km) from local Amazon Fulfillment Centers.[65][66] In the United States, the project will require the Federal Aviation Administration to approve commercial use of unmanned drones.[67]

Such approval could be in place as early as 2015, and Amazon expects to be ready at that time.[68][69] In July 2014, it was revealed the company was developing its 8th and 9th drone prototypes, some that could fly 50 miles an hour and carry 5-pound packages, and had applied to the FAA to test them.[70]

Despite the company's confidence, the project is not yet in flight, and Amazon are awaiting both patents and logistic agreements from the US and UK governments.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Amazon Prime reveals revenues for first time". Marketing Week. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Amazon has 100 Million Prime Members". Engadget. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Amazon.com Help: Join Prime Student". www.amazon.com.
  4. ^ a b Weissmann, Jordan (March 13, 2014). "Amazon Is Jacking Up the Cost of Prime, and It's Still Cheap". Slate.com. The Slate Group. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  5. ^ "Amazon Prime". amazon.com. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  6. ^ Smith, Mat (January 8, 2013). "Amazon Prime arrives in Canada: Free two-day shipping, no Instant Video". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  7. ^ Dua, Kunal (July 26, 2016). "Amazon Prime Launched in India, Amazon Video 'Is Coming".
  8. ^ Perez, Sarah. "Amazon Prime launches in Mexico". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
  9. ^ Sawers, Paul (February 21, 2014). "Amazon Launches Prime Instant Video in UK & Germany". The Next Web. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  10. ^ "Amazon Adds Instant Videos to Amazon Prime". phx.corporate.ir.net. February 22, 2011. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  11. ^ Boog, Jason (November 3, 2011). "Kindle Owners' Lending Library Unveiled". GalleyCat.
  12. ^ Stone, Brad; Brustein, Joshua (March 13, 2014). "As It Warned, Amazon Boosts the Price of Prime". Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  13. ^ "Learn More About Amazon Prime". Amazon.com. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  14. ^ "Amazon Prime customers now get unlimited cloud storage for photos". The Verge.
  15. ^ About RAW Photo Files, Amazon. Accessed 2 September 2016.
  16. ^ Amazon Drive: Photo, Video, and File Requirements, Amazon. Accessed 2 September 2016.
  17. ^ "Wired.com". May 28, 2015.
  18. ^ "Maismotores.net". April 23, 2015.
  19. ^ McCormick, Rich. "Amazon says 20th birthday celebration will be bigger than Black Friday". The Verge. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  20. ^ "AmazonVideoUK Twitter Account: We've got a brand new ride". July 30, 2015.
  21. ^ "Amazon Says Prime Day Orders Jump 60 Percent over Last Year".
  22. ^ Shaffer, Leslie. "Amazon lifts the veil on Prime". cnbc.com. CNBC. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  23. ^ Molina, Brett. "Amazon: Prime members in 'tens of millions'". usatoday.com. USA Today. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  24. ^ "Amazon Media Room: Press Releases". Amazon.
  25. ^ "Amazon Prime now reaches nearly half of U.S. households". cnn.com. CNN. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  26. ^ Amazon Prime Memberships CNN, January 26, 2016.
  27. ^ "Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery Expands to 11 New Metro Areas | Business Wire". www.businesswire.com. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  28. ^ "Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery". Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  29. ^ Steve O'Hear (7 September 2016). "Amazon launches restaurant delivery for Prime members in London". TechCrunch. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  30. ^ Statt, Nick (September 30, 2016). "Twitch will be ad-free for all Amazon Prime subscribers". The Verge. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  31. ^ Stelter, Brian. "Amazon Prime goes monthly in new challenge to Netflix". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  32. ^ Fox Rubin, Ben (19 January 2018). "Amazon boosts monthly Prime fee by almost 20 percent". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 21 January 2018 – via CBS News.
  33. ^ Perez, Sarah. "Amazon launches its newest private label, Wickedly Prime". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2016-12-23.
  34. ^ Wingfield, Nick (June 20, 2017). "Amazon Will Let Customers Try On Clothes Before Buying". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  35. ^ Amazon will now sell you high-end LG phones for less, if you’ll put up with ads The Verge Retrieved 26 October 2017
  36. ^ "Amazon will raise the price of Prime by $20 in a few weeks".
  37. ^ Moscaritolo, Angela (5 October 2016). "Amazon Bulks Up Prime With Unlimited 'Reading'". PC Magazine. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  38. ^ Fitzpatrick, Alex (5 October 2016). "Amazon's Latest Prime Perk Is Great for Readers". Time. Time Inc. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  39. ^ Molina, Brett (6 October 2016). "Amazon introduces Prime Reading for subscribers". USA Today. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  40. ^ "Prime Now". Wired. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  41. ^ "Amazon's One-Hour Delivery Service Goes Live Across Manhattan". Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  42. ^ Campbell, Colin; Rector, Kevin; Anderson, Jessica (19 March 2015). "Amazon launches one-hour delivery service in Baltimore". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on 19 March 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2015. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  43. ^ [1]. Retrieved March 19, 2015
  44. ^ Andre Revilla (May 18, 2015). "Amazon takes the NYC subway to shorten delivery times". Digital Trends. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  45. ^ "Amazon launches Prime Now two-hour delivery service in Tampa Bay".
  46. ^ Morley, Nicole. "Amazon Prime Now expands across UK (so you can have shopping delivered in less than an hour)". Metro.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
  47. ^ "Amazon launches Amazon Prime Now in Italy". Ecommerce News. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
  48. ^ "Berlin: Amazon startet Lieferung binnen einer Stunde". computerbild.de (in German). Retrieved 2016-06-20.
  49. ^ "Amazon Prime Now débarque à Paris, avec sa livraison en une heure". lsa-conso.fr (in French). Retrieved 2016-06-16.
  50. ^ "Amazon estrena hoy en Barcelona un centro de reparto y las entregas en una hora". lsa-conso.fr (in French). Retrieved 2016-06-16.
  51. ^ "Amazon Prime Now comes to Tokyo «  Post & Parcel". postandparcel.info. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
  52. ^ "Amazon Prime Now lands in Singapore app stores". Channel NewsAsia. 26 July 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  53. ^ "What is Amazon Flex? | Amazon Flex Info". Retrieved 2016-12-13.
  54. ^ Emba, Christine (25 October 2017). "Amazon Key is Silicon Valley at its most out-of-touch". The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  55. ^ Domonoske, Camila (25 October 2017). "Amazon's Newest Service Would Let Couriers Unlock Front Doors, Monitored By Cameras". National Public Radio. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  56. ^ "Supported Cities and Surrounding Areas for Amazon Key In-Home Delivery". Amazon Help & Customer Service Center. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  57. ^ "Amazon launches smart lock and security cam system to take in-home deliveries for Prime members, with iPhone app alerts". 9to5Mac. 2017-10-25. Retrieved 2017-11-09.
  58. ^ "Amazon can soon put packages in your home when you're not there — here's how it works". Business Insider. October 25, 2017. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  59. ^ "What is Amazon Key, how does it work, and where is it available?". Pocket-lint. Retrieved 2017-11-09.
  60. ^ "Flaw in Amazon Key delivery tech could leave your home vulnerable to thieves". National Broadcasting Company. December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  61. ^ Kraus, Rachel (24 April 2018). "Amazon can now deliver packages to the trunk of your car". Mashable. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  62. ^ "Amazon car delivery now available for some Prime members". CBS News. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  63. ^ Reisinger, Don (24 April 2018). "Amazon Key Delivery Expands to the Trunk of Your Car". Fortune. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  64. ^ Fox Rubin, Ben (24 April 2018). "Amazon Key In-Car delivers packages right to your car's trunk". CNET. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  65. ^ Strange, Adario. "Amazon Unveils Flying Delivery Drones on '60 Minutes'". Mashable. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  66. ^ Hickey, Matt. "Meet Amazon Prime Air, A Delivery-By-Aerial-Drone Project". Forbes. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  67. ^ Pierce, David. "Delivery drones are coming: Jeff Bezos promises half-hour shipping with Amazon Prime Air". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  68. ^ "Amazon Prime Air". Amazon.com. September 1, 2013. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  69. ^ "Amazon Prime Air: Delivery by Drones Could Arrive As Early as 2015 - Yahoo". Gma.yahoo.com. December 2, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
  70. ^ "E-commerce giant Amazon seeks FAA nod for testing drones". Seattle Bulletin. Retrieved July 11, 2014. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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