Examined Sep 25, 2026 Upgrades to paid automatically No link we may carry Amazon Prime's free trial is 30 days, then $14.99 a month or $139 a year unless you cancel, and joining through a referral adds nothing for you.
Amazon's Prime page puts the whole offer in one line: “Enjoy your free 30-day trial of Prime. After, Prime is just $14.99 per month. Cancel anytime.” The annual plan is $139 a year after the same trial. Nothing is paid to you for joining, through a referral or otherwise. We cover the referral below.
What pays what
| A new member starting the trial on the Prime page | 30 days free, then $14.99 a month |
|---|---|
| The same trial on the annual plan | 30 days free, then $139 a year |
| A young adult or student on Prime for Young Adults | 6-month trial, then $7.49 a month |
| An eligible government assistance recipient on Prime Access | $6.99 a month, with a free 30-day trial |
| You, for joining through a referral link | $0 |
The prices are from the Prime page and Amazon's own news site, both read September 25, 2026, plus tax. Twelve months at $14.99 is $179.88, so a member who stays a full year pays $40.88 less on the annual plan.
Do this, in this order
- Check you are offered the trial, and use a credit card. The help page says: “New members can try Prime free for 30 days.” It adds: “To sign up for a Prime free trial, your account must have a current, valid credit card.” A corporate line of credit, a checking account or a prepaid card will not start it. If the trial is not offered to you, the page says you can still join at the paid price.
- Choose monthly or annual with the renewal in mind. The trial is the same; the first charge is $14.99 or $139. If you sign up in the Android shopping app, Amazon says the subscription is managed through Google's subscription services, not on Amazon's page.
- Know what a Prime membership does not cover. The Prime Terms bar buying for resale: “Prime members are not permitted to purchase products for the purpose of resale, rental, or to ship to their customers or potential customers using Prime benefits.” Amazon may add or remove benefits at its discretion. Returns are a separate policy, which we read in our Amazon return policy guide.
- Cancel before day 30 if you do not want to pay, and check the date twice. The Terms say you may cancel any time before the renewal date to avoid the next charge. Miss it and the clause below applies. If the charge lands, act within 3 business days: the fee comes back in full, less the value of any Prime benefits used in those days.
UNLESS YOU NOTIFY US BEFORE A CHARGE THAT YOU WANT TO CANCEL, YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR PRIME MEMBERSHIP WILL AUTOMATICALLY CONTINUE
The capitals are Amazon's. The clause goes on to authorize Amazon to collect the then-applicable fee and taxes from any eligible payment method on record. If the fee increases, Amazon says it will notify you before the renewal. The Terms carry the line “Last updated August 14, 2026”.
What the $5 banner means for you
The $5 is not for you. A banner on Amazon's own search results reads “Get $5 for each friend that joins Prime.” The referral terms behind it do not name a figure at all, and the new member gets Prime on the ordinary terms and nothing extra.
Where the link may travel. The referral terms let Amazon void credits or close accounts over spam, display advertising, sponsored links, links on message boards or forums, or distributing the invite link “other than through any online tools we make available to you”. That is why this page carries no one's link.
Not published. No end date for the trial or the prices, and no state, country or age rule, in either document we read. The referral landing link returned a 404 to us without a signed-in session.
Is it worth your time?
If you have not had Prime before and there is a month ahead with orders to ship or a series to watch, take the trial. It costs nothing, needs no code, and Amazon's help page says the trial carries the full benefits. Decide before day 30 whether $14.99 a month, or $139 a year, is a price you would pay on purpose, and cancel before the renewal date if not.
Do not sign up because of a referral. It gives you nothing.
