7 brilliantly slick ways to get Amazon Prime for free

You don’t have to fork over $99 to become an Amazon Prime member. You can actually take advantage of Prime benefits without having to spend a penny. Here are seven ways you can get free Amazon Prime membership:

1. Get an Amazon Prime Free Trial

You can try an Amazon Prime free trial membership if you don't already have an account. After your Amazon Prime 30-day trial is over, you will be converted to a monthly subscription.

Amazon will offer you a free, 30-day trial each year. Should you cancel after your Amazon Prime trial, you’ll have to wait 12 months for another chance to try it for free.

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2. Get an Amazon Prime Student Membership Trial

College students are privy to some great deals on credit cards, checking accounts and more. Students can also get an Amazon Prime free trial student program for six months. After the trial ends, you're eligible to pay only $5.49 per month for the service (for four years or until you graduate, whichever comes first).

3. Share Amazon Prime With Your Family

Amazon Household is a smart choice when you need Amazon Prime for the long haul. If your roommate or parents have Amazon Prime, Amazon Household allows you to share your benefits with up to one other adult, four teens and four children in your household. All family members create and use their own logins and passwords. Children and teens can shop on their own, but parents must approve the order with a simple text.

4. Earn Cash Back With the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card

At this time, no credit cards come with a complimentary Amazon Prime membership. Amazon, however, offers a Prime Rewards Visa Card and an Amazon store card. Each will get you 5 percent back cash back when you shop at Amazon.com, you'll pay no annual fees and there are no earning caps. If you spend $2,000 over the course of the year on your Amazon credit card you'll earn $100 cash back, which will pay for your Amazon Prime membership.

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Amazon also offers the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card, which has no annual fee and enables you to earn:

  • 3 percent cash back when you shop at Amazon.com
  • 2 percent cash back at restaurants
  • 2 percent cash back at gas stations and drugstores
  • 1 percent cash back on all of your other purchases

You can see your rewards balance when you check out at Amazon.com and you don’t need a minimum balance to redeem them. You can use your rewards to purchase millions of items through Amazon.

5. Save on Amazon Prime Day

For the past three years, Amazon has celebrated “Prime Day” with a one-day sale on Amazon products like the Echo and Fire TV Stick, and electronics such as laptops, televisions, tablets and smartphones. Amazon will announce Amazon Prime Day in July 2018, and although it’s only available for Prime subscribers, you can use a free Prime trial to shop the great sales.

6. Become an Amazon Associate

Consider becoming an Amazon Associate. By doing this, you’ll earn a “bounty,” or bonus, when eligible customers complete certain actions, like registering for a third-party video subscription, creating an Amazon Baby Industry or signing up for an Amazon Prime free trial.

For 2018, you’ll get $3 for each person who registers for the Prime free trial. Refer just three people per month and you’ll pay for the cost of your annual membership.

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7. Utilize Amazon Prime Discount Membership Options

An Electronic Benefits Transfer card might qualify you for a Prime membership for $5.99 per month. The following programs will qualify you:

  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
  • Women, Infants and Children
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
  • Other programs by state

Amazon uses a state-of-the-art algorithm that automatically matches or beats competitors’ prices, which means there are numerous ways to save money on Amazon year-round. Keep an eye out for more ways to save on your favorite items.

Sign up for Amazon Prime trial.

The AJC may receive a commission for purchases made through some links in this article.

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