UPDATE: Amazon has announced the dates for Prime Day 2019. In Australia, the sale will start at 3:01pm on July 15 and run for 48 hours until July 16 at midnight. However, thanks to the many deals offered by US stores, Australians will be able to shop at the Global Store until the sale closes in the US, which is 65 hours of uninterrupted shopping. So start saving now! If you haven't signed up as a Prime member yet, do so now and you'll have a 30-day free trial, Prime Day sales included. Scroll through the list to learn more about Amazon Prime. Although Amazon launched locally in Australia in December 2017, the online retail giant's premium subscription service, which is already well-established in other markets like the US and UK, has been a bit longer in coming. In June 2018, six months later, it finally landed on Under Under, resulting in a range of savings and benefits for Australian shoppers for a monthly fee of €6.99. So what's included? In summary, if you sign up for Amazon Prime Australia, you will get:
- Free two-day shipping on domestic purchases.
- Free standard shipping for orders over € 49 from the "Global" section (international purchases)
- Access to Prime Video, Prime Reading and Twitch Prime
- Early access to discounts and offers.
- Huge savings on Amazon Prime Day
What is Amazon Prime?
The main appeal of Amazon's premium service is that it provides members with fast, free delivery for many purchases, as well as access to some of the company's streaming services. Prime members also benefit from exclusive early access to certain deals and offers and can participate in an annual members-only sale called Prime Day. In the United States, Amazon Prime offers free shipping on millions of items, same-day delivery (or even two hours in some cases), and access to its video and music streaming services, to its books. Unlimited eBooks and books, as well as unlimited photo storage. However, to get all the goods and services promised by Amazon, US customers pay €12.99 per month (€119 per year). In Australia, unfortunately, there are some reservations that Prime members have, but it also costs us less, to be precise, half of what the United States pays.How much does the premium service cost in Australia?
In Australia, Amazon Prime subscriptions cost €6.99 per month, or €59 per year. As usual with all Amazon subscription services, a 30-day free trial is offered. If you are not satisfied with the Prime service, you will need to manually cancel your subscription before the end of the 30-day trial period. Otherwise, the full amount of the monthly fee will be charged the following month.
What do the first Australian members have?
Amazon has promised free shipping for its Aussie Prime members, but it's limited to domestic purchases. If you buy something from a third-party Australian merchant who sells products on Amazon Australia, you will not be charged for shipping costs, regardless of the amount of your final order. However, the product must bear the "Prime Eligible" label. If this is not visible, express delivery is not an option, even if you are a core member. However, if the order is over $49, it automatically qualifies for Amazon's free standard shipping policy. It should also be noted that in Australia, Prime's free delivery service is not the same day offered in the United States. Locally, it's a two-day delivery promise, probably because Amazon has only one Australian fulfillment center in Melbourne. We expect this to turn into a one-day delivery promise as the company's second distribution center in Sydney is now open. On international items purchased in the new "global" area of the store, only purchases over €49 will be eligible for free shipping, but again, it must be labeled "Eligible" to be eligible. Prime members also get exclusive, advanced access to Lightning Deals (limited-time Amazon deals that disappear within hours of launch). In addition to these purchase benefits, there are a number of complimentary digital media subscriptions that are included for free with Prime:
Amazon Prime Video | free Access to Amazon's Prime Video streaming service is part of the package. If you're a core member, you can watch great TV shows like American Gods and The Man at the Castle, or watch blockbuster movies or settle for classic cinema.
Play Amazon Prime | free This service allows Premium members to access over 1,000 books, comics and graphic novels covering all genres for all ages, in digital form. You don't even need a Kindle device to access these titles—you can simply download the Kindle app available for iOS and Android.
Twitch Prime | free Twitch is a video site dedicated to watching live streaming games. Prime service offers members free game content, game savings, and free games every month. It is also part of the Prime Pack at no additional cost, a godsend for all players.
PrimeMusic | free Amazon's music streaming service is the latest addition to the package for all Premium members. The €6.99 monthly fee includes up to 40 hours of music per month, without commercial breaks, skips or rehearsals.
First photos | free Prime Photos is Amazon's free online photo storage service, included in the Premium Package for Australian Members. All you have to do is download the Prime Photos app for iOS or Android, or use a web browser, and save an unlimited number of images and videos.
Other Amazon services in Australia
While US Prime members enjoy added perks like access to free grocery and restaurant deliveries and a free subscription to The Washington Post (including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos owns as well), Australia's Prime service is limited to the above options. However, Amazon's directory in Australia still extends beyond these Prime deals. The company operates some local services, although you have to register individually, paying monthly or yearly fees. Here's what these locally available Amazon subscription services entail:
Unlimited Kindle | €13.99 per month If you're an avid reader, a Kindle Unlimited subscription will give you your money's worth. You can read content from over a million titles and read Amazon Kindle eBooks or any iOS or Android device through the exclusive Kindle app. Kindle Unlimited also gives you access to audible narrations for the titles you read, so you can continue to enjoy the book, even if you have to put the physical pages aside. Kindle Unlimited costs $13.99 a month, but you should try a 30-day free trial if you want to test the service before spending any money.
unlimited music | $11.99 per month Music lovers will probably appreciate Amazon's unlimited music streaming service, which gives subscribers access to more than 50 million songs. You can listen anytime, anywhere, and like other music streaming services, there are individual and family packages, as well as an Echo plan. that lets you play your favorite songs on your Echo device. An individual package costs €11.99 a month, while family plans will set you back €17.99 a month, allowing you to set up up to six different music accounts. The Echo bundle is just $4.99 per month, and Music Unlimited also comes with a 30-day free trial.
audible | €16.45 per month Audible is for those who love their stories but don't always have the time (or the patience) to sit down with a book. You can listen to your favorite books through the Audible app anywhere, even while driving or doing chores. Many books are told by great artists. Audible costs €16.45 per month after a 30-day free trial of the service. Although Amazon Prime has its advantages, you don't need to be a member to benefit from the low prices of products sold on the online marketplace. If you want to save on cool gadgets and gizmos, we'll pick up some great tech deals on our Amazon Best Deals and Sales page.