Amazon Prime membership has become expensive in India after the e-commerce giant warned about a hike in October. Currently, the Prime membership costs Rs 1,499 per year against the old pricing of Rs 999. Similarly, the monthly and quarterly tariffs have also been hiked to Rs 179 and Rs 459, respectively. Earlier, the monthly plan was priced at Rs 129, and the quarterly plan was available for Rs 329. Old members with annual (and even the quarterly plan) won’t have to worry about the new pricing until they have to renew their membership next time.
Amazon had earlier indicated that the hike in prices was done to improve its services across the country. In an FAQ, the company says, “Prime provides an unparalleled combination of shopping, savings and entertainment benefits to make life more convenient and entertaining every single day, and we continue to invest in making Prime even more valuable for customers.” Notably, the same FAQ page notes that the prime membership with old pricing will be available till December 13 (11:59 PM). However, we noticed that the new pricing is already live.
In terms of benefits, the Amazon Prime membership in India offers a slew of services. Customers will get free delivery with select locations and items eligible for one-day or two-day delivery. Customers can access the Prime Video catalogue that includes several Originals in Hindi, English and other regional languages. Prime membership includes access to Prime Music, Gaming and Prime Reading. In terms of offers, eligible Prime members also get 5 percent off on ebooks, comics and more. Currently, Prime membership costs the same as the Disney Plus Hotstar membership, but the former includes more services. Netflix subscription remains to be the most expensive service of all. Amazon Prime membership can be renewed or purchased via the Amazon India website or the app for Android and iOS.
