I’ve been a customer of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) since August 28, 2002. The reason I know is that the company tracks all my orders. Interestingly enough, the first thing I bought on the ecommerce platform was a book called The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR (by Al and Laura Ries). Back then, we had no idea how critical an Amazon Prime membership would be to our day to day experience of the internet.
Over the years, I have purchased more and more items. In fact, it’s fairly rare that I’ll buy anything at a brick-and-mortar store anymore!
Now there are several key reasons for this. Amazon makes shopping easy and convenient. There is also a humongous selection. Oh, and it also helps that I get recommendations that are based on my order history.
But perhaps the most important factor is: Prime. Whenever I make a purchase, I know it will be shipped quickly. I don’t have to worry about racking up huge shipping charges either.
Interestingly enough, Prime has evolved quite a bit beyond just shipping. It’s actually incredible the perks and features that are available.
So what are some of the standouts? Well, let’s take a look at 10:
Reason #1: Prime Video
Prime Video is similar to Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX), providing access to thousands of quality videos for streaming. Amazon also has been investing heavily in developing original content. Some of the titles include Bosch, Sneaky Pete and The Man in the High Castle.
At discounted prices, you can add-on premium channels like Showtime, HBO, CBS All Access and Starz.
Reason #2: Prime Music
Kind of like Spotify Technology SA (NYSE:SPOT), Prime Music is a streaming music service. Although, the library is much smaller, at over two million songs and albums as well as over a thousand curated playlists.
But Amazon also has its own premium service: Amazon Music Unlimited. For $7.99 per month or $79 for an annual subscription, you get ad-free access to tens of millions of songs and albums.
Reason #3: Prime Photos
You get unlimited storage for your photos (there is a 5G limit for videos and documents), which are available across just about any platform.
There is a sophisticated search feature, which leverages machine learning. You can find your photos based on people, places and things.
For an affordable fee, you can make prints of your photos, such as by creating wall décor, cards, photo books and calendars.
Reason #4: Amazon First Picks
Each month, you can download a free ebook. There are six to choose from based on picks from Amazon.com editors that are a month ahead of their release dates. The categories include suspense, memoirs, thrillers, nonfiction, contemporary fiction and literary fiction.
Reason #5: Whole Foods 10% Discount
Amazon is using Prime to leverage its $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods. To this end, there is a 10% discount on various items. While this is only available in Florida, Amazon plans to expand the program during the summer.
To take advantage of the discount, you’ll also need to use the Whole Foods mobile app on your Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS device or Alphabet Inc Class A (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Android smartphone.
But this is not the end of the perks. In various cities, Prime members can get free two-hour deliveries.
Reason #6: Free Same-Day Delivery
If you make purchases of at least $35, you are eligible for free same-day delivery in more than 8,000 cities and locations. You also need to make the order before noon. Otherwise, the order will be on a one-day basis.
Reason #7: Amazon Prime Student
If you are a student, then you can get a 6-month free trial of Prime. And yes, there will be many deep discounts on much needed items like textbooks.
Then, if you want to keep Prime, the monthly subscription rate will be only $6.49.
Reason #8: Amazon Restaurants
This is a food delivery service, which has a $10 minimum order limit. Although, it is only available in only a select number of cities, it seems like a good bet that Amazon will expand it over time.
Reason #9: Outfit Compare
With your Amazon mobile app, you can upload two photos of yourself wearing an outfit. Then a fashion specialist will review each and give you an opinion as to which is the best. Some of criteria include fit, color and current fashion trends.
Reason #10: Washington Post
Trump is probably not happy about this perk. That is, as a Prime member, you can get a free subscription to the Washington Post for six months. Then after this, the monthly amount will be only $3.99.
Tom Taulli is the author of High-Profit IPO Strategies, All About Commodities and All About Short Selling. Follow him on Twitter at @ttaulli. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
