The consequences of skyrocketing inflation have reached Amazon Prime customers. The company blames her for the rise in both the monthly and annual fees from September. It will affect both new accounts and renewals. The increase has not been well received by some, who have taken to social networks to complain, turning the e-commerce platform and streaming content into a momentary trend.
The rise has been communicated to those who have contracted the Prime service by email. In it, after thanking the customer for being one, they inform them that the reason for writing is to inform them of “a future change in the price of your subscription”. Thus, they indicate that “ as of September 15, 2022, the price of the monthly subscription to Prime will increase from €3.99 to €4.99/month and the price of the annual subscription to Prime will increase from €36.00 at €49.90/year. The new price, according to the plan you have subscribed, will apply to renewals made after September 15, 2022. You can check your next renewal date, modify your plan or cancel your subscription at any time by visiting your account”.
The explanation they give for the price increase for the first time in four years is that it responds “to the general and material increase in spending levels due to the increase in inflation that affects the specific costs of the Prime service in Spain and is due to external circumstances that do not depend on Amazon. This increase represents an increase of 25% for those who pay the fee monthly and almost 39%, 38.6%, for those who make a single payment per year.
In August 2018, when the previous increase occurred, this was from 19.95 euros per year to 36 euros, which is what will be paid until September 15. Despite the rise, El Economista recalls that Spain is still one of the countries where the Prime option, which includes free shipping and access to its Prime Video catalog, is less expensive. In Germany and France, where it will also rise, they currently pay 69 and 49 euros respectively. The rise in price, detailed in the aforementioned economic media, will apply to Amazon Prime customers in France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Ireland, Belgium and Austria.
In its communication, the company reminds its customers that this is the first increase in four years and that in this time they have “increased the selection of products available with fast and unlimited Prime shipping, added and expanded ultra-fast shipping of fresh products supermarket and added more high-quality digital entertainment, including series, movies, music, games and books. Specifically, Prime Video has increased the number of Amazon Originals series and movies.
Compared to other platforms, Prime Video is still one of those with the lowest share. Disney + is 89.90 euros for the annual plan. That of HBO Max is 69.9 euros. And in the case of Netflix, the most basic option, the Standard Plan, is 7.99 euros per month, which makes an annual price of 95.88 euros. The great premiere of Prime Video for this season will be The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which will hit the platform on September 2.
Complaints about the rise have been transferred to Twitter, where some clients point out that the rise is higher than inflation and report that they will be discharged or have already been discharged as a result.