Some startling news arrived yesterday as an Amazon Prime price increase will soon hit the UK. This is the first time since 2014 Amazon has increased the price. This time, it’s not going up by an insignificant amount. In fact, annual subscribers – the best priced package – will see the Amazon Prime price increase more than 20 percent.
At the time of the announcement no comment was made on why the Amazon Prime price increase was occurring. Instead, we were offered a simple message about the Amazon Prime price increase, the date it would occur and the value proposition. The full communication from Amazon follows, verbatim:
Dear Prime Member,
Thank you for being a valued member of Amazon Prime. We are writing to you about an upcoming change to your membership.
As of 15 September 2022, the price of the monthly Prime membership will increase from £7.99 to £8.99, and the price of the annual Prime membership will increase from £79 to £95. The new price will apply to renewals starting 15 September 2022. You can view your next renewal date, manage, or cancel your membership by visiting your account.
We continue to focus on making Prime even more valuable for members. This is the first time we have changed the price of Prime in the UK since 2014. During this time, we have significantly increased the number of products available with unlimited, fast Prime delivery; added and expanded ultra-fast fresh grocery delivery; and added more high-quality digital entertainment, including TV, movies, music, games, and books. Prime Video in particular has increased the number of TV series and movies on offer, including Amazon Originals, as well as live sports coverage, such as the Premier League and Autumn Nations Series.
Sincerely,
Your Amazon Prime Team
That was yesterday. Since then, Amazon UK has been contact by many media outlets for details on why the price is going up. The company has offered a single statement to all publications, stating it is due to “increased inflation and operating costs.”
This follows a similar price increase in the United States earlier this year, which saw costs jump from $119 USD to $139 in February 2022.
How do you feel about the Amazon Prime price increase? Will you continue subscribing? Does it make you feel you now need to choose between Amazon Prime, Netflix, Xbox Game Pass and the myriad of other subscription services on offer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
