Amazon Prime membership cost rises by 17%, bringing total price to $139 a year

The cost of being an Amazon Prime member will go up this year for the first time since 2018, as the online giant announced a seventeen percent price hike to its annual service, bringing the cost to $139 a year.

The company announced the price increase in a press release on Thursday, taking the annual membership cost from $199 to $139. The cost of a monthly Prime membership will also rise from $12.99 to $14.99. The new pricing will take effect for new members beginning in February and existing members in late March.

The rise in price comes as Amazon navigates a tough logistical landscape due in part to the worker and supply chain shortages created by the coronavirus pandemic.

Last year, Amazon rerouted shipments to facilities with more workers in order to get packages to their destinations. Now, the online retailer aims to make one-day shipping the default in the United States, according to the press release.

“A big thank you to employees across Amazon who overcame another quarter of COVID-related challenges and delivered for customers this holiday season,” said Amazon CEO Andy Jassey.

“Given the extraordinary growth we saw in 2020 when customers predominantly stayed home, and the fact that we’ve continued to grow on top of that in 2021, our Retail teammates have effectively operated in peak mode for almost two years. It’s been a tremendous effort, and I’m appreciative and proud of how hard our teams have worked to serve customers.”