How To Get Amazon Prime Membership For Free

Amazon Prime Day takes place this year on July 12 and 13, meaning the highly anticipated 48-hour sales event is right around the corner.

Loyal Prime Day shoppers know the rules: To take advantage of the deep discounts offered over the course of these two days, you have to be an Amazon Prime member. As of earlier this year, an annual Prime membership costs $139 (a recent increase from $119) or $14.99 per month (a recent increase from $12.99 per month).

While we think Amazon Prime is worth having year-round for avid online shoppers, here are some ways to skirt around paying the membership fee in time to score Prime Day deals.

If you want to just sign up to take advantage of Prime Day discounts (including early Prime Day deals that are already live) and that’s it, a free 30-day trial is the way to go.

Those totally new to Amazon Prime membership, or anyone who hasn’t been a member in the last 12 months, are eligible for a 30-day trial. Be sure to set a reminder for when your trial ends so you can cancel before it’s up and you’re charged for more time.

Note that you’ll need to use a credit card to set up your trial membership.

If you’re a college student, you’re in luck, too, as you can sign up for a free six-month Amazon Prime Student trial. You must be enrolled in at least one course at an institution in the United States or Puerto Rico, have a working.edu email address and be able to show proof of enrollment if requested.

While the same cancellation reminder as above applies here, the six-month stretch is definitely more generous than just 30 days. You may even discover you want to hold onto Amazon Prime in your student years, which, in that case, would be more affordable than when you are a Prime member in “adult life.” An Amazon Prime Student membership costs about half the price of a regular Amazon Prime membership, at $7.49 per month or $69 annually, and that rate is valid for four years.

You might also want to consider signing up for the Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students, which includes a complimentary one-year Prime Student membership among its benefits.

Thanks to Amazon Household, you can share the Prime membership access that your spouse, sibling or parent already pays for. Hey, that’s what family’s for, right? When shopping this July 12 and 13, maybe you’ll find a Prime Day deal they can enjoy, too.

Amazon Household just requires that two adults (ages 18 and over) each have their own Amazon account, though only one must have a Prime membership. Thanks to this benefit, household members, including teens and children, are able to share Amazon Prime benefits such as free one-day Prime Delivery and Prime Video.

Through Amazon Household, your Amazon account will be connected to give you access to, say, your spouse’s Amazon Prime membership perks, but you’ll still have your own respective accounts.

This July is the perfect time to apply for the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card. In accordance with Prime Day, Chase has increased the welcome bonus for this specific Amazon credit card, so if you apply between July 1 and July 29, you’ll receive a $200 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval.

While there’s no minimum spending requirement needed to earn the bonus, you must be an Amazon Prime member to get the credit card — the $200 bonus will more than take care of the first year of your Prime membership, which costs $139.

For new or old cardholders, there is also an increased 6% cash-back rate — it’s usually 5% — on Amazon.com and Whole Foods purchases during Prime Days on July 12 and 13.

Some of our other favorite credit cards for Prime Day shopping include the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for earning travel rewards and the Citi® Double Cash Card for cash back.