What happens when your Amazon Prime free trial expires? Don‘t worry – your account won‘t be charged!
If you‘ve signed up for Amazon Prime‘s free 30-day trial, you may be wondering what happens when that trial period ends.
The short answer is: Nothing happens, and your credit card will NOT be charged.
Your Prime membership will simply expire at the end of the trial unless you opt to continue with a paid subscription. Amazon won‘t charge you or continue the membership without your consent.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Amazon Prime free trials, membership options, perks, costs, and how to cancel if you decide it‘s not for you.
Let‘s start with a quick overview of how the free trial works:
How Amazon Prime‘s free trial works
Amazon offers free 30-day Prime trials to give potential members the chance to evaluate the membership.
Key facts about the free trial:
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No credit card required – You can start the 30-day trial without entering any payment information.
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No obligations – Amazon will not charge you when the trial ends unless you opt into a paid membership.
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Full Prime access – Enjoy all Prime benefits like free shipping for 30 days.
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Automatic expiration – The trial ends after 30 days. You won‘t be charged.
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One free trial per 12 months – You can only sign up for one trial every 12 months.
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Ends on Day 30 – Your trial will expire at 11:59pm PT on the 30th day, even if you signed up at 11:58pm on Day 1!
So in summary, the Prime trial gives you a risk-free way to test out the membership before deciding if you want to pay. If Prime isn‘t for you, just take no action when the 30 days are up.
Now let‘s dig into the details…
What happens when your free trial ends
This is the key question – what happens on day 31 if you started a 30-day free trial but took no further action?
Quite simply, the trial expires, your membership ends, and you won‘t be charged.
Here‘s a timeline of what to expect:
- Day 1: Prime trial begins
- Days 1-30: Enjoy full Prime benefits
- Day 30: Trial period ends but benefits continue until 11:59pm
- Day 31: Membership expires and benefits end
- Day 31: No charge or renewal occurs. Free trial is over.
So Amazon will not extend or convert your trial into a paid membership without your consent. You won‘t be on the hook for any charges.
Once the free trial is over, you‘ll lose access to Prime shipping, video streaming, deals, and other benefits. But you can always sign up again later!
Canceling early – even during the free trial
Just because the free trial will expire automatically doesn‘t mean you have to wait the full 30 days.
You can cancel an Amazon Prime membership at any time, whether you‘re in a paid membership or free trial.
To cancel:
- Go to "Manage Your Prime Membership" in Your Account.
- Click "End membership".
- Select a reason for canceling.
- Confirm cancellation.
If you cancel during the free trial, you‘ll still enjoy Prime benefits until the trial expires. There‘s no penalty or risk of accidental charges.
[🛑 Takedown request]So don‘t hesitate to cancel whenever you‘re ready. Now let‘s look at paid membership options…
Paid Prime membership costs and options
Once your free trial ends, you have the choice to continue with a paid Prime subscription. Here are the current membership tiers:
- Monthly: $14.99 per month
- Annual: $139 per year ($11.58 per month)
- Students: 6 months free, then $7.49 per month
- Government Assistance: $6.99 per month
The annual plan saves you about $36 per year compared to monthly payments. But the monthly plan provides more flexibility if you only need Prime temporarily.
Students enjoy an extended 6-month trial and discounted rate. Qualifying government assistance recipients also pay a reduced monthly fee.
Here‘s a detailed table comparing the Prime membership costs:
| Membership Type | Free Trial | Cost | Potential Yearly Spend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | 30 days | $14.99/month | $179.88 |
| Annual | 30 days | $139/year ($11.58/month) |
$139 |
| Student | 6 months | $7.49/month | $89.88 |
| Government Assistance | 30 days | $6.99/month | $83.88 |
As you can see, the annual and student plans provide the most savings if you use Prime frequently.
Now let‘s explore the benefits you‘d get access to as a paid member…
Amazon Prime benefits
Amazon Prime includes a suite of benefits that go far beyond free shipping. Here are some of the top perks:
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Free 1-day or 2-day shipping on over 100 million items. No minimum orders.
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Free 2-hour delivery in select cities from Whole Foods and Amazon stores via Prime Now.
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Unlimited streaming of movies, TV shows, music, and more via Prime Video and Amazon Music. Includes original content.
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Kindle Owners‘ Lending Library lets you borrow ebooks for free with no due dates.
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Prime Try Before You Buy allows free 7-day trials of select clothes, shoes, and accessories.
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Exclusive deals during sales like Prime Day, plus special coupons and discounts.
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Unlimited photo storage with Amazon Photos.
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Release date delivery for popular games, books, movies, and more.
According to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, the average Prime member spends $1,400 per year on Amazon compared to $600 for non-members.
Clearly, Amazon Prime provides tremendous value if you frequently shop on Amazon and use the streaming media benefits. But what happens if you change your mind?
Cancelling an active Prime membership
As mentioned, you can cancel Prime anytime, even during a free trial.
To cancel an active paid membership:
- Go to "Manage Your Prime Membership"
- Click "End membership"
- Select a reason and confirm cancellation.
You‘ll have access until the next billing date, and then benefits will cease.
If you cancelled shortly after renewing, you may receive a partial refund. Contact customer service for refund eligibility.
What happens if you cancel Prime?
Once cancelled, you‘ll lose access to these Prime member benefits:
- Free 1-day or 2-day shipping
- Free release date delivery
- Unlimited streaming of TV shows, movies and music
- Kindle Owners‘ Lending Library
- Kindle First Reads early access to ebooks
- Prime Try Before You Buy for clothing
- Lightning Deals and Prime Day deals
- Unlimited full-resolution photo storage
However, you can continue using any apps downloaded, like Amazon Video and Amazon Music apps, as well as any content you purchased like ebooks, albums or individual videos.
You essentially lose the "free" Prime benefits only. Your account and purchased content remain intact.
Tips for extending free trials
If you want to prolong your access to Prime, here are a few tips:
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Cancel on day 29 to receive a free 1-month extension offer.
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Use a new email to sign up for another 30-day trial with the same payment method. Limit of one trial per 12 months.
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Switch between student and regular to get 6 months, cancel and get 30 days.
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Share Prime benefits with your household by linking accounts. Enjoy group discounts.
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Leverage gift memberships – Occasional free 1-month trials are offered with gift purchases.
However, repeatedly opening trials may cause Amazon to ban your account, so use this strategy sparingly.
Common concerns and questions
You may have additional questions about unexpected charges, the costs, or when your benefits end. Here are some common concerns explained:
Why is there a $1 charge from Amazon?
Don‘t be alarmed! This is likely an account verification and will drop off within a few days. Actual membership charges will be the full amount.
What does the "Prime Video" charge mean?
These are premium channel subscriptions within Prime Video that are add-ons to the base Prime membership. Review your account for any trials or paid channels like HBO, Showtime or Starz.
Why is Prime Videoextra if I‘m already paying for Prime?
See above – standalone Prime Video exists for non-Prime members. If you see both charges as a member, you likely signed up for premium channels.
When will my benefits end after cancelling?
Your Prime access will continue until the next billing date after you cancel, when your membership expires. For example, if you cancel on 3/14, benefits continue until your next billing date like 4/1 or 4/15.
Can I rejoin Prime later?
Absolutely! You can restart your membership anytime. Your account will still be active with purchase history intact.
Is Amazon Prime worth it?
Whether Amazon Prime provides good value depends on your shopping and media consumption habits. Consider the pros and cons:
Pros
- Free 1-day shipping is convenient and saves time
- Unlimited media streaming makes it easy to cut the cord
- Exclusive deals on Prime Day and lightning deals provide extra savings
- Kindle perks like advanced reads and lending library grow your reading list
- Try before you buy allows risk-free trials of clothing items before purchase
- Music and photo storage keeps your media libraries backed up and accessible
Cons
- Recurring fees are an added expense each month or year
- Occasional delays mean 1-day shipping isn‘t guaranteed
- Extra steps to share benefits like household Amazon accounts
- Hard to cancel due to intentionally confusing interface
Take an honest look at your current Amazon spending and habits. The break-even point is around $100-$150 in annual Amazon purchases. If you typically spend more than that, Prime can provide great value through shipping and entertainment benefits.
But if you only make occasional Amazon purchases, the free shipping minimums and Prime Video standalone may suit you better.
Weigh the pros, cons and your usage to determine if Prime meets your needs after the trial. Hopefully this guide has provided all the information to make an informed decision!