Amazon raises price of annual Prime membership to $139

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/03/ [login to see] /amazon-raises-price-of-annual-prime-membership-to-139
Amazon is increasing the cost of its Prime membership service to $139 a year and $14.99 a month.

The company announced the increase in the U.S. — from $119 a year and $12.99 a month — on Thursday, citing "the continued expansion of Prime member benefits as well as the rise in wages and transportation costs."

For new members, the price change kicks in on Feb. 18, while existing members will see higher prices when their subscription is up for renewal after March 25.

The number of Prime subscribers topped 200 million globally, Amazon said last April. Most Prime members live in the U.S.

The subscription service remains the singular most influential program for Amazon. Prime members are historically very loyal, beginning most of their online shopping searches on Amazon. A recent Morgan Stanley analysis estimated that households with Prime membership last year spent over $3,000 on Amazon on average, which was twice as much as shoppers without the subscription.