➡️ The Shortcut Skinny

• 📈 Amazon Prime subscriptions are going up in Europe

• 😲 An annual membership will cost 43% more in some countries

• 💰 Amazon blames the price hike on inflation and operating costs

• 📅 The cost of Prime went up in the US in February

Amazon is raising the price of its Prime subscription service across Europe, with some countries set to pay more than 43%. 

An email to Amazon customers outlined the upcoming price hike in September. Prime members in the UK will see their annual subscription cost increase from £79 to £95, which is a 20% jump.

France will be hit hardest by the Prime price hike, however. The annual cost is changing from €49 per year to €69.90 – an increase of 43%. 

Spain and Italy are also affected, with each country seeing a 39% price increase annually, while German Prime members will have to pay 30% more a year.

If you pay for Prime monthly, you’ll have to stump up an extra £1 or  €1 a month, which means a UK membership is now £8.99 a month as opposed to £7.99. 

In an email to UK customers, Amazon justified the Prime price increase, stressing that it had continued to add more value to the service and hadn’t raised its subscription prices since 2014.

“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.”

The price increase in Europe comes months after Prime memberships rose in the US to $139 per year, up from the previous $119 annual fee. 

😔 Another blow to your bank account

Amazon has blamed “increased inflation and operating costs” on the price change, but it couldn’t come at a worse time for consumers. The cost of living crisis continues to take more money from people’s pay packets, particularly regarding energy bills, petrol, and groceries. 

Unlike Amazon, Crunchyroll is one of the few services that has bucked the current global trend and lowered its subscription costs. The anime streamer has slashed its subscription fees in nearly 100 regions, making its Mega Fan tier more affordable than ever. 

Will you keep your Amazon Prime membership despite the price increase? Subscribers get fast shipping, access to Prime Day deals, free movie/TV streaming on Prime Video (which is finally getting a redesign), and other perks and benefits.

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