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Prime Big Deal Days (or October Prime Day) starts Oct. 6 and ends on Oct. 7, and as usual, we'll be keeping you updated on all the best deals leading up to and throughout the mega-sale. In order to take advantage of all the discounts Prime Day has to offer, you'll need to be a Prime member. But is the cost of that membership going to be worth it for you?

Millions of Amazon Prime users currently pay $14.99 per month or $139 per year for their memberships—though other plans cost less if you qualify. For example, the Amazon Prime Student program allows young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 to get all of the Prime perks for half the cost—$7.49 per month or $69 annually.

For frequent Amazon shoppers, Prime can quickly pay for itself—mostly thanks to the free shipping perk. But how does the math shake out if you aren't regularly ordering from Amazon? Is it worth signing up if you only shop during Prime Day events? If you’re on the fence about signing up for (or renewing) your Prime membership, here’s how to judge whether or not the benefits outweigh the $139 cost.

The benefits of Amazon Prime

Here are the main perks of Amazon Prime that make it worth the cost for so many users.

  • Free two-day shipping on millions of items: This is the main draw of Prime. If you shop frequently on Amazon and want quick free delivery, the shipping perks alone may make Prime worthwhile. Prime members also get free same-day delivery on over 3 million items in eligible areas. The ultra-fast (and morally suspect) shipping usually costs $9.99 per order for non-members, though you can choose lower-cost or free shipping options if you're willing to place larger orders and wait longer to receive them.

  • Access to Prime Video: Prime includes unlimited streaming of movies, TV shows, and Amazon Originals. If you ask me, the content library isn’t as robust as Netflix or Hulu, but this is still an added value.

  • Other Prime benefits: You also get Amazon Music for streaming songs, Prime Reading for ebooks, magazines, and audiobooks; Prime gaming, free photo storage, and occasional exclusive discounts/deals.

  • Amazon Prime Rewards Visa card: Cardholders get 5% back on Amazon/Whole Foods purchases. Prime members who use this card extensively can earn rewards that offset the annual fee.

  • Number of users: Prime benefits can be shared with other members of your household. The more users, the more value per person.

Is an Amazon Prime account worth it?

Let's say you don't care about Prime Video, Amazon Music, or free e-books, and just want to know if you'll save money you would otherwise be spending on shipping.

For non-Prime members, Amazon requires a minimum order of $35 to qualify for free shipping on eligible items. The average shipping costs for non-members aren't publicly listed, and can vary by item and shipping speed, typically ranging from $5 to $10.

For our purposes, I messed around on my non-shared, non-Prime Amazon account to find an average shipping cost of around $6 per order (assuming the order total fell below the $35 threshold, of course). Of course, shipping costs will vary depending on the item and how quickly you want it, but let’s compare the cost to the appeal of Prime’s two-day shipping option. So, we have the cost of individual online orders (around six bucks) compared to the free delivery that comes with an $139 annual fee. This means the costs you’d save on shipping alone make Prime worth the cost as long as you place more than two dozen orders in a year.

In other words: The $139 annual fee pays for itself as long as you order from Amazon Prime at least twice a month.

Of course, this conclusion is strictly in terms of shipping costs. How it stacks up ethically is between you and the person in the mirror.

And then there's this important caveat: You can still get free shipping from Amazon without a Prime membership, provided your order has $35 or more of eligible items. However, this won't grant you Prime shipping speed—your order will typically take five to eight days to be delivered. But you can place fewer, larger orders and wait a little longer, and still never pay for shipping.

What about Prime Day?

Also worth considering is how much of that membership cost you'll be able to recoup via exclusive Prime Day offers. During the sale, some items will be heavily discounted only for Prime members—but whether the Prime Day price is really a "deal" will vary greatly based on the item you're buying. Some of those "big discounts" aren't any greater than what the item typically sells for. The Prime Day price can even be higher than other sale prices throughout the year. That's why it's important to make sure what you're ordering is something you planned to buy anyway—and that the sale price is actually a true bargain—before you order.

The bottom line

The cost of a Prime membership is a solid value for anyone using Amazon 23 times per year or more—especially if you're also watching shows on Prime Video or purchasing something that is deeply discounted for Prime Day. But if you only shop on Amazon a few times a year and don't take advantage of Prime Day offers or the other benefits, then that $139 annual fee isn't necessarily paying for itself.

Of course, if you are interested in Prime Day bargains, you can always sign up right before the start of the sale and then cancel your membership after Prime day is over—but Amazon doesn't always make it easy on you. For more information about deals and discounts, keep an eye on all of Lifehacker’s Amazon Prime Day coverage.

When is Prime Day in October?

October Prime Day is a two-day event that starts Oct. 6 and ends on Oct. 7.

What goes on sale on Prime Day?

Since Prime Big Deal Days happens in the fall, you're likely to see more deals on gaming and indoor gym equipment. Amazon has already announced some of the 35 categories that will be on sale, including beauty, tech, kitchen, fashion, and home. Some brands Amazon has already mentioned are: Shark, Princess Polly, Soundcore by Anker, UGG, Nest New York, Sony, Tarte, Adidas, and Barefoot Dreams.

Is Prime Day once a year?

Prime Day happens every summer. Prime Big Deal Days (or October Prime Day) happens every October. Big Spring Sale happens every spring.

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