Amazon Canada has announced that it’s raising the price of its Prime membership program by $20.
This is the first time the membership’s price has gone up since its Canadian launch in 2013. It previously cost $79 per year; the new annual rate is $99. Student Prime memberships have also gone up from $39 a year to $49.
Everyone who signs up for Prime on or after April 8 will have to pay the new rates, and the increase will apply to existing customers’ accounts after May 13, on the date of their next membership renewal.
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Amazon Canada sent all of its customers an email explaining the change and the reasons for it. Here’s an excerpt from the email:
In the last few years, Amazon has added more product selection available with fast, free, unlimited Prime shipping; and earlier this year we began offering free One-Day Delivery for millions of items with no minimum purchase to most cities and towns across Canada. In addition to new selection and faster delivery, Prime Video has tripled the number of Amazon Original series and movies in the past few years.
Many Amazon customers are, as one would expect, not entirely thrilled about this development. Earlier this year, we found out that Canada’s inflation rate was the highest it’s been since 1991.
Since the announcement dropped, Canada’s online shoppers have been airing out their concerns on social media, and they’re not holding back.
Amazon prime Canada increasing their price w/o getting rid of “not available on your region” fuck you
— tee (@b12_deficient) April 8, 2022
Amazon Prime increasing to $99 in Canada is such a joke, benefit differences between a prime and non prime user are so small it’s not even worth it anymore
— ALG2187 (@alg7182) April 8, 2022
Amazon Prime going up 20$ in Canada pic.twitter.com/qmN0gTRuyO
— 🇭🇹 Picklies & Pepper Sauce Papi 🇭🇹 (@JustNoyd) April 8, 2022
@amazon hiking up Prime in Canada? What, hard times for you lately? Maybe if you didn’t have such restrictions on selections between .com and .ca. Very anti-consumer of you
— Riley K (@RockstarSuicide) April 8, 2022
Some existing customers are even contemplating cancelling their plan.
I’m feeling rather lucky that my Canadian prime membership was renewed in January so I can avoid the price hike until 2023. Might cancel before renewal, not sure. #PrimeMembership
— onerivermike 💜🤍💚 (@onerivermike) April 8, 2022
@amazonca thanks for the heads up on your price increase. As a long time customer it saddens me that I will be cancelling my prime membership when it comes due. Jeff Bezos doesn’t need any more of my money to spend on spaceships.
— dr2red #Cancersucks (@dr2red) April 8, 2022
What are your thoughts on the price increase?