Five Amazon Prime perks you don't want to miss
Amazon is one the largest retailers in the world with a market value of more than $250 billion. One reason for that huge number is quite simple: People love Amazon.
Whether it's the convenience, deals, selection, delivery time or all of the above, people keep buying and buying. That's one reason many of us sign up for the $99-a-year Amazon Prime, which offers free two-day delivery for most items. But, free delivery isn't Prime's only perk, far from it. Keep reading for some of my favorite Prime perks.
1. Get deliveries the same day
Amazon Prime's big draw is free two-day delivery, but in some cities and for some items you can get same-day delivery. It can even be free. Amazon has a map that shows which cities offer this service, and to see if it’s available in your specific area just enter your zip code.
2. Share with others
Amazon Prime perks aren't just for you. All of your Prime membership benefits can by shared by up to two adults. To edit your account sharing settings, log in to your Amazon account. Next, navigate to your Manage Your Content and Devices page. Click on the “Settings” tab and choose "Households and Family Library" and then select "Invite an Adult."
3. Watch streaming video
If you watch streaming TV shows like House Of Cards on Netflix or Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee on Crackle, you know there are great shows online that you can't see anywhere else. Amazon has a few of those on its streaming service, Prime Video.
Prime Video isn't a warehouse for old shows. There are a lot of top-notch shows, including Amazon originals you can't watch anywhere else. Those include the multiple Emmy nominated Transparent with Jeffrey Tambor, and the new romantic comedy Catastrophe. Recently, Amazon snapped up the co-hosts of the BBC's long-running, hugely popular car show Top Gear.
Prime Video also airs reruns of shows that such as HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, PBS's Downton Abbey and CBS's Under the Dome. It streams older classics too, like HBO's The Wire. Amazon also has deals with cable channels like Showtime and Starz, so you can watch their programs at a discount.
You can watch Prime Videos on your computer, mobile gadgets or through a streaming gadget or smart TV. In addition to instant streaming of movies and shows, if you’re going to be traveling, you can download many titles too. This way, you need to be online to watch. Nice.
4. Listen to music
Free TV and movies are nice, but so is free music. There are so many streaming music sites now, but Prime members get access to Amazon Prime Music. It has more than one million songs available for free.
Songs like Adele's Hello or entire albums like The Eagles' classic Hotel California or The Beatles' Anthology Highlights are free to stream, or download to play later. Plus, you can have Amazon play songs like a radio station does. With Prime Stations, music is grouped into genres like "50 Great '80s Rock Songs," and it plays for hours.
If you have your own music library, you can upload it and listen to your songs anywhere you go through the Prime Music app or the Web-based player.
To use Prime Music, go to the Amazon home page and hover the mouse over the "Your Account" button. Then select "Your Prime Music."
5. Order food and household items
Amazon has a really unusual and potentially fantastic perk. It's not totally free, but for just $5.99 per box, you can get a box with up to 45 pounds of groceries delivered to your front door.
First, go to Amazon Pantry, order and pay for groceries and household items. For now, its selection is pretty thin, and some items are prohibitively expensive. But, here's the perk, Prime members get access to a wider array of products than non-members.
Amazon also has a subscription service for parents, grandparents and caregivers. For $99 a year, its Amazon Family is essentially Amazon Prime, with a few extras, such as diapers. Diapers are expensive and, as you know, with a new baby you'll need a never-ending supply of them.
Amazon Family parents get a discount up to 20% off regular prices for diapers, with a subscription. That subscription means diapers will just show up at your door.
Whether or not you sign up for Amazon Family, if there's a baby on the way, you can put together a wish list of all the supplies you'll need. Add those products to a Baby Registry to share with friends and family, and many of the items will be discounted 10% (15% for Amazon Prime members). You also get 90-day returns on most items.
Bonus Perk: Get free books
It's hard to believe, but when Amazon first started out, it only sold books. Today, Prime members can get a new book each month through Kindle First.
Also, Prime Members who own a Kindle, or Fire tablet or phone with the Kindle app, can access the Kindle Lending Library and borrow an eBook once a month. It's like a library, but with no due dates or heavy books to lug around.
On the Kim Komando Show, the nation's largest weekend radio talk show, Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today's digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando.com. Email her at techcomments@usatoday.com.