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Amazon Pay vs Amazon Prime: Understanding the Differences

What’s the difference between Amazon Pay and Amazon Prime?

Amazon Pay and Amazon Prime both offer incredible benefits for shoppers with Amazon accounts, but they are fundamentally different services. Here’s how:

Amazon Pay is a free digital payment method you can use to shop anywhere online.

Amazon Prime is our flagship subscription-based membership program.

Each can be used independently. But using both will help you get the most out of your Amazon account. Let’s start with the basics.

What is Amazon Pay?

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It’s a faster, easier way to shop online — even when you’re not shopping on Amazon. Like a digital wallet, Amazon Pay is a simple and convenient payment method that lets you check out securely on tens of thousands of sites around the world.

Wherever you shop, just click the Amazon Pay button to use the same payment and address information that’s already safely stored in your Amazon account. No fumbling for credit cards. No forms to fill out or accounts to create.

Amazon Pay allows you to track and manage all your purchases and payments in one place. Your transactions are protected by state-of-the-art encryption, and you get Amazon Pay’s A-to-z Guarantee on the condition and timely delivery of your qualified purchases.

Do I need to be an Amazon Prime member to use Amazon Pay?

No. If you have a basic Amazon account, you already have Amazon Pay. It’s as simple as that. Using Amazon Pay is entirely free. And getting started couldn’t be easier.

What is Amazon Prime?

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Prime delivers value for members through world-class customer service, exclusive savings, expansive selection, convenience, and quality digital entertainment for just $14.99 per month or $139 per year. In the U.S. that includes free, fast delivery—including on groceries and prescription medication, unlimited streaming of movies and series like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and live sports like Thursday Night Football with Prime Video, ad-free listening of 2 million songs, thousands of stations and playlists, and thousands of podcasts with Amazon Music, free games with Prime Gaming, more than 3,000 books and magazines with Prime Reading, unlimited photo storage with Amazon Photos, and incredible savings with Prime Day. Members can also enjoy a free, one-year Grubhub+ membership valued at $9.99 per month—at no added cost to their Prime membership. Anyone can join Prime or start a free 30-day trial at amazon.com/prime.

Can Prime members also use Amazon Pay?

Yes! Both Amazon Prime members and basic Amazon account holders can automatically use Amazon Pay anywhere they shop online. Just look for the Amazon Pay button at checkout.

Though the services might be different, there’s one thing that both Amazon Prime and Amazon Pay do incredibly well: They make shopping better.