Kindle Users: Are Kindle books cheaper if u have Prime?

[Beartracks]

Hi, Fiction Group,

My spouse is a big-time Kindle user/reader. We have a regular Amazon account (since it's necessary for making the Kindle book purchases), but we are wondering if the cost of Kindle books may generally be cheaper if you are ALSO an Amazon Prime member?

For example, let's say we buy three books for the Kindle that are $11.99, 14.99, and 3.99, totaling about $31.
If we'd had a Prime membership, might we expect the total could have been, say, $10.99, 12.99, and 3.99 -- $28?


I've been Googling around for an answer, but I only find mention of the "500,000-book lending library" that Amazon makes available to its Prime members with Kindles. But I'm asking about the normal, everyday e-books you actually BUY for your Kindle.

Basically, we buy lots of Kindle books, and I'm wondering if there's a price discount for Prime so that the savings can ultimately offset Prime's annual membership cost.



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[hlthe2b]

1. No, I don't think so, though they do give you kindle access to a free book or two each month...

I use prime for the 2-day shipping and access to video content (and now some audio content), but some of the kindle freebies are probably worth it as well (I find I don't have enough time to access much of it)

[Beartracks]

2. Hmmm....

I'm aware of the video content and would definitely take advantage of that. I'm trying to find a way to get Prime and have it be "budget neutral," though, so I would need for it to provide savings somehow. I don't buy a lot of stuff on Amazon, so shipping cost savings won't do much for me either... And I notice the lending library gives access to only one book a month, so that won't pay for the $99/yr membership either. I'm trying to be a cheapskate, here! lol

[hlthe2b]

3. I tend to buy some "specialty" items available from their "pantry" program with subscrption savings.

so that also helps. Some items hard to find or very expensive at health food stores or whole foods, can be had at Amazon at reasonable cost via their 15 % off subscription program using amazon prime. So, you might look into that.

[Beartracks]

4. 15% off subscription program? Is that part of Prime Pantry?

So you mean you don't have to order your specialty stuff each month -- you "subscribed" to it so they just pack some into a box each month and ship it you automatically, and for that you get a discount on the price of the goods?

The 15% must offset the cost of shipping, right? Because while regular Prime has free two-day shipping, I thought Prime Pantry involved a shipping fee, as noted here:

http://recode.net/2014/07/22/whats-so-prime-about-prime-pantry/


Sorry I'm pestering you with questions.

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[hlthe2b]

5. they have lot of programs, I guess, but I subscribe to buy pantry/pharmacy type products and can

set the frequency of shipments and even cancel shipments, but as long as I maintain five eligible items, I get 15% off and free shipping.

[Beartracks]

12. You had my curiosity, now you have my attention. LOL

So with at least 5 program-eligible items on the subscription order, you get 15% off the total of the order and STILL get the free shipping??

Nice.

Is there someplace I can find more detailed info on these kinds of Prime perks & programs without first becoming a Prime member? I seem to only be able to find the kind of high-level highlights that one might expect on a marketing brochure.

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[hlthe2b]

6. the way I figure it is that I easily buy one thing/month and that shipping would average about $6

or more--so that is at least $72 per year (and that is conservative since i often order heavy items).

Then I watch at least the equivalent of $3 of video content each month which then totals an average $36. So, I find that even with the increase in PRIME, that it is still paying for itself--and that is before any audio of kindle content.

[Beartracks]

11. We don't buy much via Amazon, except Kindle books.

Although... a friend tells me that you can buy practically ANYTHING from Amazon now, so if you find better prices on stuff you would have bought anyway.... there's savings right there.

Sounds like that's what you're doing with the pantry/pharmacy program.

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[TexasProgresive]

7. I have no experience with it but there's Kindle Unlimited

Let the buyer beware. They claim a 30 day free trial but you know how those things sometimes work that you can't get loose from them if you don't want it anymore.

Enjoy unlimited access to over 700,000 titles and thousands of audiobooks on any device for just $9.99 a month.

Kindle Unlimited gives you the freedom to explore. Try new genres, discover new authors, and dive into new adventures with unlimited access to our wide and varied selection of books. From rhetoric to romance, or comedy to tragedy, you will find unlimited stories waiting to be discovered. Relive the classics you grew up with, start on that best seller you’ve been wanting to read or try one of the hundreds of thousands of books you won’t find anywhere. Find your next great read today.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=sv_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&docId=1002872331

[bravenak]

8. Some of them are free if you use kindle unlimited. Otherwise not to my knowledge.

I don't bother, because nearly all of the classics are free and I hate revolving payment.

[pscot]

9. The only benny I've seen is free shipping

I get all my downloads from Project Gutenberg anyway.

[gollygee]

10. No difference in price, but . . .

They do let you choose a book each month for free. It isn't just any book you want, though. They have four books and let you choose one of them (though this month they let us choose two.)

[Beartracks]

13. WTF?? I thought you could choose from that whole Lending Library...

... which is supposed to be 600-700K?

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[gollygee]

14. Oh you can also borrow one book each month from the lending library

but they have books each month that you can choose from to keep as well.

[Beartracks]

15. Ah, sorry. Is there somewhere to find all this out before signing up? n/t

[gollygee]

16. Everything available for having Prime?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200444160

We use the Prime video a lot, and Prime shipping, so I feel like we definitely get our money's worth.

Here are the books from this month for Kindle First, where you get to choose from a selection of books. Some months have better options than others. http://www.amazon.com/gp/digital/kindle/first

There's also Kindle Unlimited, which you have to pay even more for and which has a large lendable library of books, but I don't personally think the selection is worth the expense. I do use a different similar service called Scribd that costs a little less and has more of the major publishers signed on, but it isn't available on the Kindle Paperwhite or the Kindle Voyager. There is a way to get it on a Kindle Fire, so I read it on that.

[tabbycat31]

17. The kindle lending library isn't that good

I haven't tried Kindle unlimited (a friend says it's good) but instead I've been using Overdrive, which allows me to borrow ebooks from my public library (and I have my dad's and grandmother's card numbers to use theirs too). Sometimes you have to wait for a title, but no fines, no $$, etc.

I have Prime too but I use it mostly for the video and free shipping.

[Beartracks]

18. If the book is borrowed from your library electronically...

... then why would you have to wait until no one else has it "checked out"?



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[tabbycat31]

19. Only so many copies to go around

Works the same way as a paper book. You can't lend 5 books out to 10 people at the same time. Mine is very good about telling you where you are on the waiting list and how many copies they have.

For example, I'm reading a YA trilogy called 'The Selection." After I got book 1, I put myself on the list for book 2. There are 11 people on the waiting list for 2 copies. They tell me that I'm #9 on the list and that they have only two copies of it.

Not sure why but I guess it has to do with copyright laws.

[Beartracks]

20. Copyright! <smacks forehead> Of course!

They've only bought so many electronic copies.

I withdraw my silly question.

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