The Prime Time Rip Off: What Amazon's Perks Really Mean for Consumers Amazon's dominance of the retail landscape is well documented, with an estimated 201 million members in the United States alone.
While being a loyal customer base is crucial to its success, scrutiny of its benefits is equally important.
The $139 annual fee (or $180 for a monthly payment plan) may seem like a small price to pay for convenience, but when you consider that many benefits are already available elsewhere or could be replicated with planning and resourcefulness, the value proposition becomes less clear cut.