Amazon (AMZN) is raising the price of its Prime membership in Canada for the first time.
Amazon says Prime’s monthly fee for Canadians will go up $2 to $9.99 per month, while the
annual renewal package will increase by $20 to $99 per year.
It’s the first price increase for Prime since Amazon launched the membership for Canadians in
January 2013.
The e-commerce company’s subscription service, which offers free shipping on many items,
access to its Prime Video streaming platform, and other benefits, will begin phasing in higher
fees for new subscribers immediately.
Existing users will see their price rise beginning next month.
The company said it is raising prices as it “continues to invest heavily in Prime” with a wider
product selection and an introduction earlier this year of free one-day shipping on items in most
Canadian cities. Prime Video is also bolstering its selection of original programming.
A new “Lord of the Rings” television series, set to debut this September, cost Amazon $465
million U.S. for its first season, according to trade publication the Hollywood Reporter, which
pegged the cost for the entire series at more than $1 billion U.S.
Amazon’s Prime membership also includes music, e-books and gaming options. Existing
Canadian subscribers will see the price increase after May 13, on the date of their next renewal.
Amazon introduced its third price increase for U.S. customers in February of this year that
boosted the monthly fee to $14.99 U.S. and the annual free to $139 U.S.