# Amazon Prime Price and Billing Question



## Cuechick

I just saw that I was charged for a new year of Amazon Prime at the of 107.91. I received no bill and notice from Amazon for this charge. I only found out when I checked my credit card. I think previously AP was 70~ something a year... so this is a lot bigger increase than I was expecting and would have liked to be notified first...! 

Anyone else have them charge you without notice... ? I thought it was going to be about a $20 increase. I am not really sure its worth it and plan to call them tomorrow to discuss why I was not notify. Hmmmmm


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

It was announced I think, last March? I think emails were sent out then....I know mine went up in April, but some people got more of a float.

It had been $79, I thought it went to $99, but then I think there may be sales tax...what's the sales tax where you are? It looks like 9% was added.

EDIT: Found the email, mine came March 13th:



> Dear Betsy,
> 
> We are writing to provide you advance notice that the price of your Prime membership will be increasing. The annual rate will be $99 when your membership renews on April 28, 2014.
> 
> Even as fuel and transportation costs have increased, the price of Prime has remained the same for nine years. Since 2005, the number of items eligible for unlimited free Two-Day Shipping has grown from one million to over 20 million. We also added unlimited access to over 40,000 movies and TV episodes with Prime Instant Video and a selection of over 500,000 books to borrow from the Kindle Owners' Lending Library.
> 
> For more information about your Prime membership, visit our Prime membership page.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> The Amazon Prime Team


EDIT2: Here's a thread where LuvMy4Brats posted that she got the email back in March:
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,177008.msg2549997.html#msg2549997

EDIT3: And just found this in that thread :



Cuechick said:


> I got my notice too, I have till November to decide but probably won't renew. I hardly ever watch their videos, most of the prime ones are already on netflix... and it seems more and more prime shipping is not an option with what I buy... so not really worth it for me.


Betsy


----------



## Ann in Arlington

FWIW, I don't recall in the past ever being notified that I was being billed. I just knew to expect it on the January CC statement. I'm sure there's a setting at Amazon where I marked it to automatically renew.

. . . .

Just checked. . . . didn't see an auto-renewal setting, but the page does heavily imply that you'll just be billed. You can edit your payment method -- which I did, mostly just to verify that I could change things there. 

But the page does clearly show when you'll be billed and how much. And there's a link to end your membership.

Mine says I'll be billed the $99; I don't expect to pay tax but I guess I'll find that out -- I haven't in the past but things changed in July. I do now have tax calculated and added on physical items; ebooks are still not taxable in my state. Nor are most services, in general.


----------



## Sandpiper

Doesn't look like there's a Manual Renewal / Auto Renewal setting any longer.  From Amazon's front page, go to Your Account > Your Prime Membership >>>.  Various clickables there to do what you want.  Mostly you need to be aware of your renewal date.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

I don't think I got billed for tax, but I got billed back in April and I don't feel like looking up my credit card bills that far back. I guess we'll find out when you get yours in January, Ann!

The payment section on my Prime Membership area does say this (bolding mine):



> You can use Your Account to update your preferred payment method for all fees for this membership. If the preferred method is unavailable (for example, a card has expired and cannot be charged successfully), for your convenience we will use another payment method we have on record for you. *Your initial sign-up is an authorization for us to use the preferred or other available payment methods.*


It does sound, Cuechick, based on your current and prior comments, that Prime may not have enough value for you at the higher price.

I have it for the shipping, and that's still a great deal (I just got $3 credit for NOT using my Prime shipping benefit--I'll offset the price by that, LOL!) but now that I have the Echo, the Prime music is a HUGE benefit that I wasn't taking advantage of before.

Betsy


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

According to this from Amazon's site, it looks like I wasn't charged sales tax, and you're safe, Ann. But sales tax IS charged on Prime Memberships in California, among others:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_left_v4_sib?ie=UTF8&nodeId=201571830



> *About Sales Tax on Amazon Prime Memberships *
> 
> Amazon Prime memberships are subject to tax in certain states.
> 
> Amazon Prime memberships are subject to tax in the following states:
> Arizona
> California
> Florida (Communications Services Tax only)
> New Jersey
> Pennsylvania
> Tennessee
> Texas
> West Virginia
> Wisconsin


Betsy


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I don't think I got billed for tax, but I got billed back in April and I don't feel like looking up my credit card bills that far back. I guess we'll find out when you get yours in January, Ann!
> 
> The payment section on my Prime Membership area does say this (bolding mine):
> 
> It does sound, Cuechick, based on your current and prior comments, that Prime may not have enough value for you at the higher price.
> 
> I have it for the shipping, and that's still a great deal (I just got $3 credit for NOT using my Prime shipping benefit--I'll offset the price by that, LOL!) but now that I have the Echo, the Prime music is a HUGE benefit that I wasn't taking advantage of before.
> 
> Betsy


That makes sense, really: they want you to keep paying and say up front they'll keep charging. They give you a fairly obvious way to cancel, but I get that they don't want to send you an email that potentially reminds you to do so. 

I don't even recall, in the past, getting an email _after_ being charged; that would probably be a good thing for them to do -- just as they send an acknowledgement of any books purchased.

I suppose if you have no valid payment method on file you'd hear from them. In fact I got a communication back in June about updating my one card since it had been about to expire. But that was a general "the card we have on file for you is about to expire" notice and didn't mention Prime at all.

And -- YES -- I've gotten $3 in credits in the last month for not using prime shipping as well -- and in all cases the things pretty much came in 2 or 3 days anyway! But if I NEED it on deadline, I like that I have that option. Plus, I totally borrow my free book a month. (Oh! It's December! I'm due!  ) And I've been 'buying' a free Kindle First book every month since they started that program. We've even streamed the odd free movie.  Which saved us $4 or so over renting it.

So, overall, it's still worth it for me. 



Betsy the Quilter said:


> According to this from Amazon's site, it looks like I wasn't charged sales tax, and you're safe, Ann. But sales tax IS charged on Prime Memberships in California, among others:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_left_v4_sib?ie=UTF8&nodeId=201571830
> 
> Betsy


Thanks . . . I wasn't really worried about it one way or the other.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Ann in Arlington said:


> Thanks . . . I wasn't really worried about it one way or the other.


I know you weren't...information only!

Betsy


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Looks like I'll be charged communication tax (whatever that is) next year. Oh, wait, I just got a Fire phone which extended my Prime membership by a year.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Looks like I'll be charged communication tax (whatever that is) next year. Oh, wait, I just got a Fire phone which extended my Prime membership by a year.


----------



## Cuechick

Thanks y'all. I am in Cali so yeah, 9%! Wow... I will give it one more year and see how I feel. I do watch some Prime streaming stuff and I do use the shipping of course. I was just annoyed cause I got a great deal on a new purse but the discount was just about the same as the prime membership, LOL!! Ce la vie!


----------



## Atunah

Yeah, mine was like 108 or thereabouts. I am in Texas so its all taxed now. I did get that email earlier in the year and so I knew it would be going up. I think I was up in October, so recently. I just saw the charge on my CC, didn't get an email or anything.


----------



## cinisajoy

8.25% in Texas.


----------

