Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Beartracks

(13,540 posts)
Mon Jan 12, 2015, 08:20 PM Jan 2015

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

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.



==============================

20 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Kindle Users: Are Kindle books cheaper if u have Prime? (Original Post) Beartracks Jan 2015 OP
No, I don't think so, though they do give you kindle access to a free book or two each month... hlthe2b Jan 2015 #1
Hmmm.... Beartracks Jan 2015 #2
I tend to buy some "specialty" items available from their "pantry" program with subscrption savings. hlthe2b Jan 2015 #3
15% off subscription program? Is that part of Prime Pantry? Beartracks Jan 2015 #4
they have lot of programs, I guess, but I subscribe to buy pantry/pharmacy type products and can hlthe2b Jan 2015 #5
You had my curiosity, now you have my attention. LOL Beartracks Jan 2015 #12
the way I figure it is that I easily buy one thing/month and that shipping would average about $6 hlthe2b Jan 2015 #6
We don't buy much via Amazon, except Kindle books. Beartracks Jan 2015 #11
I have no experience with it but there's Kindle Unlimited TexasProgresive Jan 2015 #7
Some of them are free if you use kindle unlimited. Otherwise not to my knowledge. bravenak Jan 2015 #8
The only benny I've seen is free shipping pscot Jan 2015 #9
No difference in price, but . . . gollygee Jan 2015 #10
WTF?? I thought you could choose from that whole Lending Library... Beartracks Jan 2015 #13
Oh you can also borrow one book each month from the lending library gollygee Jan 2015 #14
Ah, sorry. Is there somewhere to find all this out before signing up? n/t Beartracks Jan 2015 #15
Everything available for having Prime? gollygee Jan 2015 #16
The kindle lending library isn't that good tabbycat31 Feb 2015 #17
If the book is borrowed from your library electronically... Beartracks Feb 2015 #18
Only so many copies to go around tabbycat31 Feb 2015 #19
Copyright! <smacks forehead> Of course! Beartracks Feb 2015 #20

hlthe2b

(106,057 posts)
1. No, I don't think so, though they do give you kindle access to a free book or two each month...
Mon Jan 12, 2015, 08:27 PM
Jan 2015

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

(13,540 posts)
2. Hmmm....
Mon Jan 12, 2015, 08:38 PM
Jan 2015

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

(106,057 posts)
3. I tend to buy some "specialty" items available from their "pantry" program with subscrption savings.
Mon Jan 12, 2015, 08:42 PM
Jan 2015

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

(13,540 posts)
4. 15% off subscription program? Is that part of Prime Pantry?
Mon Jan 12, 2015, 09:06 PM
Jan 2015

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.

===================================

hlthe2b

(106,057 posts)
5. they have lot of programs, I guess, but I subscribe to buy pantry/pharmacy type products and can
Mon Jan 12, 2015, 09:08 PM
Jan 2015

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

(13,540 posts)
12. You had my curiosity, now you have my attention. LOL
Tue Jan 13, 2015, 11:43 PM
Jan 2015

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.

==================

hlthe2b

(106,057 posts)
6. the way I figure it is that I easily buy one thing/month and that shipping would average about $6
Mon Jan 12, 2015, 09:13 PM
Jan 2015

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

(13,540 posts)
11. We don't buy much via Amazon, except Kindle books.
Tue Jan 13, 2015, 11:38 PM
Jan 2015

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.

===================

TexasProgresive

(12,275 posts)
7. I have no experience with it but there's Kindle Unlimited
Mon Jan 12, 2015, 09:16 PM
Jan 2015

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

(34,648 posts)
8. Some of them are free if you use kindle unlimited. Otherwise not to my knowledge.
Mon Jan 12, 2015, 11:00 PM
Jan 2015

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

gollygee

(22,336 posts)
10. No difference in price, but . . .
Mon Jan 12, 2015, 11:48 PM
Jan 2015

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

(13,540 posts)
13. WTF?? I thought you could choose from that whole Lending Library...
Tue Jan 13, 2015, 11:46 PM
Jan 2015

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

======================

gollygee

(22,336 posts)
14. Oh you can also borrow one book each month from the lending library
Wed Jan 14, 2015, 05:00 PM
Jan 2015

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

gollygee

(22,336 posts)
16. Everything available for having Prime?
Thu Jan 15, 2015, 09:03 AM
Jan 2015
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

(6,336 posts)
17. The kindle lending library isn't that good
Fri Feb 6, 2015, 09:56 PM
Feb 2015

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

(13,540 posts)
18. If the book is borrowed from your library electronically...
Sun Feb 15, 2015, 08:33 PM
Feb 2015

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



==============

tabbycat31

(6,336 posts)
19. Only so many copies to go around
Sun Feb 15, 2015, 08:57 PM
Feb 2015

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

(13,540 posts)
20. Copyright! <smacks forehead> Of course!
Sun Feb 15, 2015, 09:28 PM
Feb 2015

They've only bought so many electronic copies.

I withdraw my silly question.

==========================

Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Fiction»Kindle Users: Are Kindle ...