What are the benefits of Amazon Prime Lite membership
What's the story
Amazon offers a budget-friendly subscription plan, Prime Lite, in India. This option is targeted at customers who find the annual fee of ₹1,499 for the regular Prime membership too steep.
At just ₹799 per year, Prime Lite provides almost all the benefits of a full Prime subscription but at a fraction of the cost.
The plan's introduction is aimed at bringing more users to Amazon's fold with an affordable option.
Delivery benefits
Prime Lite offers free delivery and cashback
Prime Lite members can avail free one-day and two-day delivery on Prime-marked products. There is no minimum order value for this benefit.
Also, users opting for no-rush shipping can get a cashback of ₹25 per order.
However, morning deliveries are charged an additional ₹175 per order for Prime Lite subscribers, as opposed to ₹50 for regular Prime members.
Card benefits
Prime Lite members get cashback on Amazon Pay ICICI card
For Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card holders, Prime Lite membership provides the same 5% cashback on purchases made on Amazon, excluding digital and gift cards.
This benefit makes the shopping experience with Prime Lite remain largely similar to that of a full-fledged Prime membership, despite the lower subscription cost.
The idea is to provide value for money without compromising on user experience.
Streaming restrictions
Prime Lite's video streaming service has limitations
Prime Lite subscribers also get access to Prime Video, but with some restrictions. The streaming resolution is limited to HD or 720p and comes with ads. Also, it can be used on a single device at a time.
On the other hand, regular Prime members can stream content in up to 4K resolution without any ads and on multiple devices at the same time.
Service exclusions
Prime Lite lacks access to additional Amazon services
Prime Lite users also miss out on other services like Amazon Music, Prime Reading, and Prime Gaming. These are exclusive to regular Prime members.
Amazon Music provides ad-free music streaming, while Prime Reading gives free e-books that can be accessed on Kindle or through the Kindle app.
Prime Gaming provides free video games and in-game content for passionate gamers.
Partnerships
Telcos and ISPs offer Prime Lite with select plans
Now, several telcos and ISPs are offering a free Prime Lite subscription with select packages. For instance, Jio's ₹1,029 recharge plan offers this benefit.
Likewise, Vi's ₹996 three-month recharge plan also offers a three-month Prime Lite subscription.
Some popular products of select broadband service providers have also started offering Prime Lite subscriptions.