Before I go rushing into purchasing another service that keeps toting up my expenses I always decide to do some thorough research.
This week I’ve been looking into Amazon Prime. Most of the information I’ve found online is attributed to the United States but we’re looking into Amazon Prime in Ireland now.
I’ll mention the services that are not available in Ireland yet. You never know, Amazon could release them at some point here in the future. It’s good to be aware of them.
Prime’s main benefit for consumers is the 2 Day Delivery charge being free when you’re a member. This service used to cost over £7 sterling when ordering from Ireland.
If you order off Amazon multiple times a year you could end up saving money being a member.
Gaining access to Amazon Prime Video was a huge bonus. When you’re a member you gain access to shows like The Boyz, Good Omens & Carnival Row, all Amazon Original programmes.
I enjoy the Prime service so much I added it my roster of affiliate marketing programmes.
I’ve mentioned some Prime services that are not available in Ireland yet. You never know when Amazon could make these active so it’s good to be aware.
Introduction to Amazon Prime
Amazon is the biggest online retail store on the internet. They carry everything you can imagine.
In fact, they got their logo from the idea that that they carry everything from A to Z.
This is why the A points to the Z in the Amazon logo. Tons of companies use Amazon to sell their products because their customer will get it faster than other services.
They also make buying products really convenient, making sure that it shows up in your recommended tab.
You can also follow sellers of a product that you want to buy. The services that they have created have really changed the company.
The advantages on buying products with Prime
Prime is going to save you money when compared to not having prime if you order from Amazon multiple times a year.
It can depend on the product, but there are many products that can save you more than what prime costs.
There are numerous factors that you have to look at when you are saving money on a product, but most of them are to promote a new line of products that are going to be stocked.
Better yet, these savings aren’t available on other sites, so there’s no reason not to buy it on Amazon.
You also get free shipping with prime. Amazon didn’t always have free shipping.
In fact, you used to have to pay different amounts for Irish delivery for every product you wanted to be shipped. There may have even been times where the shipping was more expensive than the product.
Prime made shipping free with almost every product unless it’s really big. But with prime, you’re going to get the product much faster, unless it’s from a smaller vendor who sometimes can have limited stock.
In the US you can get same day delivery with your Prime membership but I haven’t heard anyone in Ireland being so lucky yet.
Amazon is also releasing a lot of technology for their users which can be really helpful for students. If you are a student, there are many cases when your school can give it to you.
Prime will even offer you a free subscription for 6 months, so that you can experience the benefits.
Amazon is promoting a bunch of new products that you may find useful if you are moving in.
The most popular device is the Echo and Echo Dot complete with Alexa, but there are also laptops and microwaves that anyone can take advantage of.
Amazon Prime video
Prime video is a streaming service that has become extremely popular over the last few years.
As I said at the start of the article shows like ‘The Boyz’ and ‘Carnival Row’ are gaining popularity and are only available on Amazon Prime Video.
Unlike Disney only having Disney movies, Amazon Prime also get non originals on their platform such as ‘The Wire’.
How it works is that there are a a library of shows that have already aired which has an audience. “The Wire” is a great example, being a show of discussion and a show that has been praised critically. And there are a ton of movies as well that have won awards.
You are highly likely to find something that you have liked in the past.
There are also a lot of options when it comes to new content.
Amazon worked on the Tick, which was an original show based off of the comic.
It was a great satire on the super hero genre and worked out really well. “The Boys” also premiered on prime video which has been a really well praised show.
Having their own service and original content means they don’t have to worry about FCC regulations and can show almost anything they want.
I’m not sure they’re ever going to take over Netflix but Prime Video is evolving as a top competitor.
It looks as though Amazon might be trying to get into sport as well. In the US view Thursday night Football from the NFL on prime.
I’m not sure we’ll be catching a game of Munster vs Leinster from Bezos but you never know what the future holds for this giant.
Prime Video is probably one of Netflix biggest competitors at the moment. They’ve started producing some amazing original shows that can only be viewed on the Prime Video platform.
Shows like ‘The Boyz’ staring Karl Urban have seen it becoming more and more popular. The Boyz is probably one of my favourite shows. The show centres around super hero’s that are bad people and how ordinary citizens are trying to take down their reputations.
When Was Amazon Prime Video Ireland Launched?
Amazon began by launching Amazon Prime Instant Video in the US in 2011, a streaming platform that allowed Amazon Prime service members to access several amazing visual content.
The platform was later made accessible to Irish citizens in December 2016 after Amazon decided to make it global.
What Is Amazon Prime Video?
Amazon Prime Video is an online platform that allows users to stream unlimited videos of TV shows, films and sports events. It is part of Amazon Prime membership, which is a premium service that offers users several benefits, including same-day delivery for Amazon shoppers.
How Much Does Prime Video Cost?
We have to pay in Sterling even though we’re in Ireland. This is due to Amazon only having a .co.uk version. So Amazon Prime Video price can vary in Euro’s.
It took time before Amazon came up with a pricing option for its service.
When it went global in 2016, Amazon demanded a 2.99 sterling pounds a month for the first six months and 5.99 pounds a month for the period after that.
This changed when Amazon decided to unveil its full services for Irish citizens. Nowadays users part with 7.99 GBP a month or 79 GBP in an annual payment. This fee also covers free shipping of Amazon Ireland’s services and products.
Users get a free trial period of thirty days. They don’t get charged if they cancel the subscription before the end of the free trial period.
The amount is automatically withdrawn from your Amazon account if you decide to continue the service. Members also get to access al the prime membership benefits in the thirty days trial period.
How Can I Access Amazon Prime Videos?
Amazon Prime videos is compatible with a number of devices. Remember, this platform was already functional in several countries before it became official for Irish citizens.
You can easily access the platform using your standard web browser and a range of apps for both Android and iOS users. For iOS uses, you need an iOS version of 8 and above.
For Android, the least Android version is Android 4.0. You can also access the streaming platform using several Amazon Fire tablets.
The last few years have seen Amazon Prime Videos developing its services in Ireland, and as a result, you can stream the site’s videos using game consoles such as the PlayStation and the Xbox.
There is a catch for those who would like to experience a full smart Tv experience for this service in Ireland.
You must own either of the compatible Smart TVs, which are LG, Sony and Samsung. You can also access the site and stream videos through several Roku devices, a Fire TV stick or the Apple TV.
Can I Stream The Videos In 4k?
Yes. Fortunately, Amazon Prime Video has 4K services. However, you must own a compatible 4K Smart Tv which we listed above.
You can, therefore, watch near real-life videos from your LG or Samsung 4K smart TV. It would be best if you checked if your television has a supported app before getting it.
How Much Content Will I Access?
The truth is, Amazon Prime Video’s library cannot match Netflix. However, the service keeps on updating its content. You won’t run out of content to watch.
How Much Data Will I Need To Access The Videos?
Amazon had users in mind when launching their video service. The streaming application has several video quality settings, which differ depending on the device.
An Android device lets you access the standard video stream, which is around 460MB per hour.
However, there is a Data Saver option that lowers data use to only 140 MBS per hour.
You can also use the best quality setting when your device is ever on Wi-Fi. This allows you to get quality videos around the clock. iOS users are, on the other hand, unlucky since they require more data to stream the videos.
They part with 600MBS per hour of the watching duration. The best quality setting for Apple users consumes 5.8 GB per hour, which is quite expensive.
Your device will automatically adapt to the streaming conditions, the same way platforms such as YouTube do.
If your streaming conditions cannot support best quality streaming, the site will auto adjust to better or good quality to sure that you get the best at the set condition.
Can I Watch The Videos Offline?
Luckily, Amazon allows its Prime Video users to download the videos and save them for offline viewing, but it can only be done on your Prime Video App or Fire Tablet.
Just like Netflix and other streaming platforms equipped with this feature, the space taken up by the video depends on your streaming settings.
You can set the download and streaming settings in the settings menu, which dictates how much space the videos occupy. The amount of storage a downloaded file will take up differs from device to device.
Therefore, a video downloaded in the best quality will take up 460 MB in and android device and 900MB for iOS. You will need 270 MB for better quality in an Android device and 300MB for iOS.
Sound quality will take up 270MB in your Android powered device and 300MB for iOS. Unfortunately, there is no data saver option for devices running on iOS.
FAQS of Prime Video
No. You only need to sign in with your Amazon account.
You pay for Prime Video via the credit or debit card that is associated with your amazon account.
It’s cheaper to pay for Prime Video annually. You save a certain percentage by paying the annual fee. The price for Irish people varies with the sterling exchange rate.
Prime Video only allows you to stream in three devices at the same time. Even though a few other platforms provide more, three is not a bad number.
Amazon pantry (Not available in Ireland)
This just seems like an option to get more food, but there are actual benefits to using this service. Of course, certain foods are only available here.
There are your usual snacks, but here you can buy them in bulk.
The amount on money that you are paying for one of the foods is only going to cost you much less per package.
There are some other beef snacks and some pasta, but there’s not much outside of that. You can get buttons that will get you the food every month or whenever you want the food.
There is also a delivery option from your whole foods. If you live in a place that has that’s really close to whole foods, you can pay a fee to have an associate get a delivery for the food that you want.
Whole foods has been praised not only for their quality, but more importantly the variety of the food that they offer.
Also, if you decide to shop at whole foods in the US you will be giving a discount if you present your prime membership. So, if you’re Irish and in the US, you could show your membership.
This makes whole foods the default for many prime users because of the benefits.
The main con is that that there isn’t many fruits or vegetables. Many of these foods that are on there are only going to be available if they can be eaten at room temperature.
There are some meats but not that many. Even then, they are primarily jerkys that will always be fine at room temperature.
One day, there might be a delivery service or meals that are cooked and ready to eat.
As of right now that doesn’t exist. But if you’re just someone who wants to buy snacks in bulk, this is a great option that you can go towards.
Video game benefits of Prime – Twitch.tv
Prime Member gets you access to Twitch.tv experiences. I’m not big into the gaming seen but Twitch.tv is a video live streaming service operated by Twitch Interactive, a subsidiary of Amazon.
This allows you the opportunity to subscribe to a a user on Twitch for free. This will give you emotes that you can use to communicate with others.
Gamers would be way more qualified than myself to give you advice on Amazon Prime and Twitch.tv but seemingly if you’re in the game streaming scene it’s an essential forum for communicating with other gaming folk.
How Much Does Amazon Prime Cost?
Amazon Prime as of today Costs €9.80 per month if you’re in the Republic of Ireland. I’ve been a subscriber for over a year now and honest I don’t think I’d be willing to ever loose the subscription.
You’ll need a credit of debit card if you’re going to use amazon prime in Ireland, the monthly fee is deducted from this card on a recurring basis.
*Pricing can change depending on the currency value of the Euro vs Sterling.
The benefits when you pay for €10.48 a month for Prime:
- Prime Delivery: without amazon prime you could be waiting for orders in Ireland for up to 3 weeks in some cases. Prime items on Amazon have a two day delivery period (pandemics and world crisis can effect this delivery time).
- Unlimited Movie & Streaming of Prime Shows: My final decision to pay €9.80 a month for Prime was decided when the TV the Boyz was airing. Amazon have some class shows at the moment.
- Unlimited Reading: There’s a couple of thousand books, magazines and comics you can read for free when you subscribe.
- Unlimited Music Streaming: If you have an alexa or consider getting one, amazon primes music is a brilliant feature of the membership.
- Free Unlimited Photo Storage on Prime Photos: Amazon cloud is one of the most secure platforms on the planet. Getting to store your photos here is another great feature of your subscription.
- Discounts: Families get discounts on certain items.
- Early Access: New features and titles releases by Amazon are released to Prime members before anyone else.
How to Get a Lower Subscription Fee on Amazon?
OK, so not a lot of people realise how you can get cheaper subscriptions. My friend who works over in their US office said people can save over €50 a year if they take advantage of renewal series.
Here’s the process:
- Start Your Free Amazon Trial
- Pay for full membership for 3 months.
- Cancel the subscription.
- Wait for a renewal email to pop in from amazon offering you to continue the subscription at a much lower price.
I haven’t done this with prime but when I cancelled my audible account (audio book platform) I was paying around the same amount as with prime. Then in a renewal email the offered my a subscription to audible for €6 instead of €11.
If you need more information go here – Amazon Prime in Ireland
Company prices change regularly. If you’ve been charged more or less than me, please let me know. I’ll update this post as I go.
Conclusion on Amazon Prime
Amazon prime is a service that everyone who buys Amazon products needs to get. Maybe it’s not worth it if you only buy one product a year, but if this is a must if you constantly use the service.
If you bought multiple times a year from Amazon the service would basically cost the same as delivery. The difference is you’re getting all the added benefits.
Not to mention the exclusive products you get from just being a member.
Prime is constantly being updated with exclusive offers and Amazon are delighted to have you as part of the subscription service.
If you just want to buy products in bulk, there is no better option to get your items and other services from.
On top of that, there are benefits to their delivery service.
Most of the time, you are only going to have to wait one day to get a package. There are benefits to saving money if you only want to wait another day.
Sometimes, that will give you money off of other items that you would’ve bought.
Prime video is a great service that stands out from other streaming services. They are able to get titles that other services aren’t able to get and their originals are started to be more respected.
Always curious to hear experiences with services I love. If you feel anything needs to be added to this article or something needs to change you could contact us on Facebook.
Summary FAQ’s
The pricing can vary depending on special offers, loyalty programmes and location. It costs around €9.80 per month.
When you’re a prime member you get prime video, faster delivery, music, unlimited reading, photo storage, early access to new products and a variety of discounts.
Amazon are offering a 30 day free trial at the moment. If you’re not enjoying prime you can relinquish your access and cancel.
Yes, it’s extremely easy to cancel your Amazon Primte account. You need to login to your Amazon account, go to your account and select the subscription you want to cancel. Once you cancel you’ll still have access until your next payment date.
No, currently Amazon Pantry is not in Ireland but that could change in the future.
“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”