10 Easy Ways To Get Amazon Prime Free Or Cheap

Written by Jason Michaels Last Updated: May 8, 2024

Amazon is one of the largest online shopping sites on the web, and with Amazon Prime it makes it even more accessible.

This article is going to show you 10+ easy ways on how to get Amazon Prime free or for cheap.

A Dizzying Array of Benefits

When Amazon first debuted Prime, it was a real game-changer in the world of e-commerce.

You could get so many incredible benefits with the service, it seemed almost too good to be true.

The top one, of course, is free two-day shipping.

And sometimes, even get one-day or same-day shipping.

All this free delivery is super convenient and saves you lots of time and money because you don’t have to spend time and money going to stores to do your shopping yourself.

That’s because Amazon brings the store to you.

But of course, free shipping is only the tip of the Amazon iceberg, and there are so many other benefits for being a card-carrying member of Prime.

In fact, they keep rolling out so many perks, it’s challenging to stay on top of all of them.

These benefits include:

• FREE TWO-DAY SHIPPING: On eligible items within the contiguous U.S. 
• FREE SAME-DAY DELIVERY: For eligible zip codes. 
• PRIME NOW: Get no-cost 2-hour delivery on thousands of items.
• GET IT THE DAY IT’S RELEASED: You’ll get your pre-ordered item the same day it gets released. This offer is valid only in certain areas.
• FREE NO-RUSH SHIPPING: If you don’t need your order right away, select no-rush shipping and earn rewards for future purchases. 
• PRIME VIDEO: Prime Video is an all-you-can-watch buffet of thousands of movies and television series. It works with hundreds of Blu-Ray players, HDTVs, Roku, Fire TV, and smartphones.
• PRIME MUSIC: You get unlimited access to Prime Music, with its two million songs and hundreds of curated playlists for whatever mood strikes your musical fancy. Install the Amazon Music app on your phone, and you’ll be able to play your music wherever you go. You can even download songs to your library to play back when you don’t have an Internet connection.
• TWITCH PRIME: You’ll get exclusive content on games you’ve pre-ordered. Also, if you link your Prime account to your Twitch.tv one, you’ll get a free Twitch channel subscription monthly. This also comes with exclusive game content.   
• WHOLE FOODS MARKET: If you’re a Prime member, you’ll get special savings on all kinds of products. Plus, you’ll get 5% back with the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card. And in certain cities, you’ll be able to enjoy 2-hour delivery.   
• AMAZON 4-STAR AND AMAZON BOOKSTORES: Prime members pay Amazon website prices on all products in-store. 
• AMAZON FRESH: Prime members in some areas get fast and free delivery on a wide selection of groceries with options for fast one- and two-hour delivery windows in select areas. 
• PRIME WARDROBE: This is a program where you get to try on clothing before you buy it. You get seven days to sample the items at home. You’ll only be charged for the items you decide to keep. 
• PRIME PANTRY: These are essential grocery and household products in everyday sizes. If your order is more than $35, you’ll get free shipping on these goods.
• DEALS AND DISCOUNTS:  You’ll get 20% off subscriptions to baby food, diapers, and other kinds of baby-related products. You’ll also enjoy savings of 15% off products on your baby registry that are eligible. 
• PRIME EARLY ACCESS: As a Prime member, you’ll get 30-minute early access to Lightning Deals. Browse other deals up to 24 hours in advance and click “WATCH THIS DEAL” to receive alerts in the Amazon shopping app.
• PRIME READING: You get to borrow magazines, books, and other types of material to read on Amazon-enabled devices. 
• AMAZON FIRST READS: You’ll be able to download a free book every month from the Amazon First Reads program. Furthermore, you’ll be able to choose before nonmembers can. You’ll also get exclusive prices on hardcover books. 
• MEMBERSHIP SHARING: If you have another adult living in your home, you can create an “Amazon Household,” so you share your Prime benefits with them.
• AMAZON PHOTOS: Amazon Photos gives you unlimited photo storage, so they’re not all on your phone using up valuable space. 
• DONATE TO YOUR FAVORITE CHARITY: When you buy something at smile.amazon.com, Amazon will donate a certain percentage of the cost to a charity of your choosing.

Mostly Superlative Customer Service

The cherry on top of the more-than-delicious Amazonian sundae is the excellent customer service.

This is something for which the company is well known for.

I don’t know about you, but almost every time I had to call them, they were able to take care of my problem much more than satisfactorily.

The only time I was unappeased was when I ordered a paperback copy of Ann Handley’s excellent book, “Everybody Writes.”

The problem was that there wasn’t an officially authorized paperback copy of the book, even though a third-party seller was hawking one.

And I bought it, divinely oblivious to the fact that this edition shouldn’t even exist.

I stumbled across this unpleasant truth on Ann Handley’s Twitter page.

She had found about it and wanted to warn everyone not to buy it.

I tried to inform Amazon of the illegality of peddling a book they clearly weren’t authorized to sell.

Unfortunately, all my energetic pleas fell on deaf ears, and they provided one justification after another of why the book should be continued to be listed on the site.

All through this ordeal, I remained in contact with Ann, who was very gracious to me, although quite displeased by the ugliness of the matter.

Other than this, Amazon has been great about making things right when a product I purchased didn’t live up to the high expectations I had for it.

And over the years, I’ve bought literally hundreds of things from them.

Over 100 Million Satisfied Members

Prime has over 100 million members, which, I think I can correctly assume, are happy with the service.

This means that a whopping 64% of everyone in America is Prime member!

To me, this is an incredible statistic.

And in the fifteen years since Prime leaped from the mind of Jeff Bezos and into glorious reality, they’ve shipped over five billion items.

Sudden and Dramatic Price Increase

On May 11, 2018, Amazon Prime increased in price from $99 to $119 per year.

This 8.3% jump in price had many wanting to jump from the Amazon ship.

I still think it’s a bargain even at this heftier price.

But as I promised you, there are ways to get Amazon Prime free.

And, this, dear friends, is precisely what this article is about!

Ways to Get Prime for Free

Let’s start with the ways to get Prime for free.

Here they are:

1. The Best Way to Never Pay for Prime

Lots of people are canceling their Amazon Prime accounts.

This is because revelations about appalling privacy lapses and the horrendous way they treat their employees come to light.

Not only that but also their blatant use of government loopholes to get out of paying their fair share of taxes. 

Boycotting a company that is now an integral part of the way e-commerce is conducted isn’t going to have much effect.

But it can hurt you, especially if you do a lot of online shopping or if you have a business that relies on the online retailer.

So, get used to the fact that nothing you do will ever be able to bring down the inexorable corporate juggernaut that is Amazon.

That’s like using a fly swatter to take down Mothra.

They use all kinds of loopholes with their cunning army of lawyers and accountants figuring out new ones every day.

You can use your own loophole to never have to pay for Amazon Prime.

If you’ve never been a Prime member before, you’re eligible to sign up for your very first 30-day free trial.

Now, usually, at the end of these 30 days, you decide whether you want to cancel or to start paying for it.

You might end your trial membership without converting it to a paid one.

If so, Amazon will often send you a free trial invitation to entice you to come back after several months have elapsed.

Maybe you don’t want to wait around twiddling your thumbs for this to happen.

If that’s true, you can use another time-tested method to continue your free trials now until doomsday.

And that method is using an endless succession of new email addresses to sign up for them.

In this section of the article, you’ll learn how to do just that!

Some people sign up for Prime just before the holidays so they can use it to do their Christmas shopping.

And once they’re completed it, they cancel it.

With my method, you’ll also cancel, but only so you can find a new email address so you can continue to get the service for free.

Signing Up for Your Very First Trial Membership

To be eligible for a trial membership, you must have a valid credit card on file with the company.

Do this first if you haven’t already done so.

Keep in mind you cannot use a corporate line of credit, your checking account, a pre-paid credit card, or a gift card to get your free first trial.

Don’t worry about incurring a charge, because by using my method, that’ll never happen.

So, let’s get you signed up.

Go to the website and click on the banner that says, “Try Prime.”

Sometimes, the wording is “Amazon Prime Free Trial” or “Start Your Free Trial.”

Follow the on-screen instructions, and in just a minute or two, you’ll be enrolled and able to enjoy all the fantastic benefits that come with being a member of Amazon Prime!

How to End Your Free Trial Before You Get Charged

Your free trial is for 30 days.

However, don’t wait until the last day to cancel it.

Instead, cancel it right away.

If you wait, you risk canceling too late, and you’ll be charged for it.

You’ll still be able to be a member until your 30 days are up.

To terminate your trial before they charge you, click on Accounts & Lists” at the right-hand side of the navigation bar.

There will be a “Your Account” drop-down menu.

Under this, click “Your Account.”

Then, click on “Prime.”

 Next, hit “Manage Membership.”

Click on the “End Membership” bar under this section.

You’re done!

Your membership will end when the free trial ends, and your card won’t be charged.

Getting Your Second and Subsequent Free Trials

After your first free trial comes to an end, you’ll need to find a new email address to get your second free trial and subsequent ones.

This won’t be too difficult, as there are hundreds of companies out there who offer free email accounts.

Some say there are no limits to the number of free trials you can get using this method.

However, others have noticed they put the kibosh on the practice after about 30 of them.

Ethical Considerations

Now, I understand if you don’t want to use this method.

Some people think it’s unethical because Amazon never intended for people to use their free trial offer in quite this way.

Others think that this misuse of the system could result in higher membership fees for everyone.

I understand these concerns.

And if you, in good conscience, cannot use this method, read on for other ways to get Prime for free that you won’t have any moral objections about.

2. Get a Student Membership

Students are eligible for all kinds of incredible discounts, from low-interest credit cards to deep markdowns on tech and software.

And one of the best discounts they can get is on Amazon Prime.

So, if you’re enrolled in a high school, college, university or some other institution of higher learning, sign up for an Amazon Prime Student Membership.

That way, you don’t pay full price for this service that can be invaluable to a cash-strapped college student.

This comes with six months of Prime membership for absolutely no cost.

But even after it ends, you’ll get a significantly discounted membership rate of $59 per year, or $6.49 per month.

This continues for four years or until you graduate—whichever comes first.

The only benefits students aren’t eligible for are Amazon Music and the Kindle Library.

However, Amazon doesn’t just blindly accept your blind assertion that you’re a student.

You’ll have to prove that to them by submitting verification.

Here are the requirements:

• An .edu address
• be enrolled in at least one course at a college or university in the 50 states, District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico
• Copy of your transcripts or an acceptance letter
• Valid school ID that has an expiration date on it

3. Become an Amazon Rewards Card Member

With the Amazon Rewards Card, you get 3% cashback on everything you buy at amazon.com and Whole Foods.

And when you shop at drug stores, gas stations, and restaurants, you’ll get 2% back.

You’ll get 1% back on everything else.

If you upgrade to the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, you’ll make out even better.

When you use it, you get 5% back on everything you buy at Amazon and Whole Foods.

You need to be a Prime member to get these discounts.

However, if you spend $198.40 each month, the Prime Rewards Card will give you enough money back to pay for your annual membership fee every year.

I have this one, and over the years, I’ve saved thousands.

Neither of these cards has an annual fee.

4. Link Your American Express Card

If you have an American Express Card, congrats!

You’ll get three months of Prime Free.

To redeem this offer, you’ll need to link your American Express card to your Amazon account.

This is an invitation available only for new Prime members.

5. Get Free Shipping Without Prime

You might not care about the bonus Prime perks like streaming video, two-day shipping, photo storage, and streaming music.

If so, you can skip the whole membership deal and just settle for free shipping.

The only catch here is that you need at least $25 worth of eligible items in your cart to qualify.

This threshold is much lower than most other online retailers, many of which require you to spend $75 or more to get free shipping.

So, if you always spend this amount, you’ll get your free shipping without having to purchase a membership.

6. Sprint’s Unlimited Premium Plan

If you switch to Sprint, they’ll give you a free 12-month Amazon Prime membership.

And if you want to save on a Sprint plan, sign up for Rakuten.

If you get your Sprint plan through the company, you’ll get up to $40.00 cashback on whichever plan you decide to go with.

Rakuten used to be called Ebates before they changed their name.

If you want to get money back for almost everything you buy on the Internet, then Rakuten is the site for you.

It’s as legit as can be.

It’s definitely worth your time.

And it’s so easy to sign up for.

It’s kind of like a credit card that pays you back.

Only there’s no annual fee.

And you get 25 bucks for every friend you refer to the site that ends up purchasing something.

You can get up to 40% off shopping at over 2,500 stores.

But you not only get cash back.

You also get access to fantastic discounts and coupons, which makes using the site even more impressive.

7. Get a T-Mobile Phone Plan

Metro by T-Mobile is offering free membership to Prime.

To get it, you’ll have to get the $60 Unlimited High-Speed Plan.

This is available to both new and existing T-Mobile customers, but only if you’re not already a Prime member.

8. Getting One Month Free If Your Item Arrives Late

Two-day shipping is guaranteed with Prime.

So, if your item doesn’t arrive when it should, call Amazon and demand one free month of the service. 

They often give it to you anyways when they screw up, so you might not have to be all that demanding.

One good thing about this is that your free month doesn’t usually start until your current membership expires.

Ways to Reduce the Cost of a Membership

There are also a lot of other ways to lower the cost of membership.

Here are some of them:

9. Sign Up for Amazon Household

Amazon Household lets you share the cost of a membership with another adult living with you.

Both adults will need to link their accounts as well as share payment methods.

Four children and four teens can also become members.

Each will have their own separate logins and passwords.

Adult members will be able to buy merchandise without needing approval.

You can approve purchases with a text for those Household members under the age of 18.

Sharable benefits include free Prime shipping, Prime Video, Amazon Photos, Twitch Prime, and exclusive offers.

To set up your Household, go to the Amazon Household main page.

For a comprehensive list of benefits that can be shared with the teens and children in your Household, check out the information on this page.

Benefits you can share with the other adult in your Amazon Household include:

Shipping Benefits

• Prime Shipping
• Prime Now
• Amazon Fresh

Digital Benefits

• Prime Video Streaming
• Prime Reading
• Amazon Photos—you can share photo storage with up to five people over the age of 13, and everyone gets their own unlimited photo storage account

 Discounts and Exclusives

• Prime Early Access
• Amazon First Reads
•  Exclusive deals on Amazon Music Unlimited and Kindle FreeTime Unlimited
• Every time you reload your Amazon gift card balance, you’ll get 2% cashback
•  Prime-exclusive pricing on select popular products, and an additional 10% off hundreds of sale items throughout Whole Foods Market stores

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to share Prime Music, exclusive promotions you get on games you’ve pre-ordered, and video subscriptions you’ve purchased.

10. Getting the EBT Card Discount

If you have an EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card, you might be able to get a reduced-price Prime membership.

 These are the programs that will qualify you for this deal: 

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
• Other programs by state

If you get the EBT discount, you can’t share your membership with other household members.

Plus, you must revalidate your EBT card every 12 months.

You can only get this rate for up to four years.

Then, you’ll have to start paying full price for it.

11. Purchase a Membership Through Ibotta

With Ibotta, you’ll get cashback on select products.

When you purchase a Prime membership through this app, you’ll get a $20 gift card.

This is like getting Prime for $99 a year instead of $119.

This offer is only for new members.

You also must agree to subscribe to Prime for a full year to get the gift card.

12. Get Money Back with TopCashBack

With TopCashBack, you’ll get up to 10% back on whatever you purchase at Amazon.

This is like getting money back to pay for your Prime membership.

This is one of the best cashback websites ever because they give 100% of their commissions back to their users.

No other cashback website does that!

13. Wait for Prime Day

Amazon got sick of waiting around for already established holidays, so it created its own.

And today, “Prime Day,” as it came to be called, is an event that online shopping aficionados simply cannot miss.

Prime Day is usually in July, and membership often goes on sale this day.

If you can afford to wait to get Prime, this might be just the day to get it on.

If there is no deal for Prime on Prime Day, keep your eyes peeled for other days it’s offered on.

On certain days of the year, Prime is offered at a significant discount.

That could be on Prime Day or another day to celebrate a milestone accomplished by the company.

For example, in 2016, Amazon celebrated its Golden Globe win for “Mozart in the Jungle” by dropping the price of Amazon Prime down to $73.

14. Just Get It When You Need It

Some people love Prime at certain times of the year but cannot afford an annual membership.

If this describes you, problem solved: just buy a membership for the months you need it for.

You don’t have to have it all year long to reap its benefits.

Just have it during the holidays when you want to get your shopping done, or other times of the year you might need it for.

Or, just get it to binge watch that show you’ve had your eye on for a long time, and then cancel your membership.

15. Get Prime Savings by Opting in To Subscribe & Save

Even if you don’t have a Prime membership, you can still get the company’s Subscribe & Save discounts.

If you choose to have certain items shipped on regularly scheduled intervals, you can save up to 15 percent on these shipments.

Items eligible for these savings run the gamut from office supplies to all kinds of groceries to pet and personal products.

The more of these items you have a subscription for, the more you’ll save,

And if your use of a product tapers off, you always have the option to skip a delivery or even cancel a subscription, so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Earning Money to Pay for Your Prime Subscription

There are also Amazon-related ways to earn money to pay for your Prime membership.

Here are a few:

16. Become an Amazon Associate

With the Amazon Associates program, you can earn referral fees to pay for your Prime membership.

You’ll create a link on your website to products, and whenever a visitor clicks on a link and buys a product, you’ll earn your referral fees.

To start earning these fees, visit the Amazon Associate Program home page.

As part of the application process, you’ll have to describe the purpose of your website.

So, have a pretty good idea of why you created your site in the first place, the audience you’re going after, and how you’ll drive traffic to your site.

Once you have all this firmly in mind, it’s time to create your account.

To do that, visit the Amazon Associates home page and click “Join Now for Free.”

You’ll be prompted to log in to your existing Amazon account, or if you don’t currently have one, they’ll prompt you to create a new account.

To start putting together your Amazon Associates profile, sign in to your Amazon account.

Then, click “New Customer.”

Enter all your account information, including your name, address, and phone number.

This should be you, or wherever you want Amazon to send the checks to.

Next, enter your website address. 

Then, you’re going to need to enter your preferred store ID.

Usually, this is the name of your primary website.

You’ll also need to explain what you hope your website will accomplish and choose Amazon links your site will target.

You’ll also need to explain how you’re going to use your website to generate income for yourself.

Not only that but also how you’ll build links and how many visitors you expect to bring in every month.  

When you have all this done, enter your phone number, press “Call Me Now,” and wait for Amazon to get in touch with you.  

They’ll ask you to enter a four-digit code.

Once you do that, your account will be activated.

Your account will be approved for 180 days.

You must make a sale within that window of time, or your account will be closed.

Your Performance Dashboard

To see how your Amazon Associates account is doing, visit your performance dashboard on your home page.

This gives you a monthly summary of your activity, an earnings overview, and how many clicks you’re getting.

It also gives you an idea for products to link to that would be great for the type of content you post.

To do that, you can either choose “Quick Links: Search for Product” or “Browse for Product.”

By choosing the former, you can use a specific product keyword with which to do your searches.

And with the latter, you can do a category search.

Once you find a product, you want to link to, click “Get Link.”

You can even customize the way you want your link to display with the options “add with text and image,” “image only,” “text only,” or “widget.”

You can also further personalize the look of your link by type, background color, title color, and image size.

Make sure you preview the link before adding to your site, so it looks exactly the way you want it to.

Then, once this is done, copy and paste it and add it to your website.

17. Earn Amazon Gift Cards at Survey Sites

Another way to get Prime free is to earn free Amazon gift cards to buy merchandise you were going to purchase anyway.

This way, you can use the cash you save to pay for your Prime membership.

There are a staggeringly large number of ways to score free Amazon gift cards.

One fantastic thing about them is you can keep adding the new ones you earn to your total Amazon balance until you have enough to get what you really want.

In this article, we’ll just focus on one of these ways: earning them at so-called “survey sites.”

Market research companies use survey sites to dig deeply into the psyches of users to find out what they really think about various products and services.

There are TONS of paid survey sites on the Internet these days.

This makes it incredibly challenging to decide which ones to sign up for because some are legit and some aren’t.

Thousands of individuals stay away from websites that purportedly teach you how to make money online because they’re deathly afraid of the scammers.

But if you’re careful to avoid the shady sites, you should be okay.

Many of these sites offer Amazon gift cards in exchange for your participation.

There is a HUGE demand on the Internet for Amazon gift cards, and the survey panel companies aren’t exactly oblivious to this.

To oblige this ravenous horde, most of these companies offer Amazon gift cards as payment.

Electronic Gift Codes

These days, you probably won’t get a physical gift card you can hold in your hands, but an electronic one.

Most survey sites offer electronic gift codes because they’re easier to deal with than actual gift cards.

They usually arrive right away in your inbox so you can use them immediately to do your shopping.

This means you don’t have to wait weeks or even months for your cards to arrive via snail mail.

Plus, by not wasting plastic, stamps, and envelopes by sending physical gift cards out, you’re helping to save the environment.

Be Aware of Scams

Keep in mind that the tremendous corporate behemoth known as Amazon doesn’t offer gift cards in exchange for taking surveys.

So, if you receive an email invitation in your inbox offering you this not-to-be-missed opportunity, it’s most likely a scam.

Who Uses the Information Gathered from Surveys?

Surveys are created by the clients of survey sites, who are mostly brands and market research agencies.

They use this information to make their products better.

They’re always looking for a very specific demographic for each survey.

And if you fit this demographic, you’ll get the chance to participate.

When you sign up, they’ll ask you for personal information such as your name and address.

This is to better match you to a survey you’re suitable for.

Once you’ve been selected for a survey and finish answering all the questions, you’ll be eligible for your reward.

However, you might have to wait up to six weeks to get your points while the company makes sure it has enough respondents to make the survey’s findings valid.

Check to See How Redemption Works

You might want to check to see what a site’s redemption policy is before you agree to participate in that site’s activities.

For example, most, but not all, companies require you to have a minimum balance before you can convert your points into rewards.

You can usually find their redemption policy in the “Frequently Asked Questions” section of the company’s website.

Toluna

Toluna is a popular survey site that partners with some of the biggest companies on the planet to offer surveys for their users.

As a Toluna Influencer, you’ll help to make the products that matter to you better.

Use your voice to share your opinion, inspiring change in real-time, and get paid for your efforts.

Your participation has a direct impact on how companies develop, market, and distribute new products and services.

You’ll get 500 points just for signing up.

Opt in to text messaging if you want to receive information about exclusive survey opportunities via text.

This is good if you, like me, don’t regularly check your email.

You’ll earn 100 points for completing what’s known as a profile survey.

This is to see if you’re a good match for the survey they’re currently conducting.

To increase your chances of being chosen for one, complete as many of these profile surveys as possible.

Don’t take it personally if you’re eliminated during this pre-screening process.

You’re not going to be the right demographic for every survey you apply for.

Over time, you’ll start to get a feel for which surveys you’ll qualify for.

This saves you from wasting days of your life in the hellish limbo of the prescreening process.

You can look for surveys you can participate in right on the Toluna website or by checking the invitations sent to your inbox.

Each survey starts with a few questions to make sure that you’re part of the targeted demographic needed for the study.

Sometimes, it takes only a few questions to ascertain this.

Other times, it’s a lengthier process.

If you’re selected for a survey, it’ll take between 15 and 20 minutes to complete it.

How many points you can earn can really run the gamut.

Some of them pay as low as 15.

And others pay a staggering 15,000 points.

You can also download the Toluna app so you can take surveys wherever and whenever the whim hits you.

Cashing in Your Points

Go to the Toluna Rewards Center to cash in your points.

Once you have 30,000 points in your account, you can get yourself a $10 gift card.

Here’s where you can also enter the Toluna Millionaire Point Sweepstakes to win one million points.

You can also use 500 points you’ve already earned to get an extra sweepstakes entry.

There’s no limit on the number of points you can accrue.

However, you have up to one year to use up your points.

LifePoints

What used to be called Global Test Market merged with and became LifePoints.

And there are plenty of surveys here to earn points to get gift cards.

But there are other ways to earn points here too, such as mini polls and product testing.

You’ll get ten points just for signing up.

The minimum cash out amount is 5,500 points, which is equivalent to five bucks.

You can turn in your points for either gift cards or PayPal payments.

And if you’re so inclined, you can even donate your points to charity.

How many points you get for a survey depends on how complicated and lengthy it is. 

Even if you fail to qualify for a survey after the initial screening process, they’ll still give you a few points for your trouble.

Harris Poll

The Harris Insights and Analytics Company has a respected reputation for conducting the polls that help companies serve their customer base better.

It began its corporate life way back in 1963—the same year President Kennedy got shot.

The company is the proud originator of the Harris Poll, one of the longest-running public surveys in the country.

They were the company that came up with the idea of doing presidential polls.

In 2014, the Nielsen Group purchased the company.

This was the same company that became famous by monitoring the television habits of the nation thirty or so years ago.

Now, the company is owned by the Stagwell Group.

Signing Up

Signing up is easy, and you can do it as young as the age of 13.

All you must do is to mosey over to the website and click the “join our panel” box you’ll find there.

Then, a set of instructions will appear.

Follow these instructions to the letter, and soon you’ll be a member.

Next, they’ll ask you a few questions.

You’ll also have to share a little bit of your personal information.

Once you do this, survey invitations should start arriving in your inbox.

These invitations come with further questions to answer.

Your truthful responses will help to determine if you fit the target demographic that the survey calls for.

If you’re eliminated during the prescreening process, you’ll still earn 15 points and a sweepstakes entry.

But if you’re not eliminated, you’ll be able to complete the survey, which should take you between 5 and 25 minutes.

So, start accumulating those points, rack up the Amazon gift cards, and use the money you save towards buying yourself a Prime subscription.

Pinecone Research

Pinecone Research lets you test products before they’re released to the general public.

The company began its corporate life way back in 1998, which makes it one of the oldest Internet market research companies still in operation.

It’s by invitation only, which makes it different from most of the other paid survey websites out there.

This means that somebody needs to send you a referral link.

This can be a member in good standing, or the company itself.

If you’re lucky enough to be invited, you’ll have to share some demographic information with them.

This is to see if you’re a good fit for any of their surveys. 

This includes your full name, email address, date of birth, gender, household income, education level, occupation, and other demographic data.

Try to be as honest as you can as you answer the questions.

Because if you’re not, and they find out, you’ll be banned from all future surveys.

You’re only given the surveys you qualify for based on the demographic details you provide.

This means you won’t get the unpleasant shock of suddenly being screened out of a survey after you’ve already started it.

However, they can remove you from the panel if they no longer need the demographic you represent.

You’ll earn three bucks for every survey you complete, which is more than you’ll get at a lot of other survey panels out there.

But if you have visions of making a living at filling out surveys, I have bad news: you probably won’t be given a survey frequently enough to make that happen.

Getting Your First Check

You’ll receive a check for three bucks after you complete your first survey.

You cannot change this initial payout to another redemption method.

However, after this first payday, you can start earning Amazon gift cards for your efforts.

No Mobile App

Pinecone Research still doesn’t have a mobile app.

So, you won’t be able to do surveys on the go.

 MyPoints

At MyPoints, you can get an Amazon gift card for as little as 250 points.

This will get you a $1.00 gift card.

MyPoints began its life in 1996, so it’s been around for a while.

They have a mobile app, so you can earn points on the go.

MyPoints Surveys

Each survey will earn you up to 400 points.

Just make sure you take pains to keep your profile updated.

This way, your personal details will be more accurate, and your participation will be more valuable to the company.

And when you’re more valuable, they’ll send more surveys your way.

Check every day to see what surveys are available so you don’t miss a single opportunity.

If they disqualify you from a survey, they’ll give you a consolation prize of a few points.

Taking Surveys is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

There are lots of ways for members to quickly rake in the points.

Participating in surveys is just the tip of the iceberg!

You can also earn them by playing games, watching videos, and lots of other things.

Redeeming Coupons

Another way to rack up the old points is by redeeming coupons.

To do this, click on the coupon you want to use so that you can print it out.

Then, use this coupon on your next shopping trip.

When you do this, you’ll get points and even some cash back.

For merely printing out a coupon on your computer, you’ll get one point.

And, you’ll get 25 points for every coupon you redeem in the store.

Refer a Friend

You can also receive 25 points for every friend or family member you refer.

After signing up someone for this program, that person will receive an email invitation in her inbox.

Once she clicks on the invitation email and completes her registration, you’ll start getting rewarded for her activity.

If your friend joins MyPoints and makes a purchase of at least $20 within 30 days through the MyPoints website, MyPoints will award you 750 points.

And your friend will get 1,750 points.

Watching Videos

Watching videos in your spare time at the MyPoints website is an entertaining and easy way to accrue points.

For every video you watch, you’ll earn one point.

There are quite a few categories to choose from.

Music, Fashion, Technology, and Hobbies are just a small sampling of what’s available.

Points for Reading Emails

You’ll even get points for reading emails.

In your inbox, you’ll get emails asking you to visit websites of MyPoints partners.

This is called BonusMail, and it’s worth a boatload of points.

You don’t want to miss one of these.

To make sure that doesn’t happen, you can set up a filter that automatically moves MyPoints emails to a special folder.

Or, you can use a dedicated email account specifically for these emails.

You’ll usually get a few BonusMail emails per day.

Quickly read them, get your five points, and then delete them, so they don’t clutter up your inbox.

Deals

MyPoints Deals are specially curated for you, based on what you like and what you don’t.

Just click on “Deals” at the top left-hand side of your home page, and you’ll see which ones are currently available.

These are the categories:

• Featured Offers
• All Offers
• Deals from Our Trusted Partners

For example, I found a deal I went a little gaga over in the “Featured Offers” section.

This was for a trial for Harry’s, a razor company I’ve been meaning to try.

It only costs eight bucks, and I’ll get a cool 1,350 points just or doing so.

They also have some terrific Groupon and Living Social deals I might have to snag.

Score! Browser Extension

Score! Is MyPoints’ browser extension, which alerts you when you’re on a MyPoints partner website.

This way, you won’t forget to grab your points after making a purchase.

It also finds deals for select sites and automatically applies them for you at checkout.

Get alerts and coupons for MyPoints partners with the MyPoints browser extension, so you don’t miss out on shopping points!

Branded Surveys

One of the rewards that Branded Surveys offers for your participation are Amazon gift cards.

You’ll have to have at least 1,000 points in your account to get one.

You can choose any denomination over $10.00, and they must be in $10.00 increments.

The company partners with PayPal to make sure participants get the rewards they’re entitled to.

All payouts take one to two business days to process.

Points values of surveys vary and can be as high as 100 points.

Taking Surveys

After you sign up, you’ll need to spend a few minutes creating a profile.

After your profile is submitted and approved, you’ll start to get offers to take surveys.

Each one will take approximately 10 minutes of your time.

To earn five points quickly, merely log into your dashboard and take the quick poll.

You can do one of these mini polls every 24 hours.

The Importance of Honest and Accurate Responses

The more details you provide and the more authentic your answers are, the more surveys you’ll get.

These surveys are created by market research firms on behalf of companies.

These businesses depend on accurate feedback so they can improve the products they offer to consumers.

Once your survey is completed, your responses are immediately forwarded to the corporations who’ll use this market research.

All completed surveys are conditionally approved.

But for them to stay approved, your responses must pass their partners’ quality checks.

Then, you’ll be eligible to get paid any way you’d like.

Redeeming Your Points

Once you’ve racked up 1,000 points in your account, a redemption button on your account will become clickable.

1,000 points are equivalent to $10.00.

Choose your reward from a whole host of options, including Amazon gift cards.

Notifications That You Can’t Do A Survey

Occasionally, before you get a chance to fill a survey out, the company discovers that you don’t fit the survey demographic anymore.

You’ll receive an “NQ” or “Not Qualified” notification if this happens.

They’ll also send some points your way to compensate you for your time.

Another thing that might happen is that they might get many more people willing to take a survey than they originally planned for.

In this case, you’ll receive an “OQ” or “Over Quota” notification.

While you won’t be able to take this survey, you’ll be able to take future ones.

Branded Elite

Partake in Branded Elite by taking surveys to collect points.

Then, advance through the bronze, silver, and gold tiers to get more points and perks.

You’ll have to continuously participate to maintain your badge status.

If you’re recognized as one of the responders whose responses are of impeccable quality, you’ll qualify for elite badge bonuses.

 And when you refer a friend, and she then earns a silver badge for the first time, you’ll get 50 points.

PaidViewPoint

PaidViewPoint is yet another survey site that’ll pay you for your opinion on a variety of subjects.

I love the aesthetically pleasing minimalism of the site.

But unfortunately, they don’t offer Amazon gift cards as payment.

 Only cold, hard cash.

So, set aside whatever dough you make to fund your yearly Prime membership.

They claim that they make taking surveys “always a fun and happy experience.”

But you be the judge of that.

Try the site out for yourself and see if you agree with their assessment.

They promise the questions won’t require lengthy responses.

So, taking surveys at the site shouldn’t take up too much of your time.

To that end, they designed each one to take about three minutes to complete.

There are also captivating images and entertaining videos galore to make your experience less of a bore.

They also put strict limitations around the number of questions market research firms can ask.

Best of all, you’ll never find yourself screened out of a survey ever again.

Once you’re in, you’re really in, and a payday will be coming your way because you’ll be allowed to complete the survey without suddenly being turned away.

Just make sure you get in there and start taking it before they stop accepting new participants.

The company came up with what they call their “TrustScore System” to assess how honest and consistent the responses of their participants were.

Market research companies have struggled with the quality of their data for decades.

That’s because too many respondents just rushed through the questions without considering what their true feelings were.

Also, some people lie about their demographics just so they can do a survey.

What does this mean for you?

It means that the more truthful and consistent you are with your answers, the more surveys they’ll send your way.

Univox

By participating in Univox surveys, you’ll help companies make critical decisions about their products that’ll help them better serve consumers’ needs.

And like every other survey website out there, you’ll get invites sent directly to your inbox.

They also promise that their questionnaires won’t eat up too much of your time.

You’ll earn $1.00 for every 100 points you rack up, and most surveys will net you between fifty cents and two bucks.

Their signup bonus is 200 points, and their minimum cash payout threshold is $25.

This means you’ll be able to get your first Amazon gift card when you have 2,500 points in your account.

And if you’d prefer to have the green stuff instead of a gift card, get your earnings directly deposited into your PayPal account.

Referral Bonus

Every time you refer someone to the Univox community, you’ll earn 100 points once they’ve completed their first survey.

 You can refer up to five friends.

Swagbucks

At Swagbucks, you can take surveys that’ll earn you points you can use to get yourself a nice pile of Amazon gift cards.

However, there are so many other ways to earn virtual currency for things you already do a zillion times every day.

These are things like playing games, watching entertaining videos, and searching the web.

There are tons of other things you can do to earn Swagbucks or SBs for short.

Here is just a small taste of what’s available:

• SIGN UP BONUS: Swagbucks often offers a $5.00 bonus just for signing up.
• WINNING STREAKS: This is a meter on the left-hand side of your home screen that rewards you with bonus bucks if you complete an activity multiple times. For example, if you meet your daily goal seven days in a row, your “7 Day Star Badge” will light up, and you’ll get 25 SBs. The more you log in and complete activities, the more your bucks will add up.
• SHOPPING: Buying merchandise from all your favorite retailers through the site earns you bucks. For example, one of my favorite places to shop is L.L. Bean. And for every dollar I spend there after first going through Swagbucks, I earn 2 SB. When I checked the site out today, I found a further discount of 20% off any order when I use my L.L. Bean Mastercard. What’s excellent about offers like these is you save two ways by not only getting the Swagbucks but also by getting the in-store discount.
• TRY OUT NEW PRODUCTS AND BRANDS: You earn Swagbucks just for trying out new products and services. Some of the services you can get rewarded for trying include DoorDash, Fiverr, Airbnb, and FabFitFun. Get 1,500 SBs just for signing up for Hulu. Or, if you don’t want to plunk down any hard-earned cash to try a service, you can check out the “Try Free and Earn” section of the website. For example, you can sign up to deliver food for Instacart. And when you make your very first delivery, an astounding 10,000 SBs will be dropped into your account like manna from heaven.
• GETTING YOUR FRIENDS TO TRY OUT THE SITE: When you share your sign-up link, you earn referral Swagbucks when your friends sign up. You’ll continue to receive 10% if your referral remains active on Swagbucks. There is no maximum limit to this offer either! The more active they are, the more you earn.
• WEB SEARCHES: Doing web searches is one of the easiest ways to earn Swagbucks. Simply trawl for whatever cyber information you need by using the Swagbucks browser toolbar or the search box right on the site. If you make Swagbucks your default search engine, you’ll get 25 SBs.
• WATCH VIDEOS: You can even earn much SBs for sitting on your butt and watching videos. To get started with this, just go to the “WATCH” page. Here, you get to choose precisely the type of content you want to view. Your content will open in a separate window. To make sure that that happens, enable pop-ups on your browser. Then, go to the window to find content that appeals to you. Once you’ve finished watching your video, rate it with a thumbs up or a thumbs down, then move on to the next one. Keep doing that (even playing them in the background while you do other things), and your points will add up in no time. You can earn up to five bucks a day doing this.
• VOTE IN DAILY POLLS: Earn bucks by answering questions every day. For example, today’s question was, “Tomorrow is Super Bowl LIV, who do you think will win? I earned 1 SB just for giving my opinion.
• ANSWERING SURVEYS: One of the most popular ways to SBs is by completing surveys. Most of them only take minutes to complete. You can make up to 300 SBs by doing this.
• PLAYING GAMES: You can earn SBs for in-game purchases on many games. Usually, for each $1.00 you spend playing a game through Swagbucks, you’ll receive 18 SBs.

 To score a $50 Amazon gift card, you’ll need to accrue 5,000 SBs.

This is equivalent to getting 1% back on a credit card or rewards site.

But it’s even better because there are lots of activities you can do to earn SBs without having to buy anything.

18. Join Amazon Mechanical Turk

Mechanical Turk is a crowdsourcing platform owned by Amazon, where you can do small tasks for money.

These tasks, in the parlance of the site, are known as “HITS.”

These are things like completing surveys, extracting data, and transcribing information.

And to get compensated for your efforts, you get to choose either Amazon gift cards or cash, which you can use to fund your Amazon Prime membership.

Most people report that Chrome is the browser that works best with JavaScript and the other applications you’ll have to use while doing a task.

Final Thoughts

I’ve just given you 10+ ways to get Amazon Prime free, so the money for it doesn’t come out of your paycheck.

If you’re an avid online shopper, Prime is a must-have because you get so many benefits for what you pay.

But you won’t have to pay anything or pay much less than you’re accustomed to if you use one of the tried and true methods in this article.

So go ahead and choose one of the strategies to make a great deal even better!