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If you’re planning to shop Prime Day on Amazon, you’ll need Prime, and if you’re 18–24 or a student, you definitely shouldn’t be paying full price for Amazon Prime. With Prime Day officially dropping June 23rd through June 26th, now is the perfect time to lock in your memberships and stack those discounts.

Amazon has a few different membership tiers, and picking the right one can either score you extra cash back or let you share your benefits with your family. Here is the breakdown so you can choose the best plan for your wallet:

1) Prime for Young Adults (18-24 or Students) — The Best for Cash Back

• The Deal: 6-month trial for $0, then $7.49/month (or $69/year).
• The Big Perk: You get 5% cash back on select categories year-round, which bumps up to a massive 10% during Prime Day and other major sales! ($500 cashback cap per year, 5% thereafter)
• The Catch: This plan does not include Amazon Household, meaning you cannot share your Prime benefits with another account.
• Who it’s for: Anyone 18-24 or in school who wants to maximize their own cash back and doesn’t need to share an account.
• Get Prime Youth

2) Prime Access (For qualifying government assistance)

• The Deal: $6.99/month after a trial.
• The Big Perk: It’s slightly cheaper than the Young Adult plan and does include Amazon Household, allowing you to share your Prime benefits with another adult in your home!
• The Catch: You don’t get the enhanced 5%/10% cash back perks that the Young Adult plan offers.
• Who it’s for: Those who qualify (EBT, Medicaid, etc.) and want to share their benefits with a roommate, partner, or family member.
• Get Prime Access

Pro-Tip: If you happen to qualify for both Young Adult and Prime Access, you’ll have a choice, but especially if you don’t need to share your account, the Young Adult plan is typically better. That cash back will easily make up for the 50¢/month price difference + even the cost of another Prime!

3) Standard Prime

• The Deal: $14.99/month after trial.
• Who it’s for: Anyone 25+ who doesn’t qualify for Prime Access. Includes full Amazon Household sharing.
• Get Prime Standard

What Else is Included with Prime for Young Adults?

Even at half the standard price, you still get all the heavy-hitting benefits during your 6-month free trial and beyond:

• Fast, Free Delivery: Same-Day, One-Day, and Two-Day Delivery on millions of items.
• $0 Food Delivery Fees: Grubhub+ is included at no extra cost.
• Unlimited Streaming: Prime Video has all the new releases, cult classics, award-winning Originals, and live sports (with limited ads).
• Amazon Prime Fuel Savings: Save 10¢ per gallon at over 7,500 participating sites.
• Groceries: Free Same-Day Delivery on $25+ grocery orders in select areas and exclusive savings at Whole Foods Market.
• Digital Perks: Prime Reading for new books/magazines, unlimited Amazon Photos storage, and free gaming on Amazon Luna.

Start your 6-month trial now to make sure you’re locked in for Prime Day!

The Ultimate Stack: Add the Chase Prime Visa

Once you have your membership locked in, this is where the real rewards optimization happens. To unlock the absolute highest returns, including a limited-time $200 sign-up bonus, you’ll need to pair your active membership with the popular Amazon Prime Visa (issued by Chase)

If you hold this card, your rewards go into overdrive during Prime Day:

• The No-Rush Shipping Bonus: Selecting slower rush shipping options during Prime Day can boost your card’s standard 6% cash back up to 7% or even 8% in certain locations & times.
• The 10% Card Boost: On select items, the card’s cash back rate doubles to a full 10%.

The Strategy: If you are on the Prime for Young Adults plan, you are already getting 10% back on eligible Prime Day items. When you pay with the Prime Visa, which also earns up to 10% back on select items, those promotions stack. That means you are looking at up to a massive 20% total cash back on your purchases!

Lock in your 6-month trial and get your Prime Visa lined up now so your accounts are perfectly stacked for the biggest returns when the deals go live.

Don’t forget to Claim Your Free Digital Perks: Sorting out your membership is just step one. Amazon always kicks off Early Prime Day by dropping nice promos on their digital subscriptions for Prime accounts. Claim your freebies on Audible, Amazon Music, and Kindle Unlimited!