Prime Day · Membership · Everyone

How to sign up for Amazon Prime before Prime Day

Updated June 2026

Prime Day 2026 runs June 23-26 and is open only to Amazon Prime members, so you need to be signed up before it starts at 12:01 a.m. PDT on June 23. Membership is $14.99/month or $139/year, and Amazon offers a 30-day free trial. Start the trial in early-to-mid June and you can shop the entire four-day event without paying anything up front.

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Every Prime Day deal sits behind a single gate: an active Prime membership. Joining takes about two minutes, and the 30-day free trial means you can be a member for the entire June 23-26 event without spending anything to get in. Here is exactly how to do it, and what to line up before the clock starts.

What Prime costs in 2026

Amazon Prime is $14.99 per month or $139 per year. The annual plan is the better value if you expect to stay a member more than about nine months; if you only want it for the event, the monthly plan is cleaner to cancel. New members get a 30-day free trial, so joining in early June covers all four Prime Day days for free, and you can cancel during the trial and keep access until it ends. The base price has held steady since 2022 — there is no confirmed increase to plan around.

How to join before June 23

Go to amazon.com/prime (or the Prime tab in the Amazon app), choose "Start your free trial," sign in or create an account, and add a payment method. The trial activates instantly, so you are eligible for member-only Prime Day pricing the moment the event opens at 12:01 a.m. PDT on June 23. Do this a few days early rather than on launch morning — early device deals are often live before the 23rd, and you do not want to be fumbling with sign-up while the first deals sell out.

What to set up before the deals start

With your membership active, decide what you actually want before the noise begins so you can move fast on a real discount instead of impulse-buying. An Echo Dot is the simplest smart-home starter and Amazon devices routinely hit their lowest prices of the year during the event; a Kindle Paperwhite is the reader's standby and a frequent discount; and a 50-inch 4K Fire TV is a typical big-ticket target. Check each item's price history first — a "deal" that matches what it cost a few months ago is not worth rushing for.

Frequently asked

Do I need Amazon Prime to shop Prime Day 2026?

Yes. Prime Day 2026 (June 23-26) is exclusive to Amazon Prime members. You can join with a 30-day free trial, so sign up before June 23 and you will have full access to member-only pricing.

How much does Amazon Prime cost in 2026?

Amazon Prime is $14.99 per month or $139 per year. New members get a 30-day free trial, which is long enough to cover the entire Prime Day event for free if you start it in early June.

Can I get the free trial just for Prime Day?

You can. Start the 30-day free trial a few days before June 23 and you will be a member for all four days at no cost. You can cancel during the trial and keep access until it ends.

When exactly does Prime Day 2026 start?

Prime Day 2026 begins at 12:01 a.m. PDT on Tuesday, June 23 and runs through Friday, June 26 — four days, the same 96-hour format Amazon introduced in 2025. It is the first June Prime Day since 2021.

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