Over 20 million people use Amazon Prime, and it’s easy to see why. The fast (and free) shipping, Amazon Prime Video, and exclusive discounts often make it worth it, but what about Amazon Family? Does everyone benefit from it and is it worth it?
Find out in my review below.
What is Amazon Family?
Amazon Family, previously known as Amazon Mom, is a free program, but you must be a Prime member to use it. If you’re already a Prime member, you can add Amazon Family to your account. If you aren’t a Prime Member yet, you can try Prime and Amazon Family free for 30 days. If you don’t think it’s worth it, cancel before they charge your credit card and it costs you nothing.
Amazon Family used to be called Amazon Mom until it was pointed out that this was an unfair name. It’s technically a program for the caretakers of a baby which could be a mom, dad, grandparent, or anyone else, so Amazon changed the name to something more adaptable.
The program helps families of young children have a constant supply of the necessities for young children including diapers, wipes, and baby food at a discount. It’s also good for families with elementary school-aged children or even tweens, but the focus is on new parents.
How Does it Work?
Like we said before, you need an Amazon Prime membership to join Amazon Family. Once you join you’ll get a 20% discount on diapers, wipes, baby food, and other baby essentials. It also includes special discounts on other family necessities and even some ‘wants.’
Amazon Family isn’t a stand-alone program. You have to join Prime to activate it, but once you do, you’ll have access to more savings geared toward your children’s ages. Once you enter your family’s information, Amazon gives you exclusive deals that they think will benefit a family with the ages your children are right now.
What are the Benefits?
Amazon Family members enjoy the following benefits:
- 20% off diapers, wipes, and food
- 15% off if you create a baby register with Amazon
- Free Baby Registry Welcome Box
Amazon Family members also get exclusive deals from time to time based on their purchases and what kids their age need. It’s most beneficial for the savings on diapers, wipes, formula, and food since that’s the most expensive part of raising a baby.
Because you have to be a Prime member to join Amazon Family, you’ll also enjoy the Prime benefits including:
- Free two-day shipping
- Free one-day delivery on many items
- Free same-day delivery on select items
- Free ‘Ultrafast’ grocery delivery in some areas
- Free no-rush shipping and receive a credit on future orders if you choose it
- Access to Amazon Prime Video
- Amazon Prime Music
- Amazon Photos – up to 5GB storage
Other Benefits of Amazon Prime/Amazon Family
Amazon Prime/Amazon Family members also get special shopping deals including:
- Prime Day Sales
- Exclusive Prime member deals on Amazon.com and at Whole Foods
- Early access to Lightning Deals
You’ll also have access to reading benefits including:
- Free access to thousands of electronic books with Prime Reading
- Early access to next month’s new releases (once a month) with Amazon First Reads
- Discounted magazine subscriptions
What does it cost?
You’ll see Amazon Family advertised as free, but don’t fall for it. Yes, it’s free for Prime members, but Prime is not free. It costs $12.99/month or $119/year if you want to save a little money.
To make it worth it, you must be a regular Amazon shopper. It’s best for those who make small frequent purchases too. Since most Amazon products ship free on purchases over $25, you wouldn’t need Prime to get the free shipping.
But, if you regularly make smaller purchases and need/want fast shipping including next-day shipping, then Amazon Prime can be worth it.
Who Benefits?
Amazon Family is best for families with young children. Even though Amazon advertises it for families with kids of all ages, the main benefit is for families with babies and young toddlers. You’ll save money on diapers, wipes, and food plus the extra savings when your baby registry completes.
While there are coupons and savings for other items, if that’s the only reason you sign up for Amazon Prime to get those savings, it probably won’t be worth it. But, if you are an Amazon shopper and take advantage of the free shipping and other benefits, then you may find a benefit or two from Amazon Family.
Tips to get the most out of Amazon Family
On the surface, Amazon Family is beneficial. Saving money on diapers, wipes, and food will help any family, but there are some ways to get the most out of Amazon Family. Who doesn’t want to get the most out of their purchases?
Create a Baby Registry on Amazon
Don’t miss the chance to save 15% on any purchase. Create an Amazon Baby Registry and you’ll receive your coupon when your registry is completed. You can use the coupon on anything left in your registry to make it easier to afford what your baby needs.
Set up Subscribe and Save
While Amazon Family members get a discount on certain products for babies, you’ll get an even steeper discount if you sign up for Subscribe & Save. You can change the delivery dates, skip months, or cancel the subscriptions at any time, but to get your discounts, you’ll want to keep the subscriptions going. Keep in mind, you’ll need at least 5 subscriptions set up to take part in the deals.
Anyone can Join, not just Parents
Anyone who takes care of your children can sign up for Amazon Family. If grandparents or even sitters have an Amazon Prime account, they can sign up for Amazon Family and help you get discounts on the products you use most often.
Cancel your Diaper Subscription and Start Another One
It seems counterintuitive, but Amazon Family members often get steep discounts on diapers on their first order in a subscription. To keep getting the discount, cancel your subscription and start another one to receive the discount again.
Take Advantage of the Free Shipping
Taking your baby or young kids out can be a challenge, especially during a pandemic. With Amazon Prime, you get free two-day shipping so as long as you’re organized enough to order with enough lead time, you can stay home and still get the products you need for your baby.
Cancel your Streaming Services and use Amazon Video
Amazon Prime Video is a part of the Amazon Prime membership. If you want to save money each month, cancel your other streaming services and use Amazon Video instead.
Amazon Family FAQs
Can you share an Amazon Prime membership?
You can share your Amazon Prime membership with household members including one additional adult, up to 4 teens, and 4 kids. This means you pay for one Prime membership, but multiple people in your house can use those benefits including the free shipping on their account.
If you add teens, you can give them shopping privileges, but the purchase doesn’t go through until you approve it via text with Amazon. You list your credit card on the account and it only gets charged when you approve it.
If you add kids, they’ll have access to TV and Kindle content based on the parental controls you create.
Does Amazon Household save you money?
Amazon Household is different from Amazon Family, but it does save you from paying for multiple Amazon Prime memberships. Since you can share things like free shipping or access to Prime Video, Amazon Household does save you money. But, if you’re looking for savings on things like diapers and wipes, you’ll need to activate Amazon Family.
What does Amazon Family cost?
Amazon Family costs nothing, which is the great thing about the program. It’s just something you need to add to your Amazon Prime membership (which isn’t free). Adding it on can help you save significant money on the most expensive items babies need – diapers, wipes, and baby food.
Final Thoughts – Is Amazon Family Worth It?
If you asked me 10 years ago when my kids were babies if I’d join Amazon Family, I’d say probably not because I didn’t use Amazon for regular purchases much, so the $12.99 a month would negate the savings on the items I bought for my kids.
Today, though, it’s a different world. Most people shop online and avoid going into stores as much as possible. Amazon has gotten so busy that they can’t fulfill the super fast shipping they used to, although they try.
If I had a baby today I’d take advantage of Amazon Prime and Amazon Family. I’d enjoy the discounts on the baby items, the free shipping, and the other exclusive benefits Amazon Prime members enjoy.
