How to Get Amazon Prime

We talk a lot about Amazon Prime and the benefits you get with your membership. But how do you sign up?
Don't worry — there aren't any hazing rituals or secret handshakes in this club. You simply visit the website, pay your membership fee, and then start enjoying free 2-day shipping and tons of other perks. Here's a handy step-by-step guide to doing exactly that.
SEE ALSO: How to Add Roommates and Family to Your Amazon Prime Account
How to Get Amazon Prime
1. Go to Amazon.com and sign in. If you don't already have an Amazon account, you'll need to create one.
2. On the front page, hover over "Try Prime" and click on "Start your free trial."
3. The default payment plan is $10.99 a month, but if you want to save money by paying annually, click "See more plans" and select that option. Then click "Start your 30-day Prime free trial."
4. If needed, add your payment information and billing address. Then click "Start your 30-day free trial."
There you go! If you decide you don't really like or need Prime, you can always cancel before the end of your trial to avoid being charged.
How to Get Amazon Prime for FREE
Your easiest way to get Prime for free is through the free trial that all new users have access to. If you've already maxed that out, you can also get free months added to you account when Amazon is late to delivery your packages.
As we recounted here, Amazon guarantees specific delivery times for Prime users. If Amazon misses that cutoff — even by an hour — you can write to a customer service rep and request a free month to be added to your account. Some users have had varying experiences with this option, so you can read our full writeup about it here.
Readers, what are your thoughts on Amazon Prime? If you're a longtime user, what are some of your favorite perks? If you haven't joined, what's held you back? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

@pmurray63
Hey there, we realize a lot of DealNews readers don't need this level of detail for subscribing to Amazon Prime, but there are indeed shoppers who are confused by Prime. And as much as we commend Amazon for making everything so easy, their website is a little tricky to navigate when you're trying to find a specific page or functionality, rather than just searching for a product. Since our readers have a variety of needs, we wrote this for those that are struggling to find what they want.