In the dynamic realm of online retail, you may come across two concepts that often cause confusion: Amazon Business vs Prime. Amazon Business caters to the diverse needs of enterprises, offering a suite of B2B solutions. On the other hand, Amazon Prime entices individual consumers with its exclusive perks and lightning-fast deliveries.
But which one is better for your needs? In this article, we’ll explain the differences between Amazon Prime vs Business Prime so you can decide which one you should use.
Here are the major points we’ll cover:
- The difference between Amazon Business vs Prime
- Amazon Prime – Benefits and drawbacks
- Amazon Business Prime – Pros and cons
Without further ado, let’s get started!
The Difference between Amazon Business vs Prime
Amazon Prime brings you the finest in shopping and entertainment, while Business Prime, exclusively on Amazon Business, caters specifically to businesses. With Amazon Business, you get the same selection, convenience, and value as Amazon, along with features to enhance your operational efficiency. Amazon is also different from Amazon Marketplace. See Amazon vs Amazon Marketplace detailed comparison.
Now, let’s take a look at the table summarizing the differences between Amazon Business Prime vs Prime:
Factors | Amazon Prime | Amazon Business Prime |
Target customers | Individual shoppers | Businesses |
Number of account users per membership | Prime members can share select benefits to their Amazon Household - 2 adults, up to 4 teens, and 4 kids profiles | Plans range from 1 user to 100+ users |
Membership cost | - $14.99/month - $139/year$6/99/month for qualified government assistance - $7.49/month for students | - Business Prime Duo is free for Amazon Prime members: 1 user - $179/year for up to 3 users - $499/year for up to 10 users - $1,299/year for up to 100 users - $10,099/year for 100+ users |
Tax exemption | No | Yes |
Entertainment benefits (Prime Gaming, Prime Video, Prime Reading, Amazon Music, etc.) | Yes | No |
Work benefits (Amazon WorkDocs, Spend Visibility, Guided Buying, etc.) | No | Yes |
Now you know the basic difference between Amazon Business vs Prime, let’s delve into the details of Amazon Prime.
What is Amazon Prime?
Amazon Prime is a paid membership program from Amazon, available monthly or annually. Subscribers, known as Prime members, enjoy exclusive access to various Amazon services and extra features not available to regular shoppers.
This membership is accessible globally, spanning countries such as the US, UK, Japan, France, Spain, Austria, Mexico, China, India, Canada, Australia, Italy, Singapore, Germany, UAE, Netherlands, and more.
What are the benefits of using Amazon Prime?
The Business Prime vs Prime programs offer different advantages for its members. In particular, the Amazon Prime program offers members exclusive perks for entertainment, shipping, and shopping.
Shopping benefits
Designed for shoppers, the Amazon Prime comes with enticing shopping advantages:
- Prime Early Access for a 30-minute head start on lightning deals
- Prime Day for exclusive deals at the annual sale event
- Amazon Dash Prime for convenient shopping using Dash Wan
- Amazon Fresh for hassle-free grocery orders and free delivery on qualifying amounts
- Whole Foods Market access for fast two-hour delivery and exclusive discounts
- Prime Wardrobe to try clothing before purchasing
- Prime Photos offers unlimited storage on Amazon Drive
- Prime membership sharing for adults in Amazon Household
Shipping benefits
Prime members can also enjoy lots of exclusive shipping incentives:
- Prime Day exclusives with huge discounts
- Same-day or 2-day shipping for eligible US orders
- Free no-rush delivery for non-urgent orders
- Free shipping on all eligible pre-ordered products on release dates in the US
- Free same-day shipping in select zip codes
Entertainment benefits
Last but not least, the major difference between Amazon Business vs Prime is the entertainment advantages. These are exclusive perks reserved for Prime members only, not available for Business Prime users:
- Get unlimited access to discounted monthly plans for Amazon Music
- Amazon Channels for additional content with a monthly fee
- Prime Music with thousands of playlists and ad-free songs
- Unlimited Audible channels for original audio content
- Access to popular Amazon originals, TV movies, shows, and series
- Enjoy Prime discounts on pre-ordered video games, new releases, and get free monthly games with Twitch Prime.
- Borrow magazines, books, and more from Prime Reading Library
- Early access to monthly picks from Amazon’s First Reads
- Get discounted access to Amazon Kids+ for a wealth of kid-friendly content
Unsure if Amazon Business or Prime is right for you? Learn how to switch from Business to Personal in our guide.
How much is Amazon Prime?
Amazon Prime applies different prices to different audiences:
- Amazon Prime offers an annual membership for $139 or a monthly plan for $14.99.
- Students can enjoy Prime with a discounted monthly fee of $7.49.
- Those with qualified government assistance pay only $6.99 per month for Amazon Prime benefits.
This is much easier than Amazon business pricing, which we’ll discuss in detail later. However, this price is suitable for individuals who want to shop a lot, not for businesses or sellers who require more features.
If you’re uncertain, Amazon generously provides a 30-day free trial. This way, you can explore the perks and determine if the membership aligns with your expectations and suits your needs.
How to register for Amazon Prime
Registering for Amazon Prime is a breeze. Follow these three straightforward steps:
- Step 1: Visit the Amazon Prime page
- Step 2: Click on the “Start your free 30-day trial” button.
- Step 3: Input the necessary information and select your preferred monthly or annual payment plan. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the sign-up process.
What are the limitations of Amazon Prime?
While Amazon Prime provides shoppers with lots of benefits, there are some disadvantages to consider:
- Automatically renewed: The automatic subscription renewal, while convenient, may catch users off guard, leading to unexpected charges if not monitored closely.
- Targeted towards regular shoppers: Amazon Prime’s optimal benefits shine for frequent users, potentially leaving occasional shoppers with underutilized features, making it less advantageous for infrequent buyers.
That’s all about the Amazon Prime. Now, let’s move to the next part, Amazon Business Prime to understand more about this program. Ultimately, you can differentiate between Amazon Business vs Prime and choose the right one for your needs.
What is Amazon Business Prime?
Amazon Business, also known as Amazon B2B Prime, is a business-centric counterpart to Amazon Prime but with a special focus on companies. It aims to transform how businesses manage their stocks, ensuring lower costs and discounts.
Businesses registered with Amazon gain exclusive access to a streamlined shopping experience. There are also tailored procedures that simplify the acquisition of a diverse range of products and services. Amazon Business Prime extends discounted prices across a spectrum of business-centric categories, such as:
- Essential lab equipment
- Food services
- cutting-edge IT solutions, etc.
Amazon Business Prime brings a global dimension to corporate purchasing, facilitating efficient procurement processes across borders. Currently, the program is available in eight countries, including the US, the UK, Japan, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, and France.
Amazon Business Prime benefits
One of the major differences between Amazon Business Prime vs Prime is the benefits for members.
The Amazon Business Prime program has benefits like employee logins, document collaborations, corporate credit, and many others. You can even add multiple team members to one single B2B Prime account for the shopping convenience of products and services on Amazon.
The perks of Amazon Business Prime go beyond just cost savings. It provides tools and features to improve the business process, from employee logins to document collaborations and corporate credit. Multiple team members can easily collaborate within a single B2B Prime account, making procurement efficient.
To increase your sales, you can check out these Amazon listing tools that create engaging listings. And you can add, update, and manage product listings in bulk, saving significant time and effort compared to manual input using Amazon MWS.
Amazon Business Prime users can also use Business Analytics tools for monitoring sales, tracking expenses, and planning strategically. Additional benefits include:
- User access for seamless purchases
- Amazon Corporate Credit line
- Customizable approval procedures and spending caps
- Preferred product suppliers for tailored choices
Another advantage of Amazon Prime vs Amazon Business Prime is that the second program’s Amazon WorkDocs. This feature allows members to collaborate with invoices, receipts, and other relevant documents. Amazon WorkDocs is currently available in 4 plans tailored for different account users with varying storage capacities:
- Essentials: 1 user with 250 GB
- Small: 3 users with 750 GB
- Medium: 5 users with 1.25 TB
- Enterprise: 10 users with 2.5 TB
Shopping benefits
Like Amazon Prime, Amazon Business Prime also provides its users with shopping advantages like:
- Prime Early Access
- Prime Day deals
Shipping benefits
There are also lots of shipping incentives for Amazon Business Prime users, including:
- Free Consolidated delivery for big products (3-5 days)
- Discounted Expedited shipping
- Free one-day or two-day delivery (Amazon seller fulfilled Prime)
- Free Amazon Day shipping
- Free shipping on select products
Business Prime incentives
Compared to Amazon Business Prime vs Prime, Business Prime members have access to other great features, including:
- Extended Terms: Users can request “Extended Terms for Pay by Invoice” and extend payment periods to 45-60 days, depending on your business plan.
- Amazon Business American Express Card: Members can also apply for and obtain an American Express Credit Card without additional costs or annual fees.
- Business Pricing: Users can explore a different pricing dimension with Business Prime, featuring varied costs for product listings. Besides, you can access substantial discounts on numerous items, streamlining bulk purchases and conveniently view multiple offers on a single page. If you want to check for discounted products, simply access the “Request a Quantity Discount” tab from the seller’s shops.
- Guided Buying: Administrators can designate preferred suppliers and products, enhancing the buying experience. Business Prime also allows setting restrictions on product categories, improving compliance, and ensuring supplier security.
- Spend Visibility: Powered by AWS Quicksight, this feature facilitates easy visualization and tracking of account spending. Users can track and analyze spending trends and data effortlessly with this valuable tool.
How much is Amazon Business Prime?
Setting up an Amazon Business account takes just a few minutes. Moreover, Business Prime presents an array of packages, each catering to diverse business solutions. The selection varies based on the account’s user count and additional benefits.
Here’s the detailed Amazon Business Prime cost for each plan:
Membership plan | Annual fee | Maximum members |
Duo | Free with an Amazon Prime membership on a connected personal account | 1 user |
Essentials | $179 | 3 users |
Small | $499 | 10 users |
Medium | $1,299 | 100 users |
Enterprise | $10,099 | Unlimited users |
Besides, small business owners can experience a 30-day trial period to decide if it matches your expectations and needs before subscription.
How to register for Business Prime
Signing up for Amazon Business Prime is simple with these steps:
- Step 1: Start by creating an Amazon Business account or logging in if you already have one.
- Step 2: Navigate to the dedicated Business Prime page to initiate the sign-up process.
- Step 3: Click on “Sign In to Amazon Business” and follow the subsequent instructions.
- Step 4: Choose your preferred subscription plan and proceed with the payment process.
Does Amazon Business Prime have any disadvantages?
While Business Prime offers various advantages, it’s essential to be aware of some potential disadvantages:
- Product category fees: Fees ranging from 6-15% apply, varying according to the product category. Note that these fees exclude Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) charges.
- Communication limitations: Users may have limited interaction with sellers and customers, potentially impacting overall collaboration experiences.
Amazon Business vs Amazon Prime – FAQs
Certainly! With Business Prime Duo (an Amazon Business single-user plan), existing Amazon Prime customers can link Business Prime Duo to their Amazon Business account at no additional cost. Yes. You can create an Amazon business account for any organization size or type for free. Whether Amazon Business is worthwhile depends on your products, pricing, and target audience. Generally, though, Amazon Business companies sell items that their customers purchase in bulk regularly rather than one-time purchases. Amazon Business Prime pricing ranges from $179 to $1,299 per year, depending on plans. The Duo plan is free to Prime members.
Amazon Prime vs Business Prime: Which is Right for You?
Both Amazon Business vs Prime offer unique benefits that cater to diverse business needs. If you’re just a regular shopper and don’t intend to sell anything on Amazon, it’s best to subscribe Amazon Prime program only.
For small businesses, consider starting with Amazon Prime and later exploring Amazon Business Prime Duo for a dual experience. Conversely, larger businesses can directly sign up for Amazon Business Prime.
To ease your decision, take advantage of the 30-day trial periods for both memberships. This hands-on experience allows you to compare and confirm which program best suits your business needs, ensuring an informed choice.
Feel free to contact us if you need any help with Amazon Business Prime vs Prime.
