Amazon has introduced Prime Lite, a cost-effective alternative to its annual Prime subscription in India. With Prime Lite, users can enjoy the benefit of faster delivery, without any additional charges. Additionally, subscribers gain access to a wide range of content available on Prime Video, albeit with certain limitations compared to the standard Amazon Prime subscription. Let’s get into the details of the Amazon Prime Lite subscription plan.
Amazon Prime Lite Subscription Cost and Benefits
Amazon Prime Lite subscription costs Rs. 999 for one year, which is Rs. 500 less than the regular Amazon Prime subscription (Rs. 1,499). If you recall, the original Prime subscription used to cost Rs. 999 when it first arrived in India in 2016. Fast forward to 2023, the Lite subscription costs the same and trims down on some features and offers.
What’s on Offer and What’s Missing
- Amazon Prime Lite users will get two-day delivery for items purchased via Amazon shopping at no additional cost. Amazon will charge Rs. 175 if you want same-day delivery, something that’s offered with the Prime subscription at no additional cost. For one-day delivery, Amazon Prime Lite users will be charged Rs. 150. Prime customers who don’t receive One-Day and Two-Day Delivery options receive Free Standard Delivery on Prime Eligible items.
- The Prime Lite users won’t get access to Amazon Music, Amazon Gaming, and Prime Reading.
- Users of Amazon Prime Lite will have access to the company’s Prime Video streaming platform with some restrictions. You can only access the service from two devices and view content in HD resolution, as opposed to the regular plan, which allows you to view content in Ultra-HD HDR resolution on compatible devices.
- Amazon Prime Lite members will also be unable to access Prime Video using a web browser, but they can do so via the iOS and Android apps.
- Amazon Prime Lite users will also have to cope with annoying advertisements when watching Amazon Prime Video content. Amazon has yet to provide information on the duration and frequency of these commercials.
The Prime Lite subscription appears to come with several compromises for subscribers. It would have been beneficial for Amazon to at least include access to Ultra-HD content on one device and offer the Amazon Music service to Prime Lite buyers. We believe that the current offering of Prime Lite does not provide a satisfactory value-for-money proposition in the Indian market and could have been more thoughtfully planned.
