Prime
How to make the most of the 30-day Amazon Prime trial: a day-by-day plan
In short
Start the trial when you have purchases planned, use each benefit at least once and decide on day 23. Before switching it on, prepare your list of orders and of series you want to watch. During the month, note how many orders would have paid for delivery and how many hours of video you watched. That way you reach the end knowing what you really used and do not pay out of inertia.
Full guide: Amazon Prime
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Before you start | Prepare the list of orders and series; install the apps |
| Day 1 | Start the trial and set a reminder for day 23 |
| Week 1 | Place pending orders and note the real delivery times |
| Week 2 | Try Prime Video on the TV |
| Week 3 | Try the music, the photos and the reading |
| Day 23 | Add it up and decide |
What the free trial is
It is a 30-day period in which you have every Amazon Prime benefit without paying the fee. To start it you need an Amazon account and a valid payment method. If you do not cancel before it ends, it automatically becomes a paid subscription. Cancelling during the trial costs nothing.
Who can take it
The trial is intended for accounts that have not had Prime recently. The trial page tells you whether your account qualifies: if you see the option to start for free, you can. If the price appears straight away instead, you have already used it or your account does not meet the conditions at the moment.
Choose the moment well
The trial lasts 30 days and begins the moment you switch it on. Starting it with nothing to buy is wasting it. The best moments are a move, back to school, the weeks before Christmas or the premiere of a series you want to watch. If it coincides with a deal event for Prime members, so much the better.
The worst moment is a month when you are going to be away. The parcels will arrive at an empty house and you will watch nothing on the TV. Look at the calendar before pressing the button.
Before you start: ten minutes of preparation
- Make a list of the orders you really have pending.
- Find five titles on Prime Video that you want to watch and check they are included.
- Install the Prime Video app on the TV and the Amazon app on your phone.
- Decide who at home is going to place the orders during the month.
This stops you spending the first week deciding what to do with the trial, which is what happens to most people.
Day 1
Start the trial and, before doing anything else, open your phone's calendar and create a reminder for day 23 with the text "decide on Prime". Add another for day 29 with the text "last free day". It takes a minute and it is what separates a well-used trial from an unexpected charge.
Week 1: delivery
Place the orders you had pending and pay attention to the real delivery time at your address. Not the one advertising promises: the one that reaches you. Note how many products arrived in a day, how many in two or three and how many took longer.
Try a pickup point too if you have one nearby. By the end of the week you will know whether fast delivery truly exists where you live.
Week 2: video
Start one of the series or films on your list and watch it on the TV, not on your phone. Observe three things: whether the included catalogue interests you beyond those five titles, whether the app works well on your television and how much content appears as a rental or as part of a paid channel. What is included with Prime is marked on each title's page.
Week 3: music, photos and reading
These are the benefits almost nobody tries and that are worth knowing before you decide. Open the music app and use it on a couple of journeys. Turn on the backup of your phone's photos and check that they upload. Look at the selection of included books. You do not need to give them much time: the point is to know whether they exist for you or not.
Day 23: the decision
With a week to spare, review your notes and decide. Do not leave it for day 29: something unexpected, a hectic day, and the subscription renews by itself. Deciding on day 23 has another advantage: if you cancel, you normally keep the benefits until the end of the trial, but the cancellation screen confirms this before you accept.
What to note
Three figures are enough. How many orders you placed and how many would have paid for delivery. How many hours of video you watched. And whether you opened the music app more than once. With that you know whether what you use is worth the monthly fee. A three-line note on your phone is sufficient; no spreadsheet is needed.
How to value each benefit
| Benefit | Counts as a saving if | Does not count if |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery | You would have paid delivery charges without Prime | Your orders exceed the free-delivery minimum |
| Prime Video | It replaces another platform you pay for | It joins others you never finish watching |
| Music | You use it instead of a paid service | You opened it once to try it |
| Photos | You use it as a backup | You already have another that works |
An example of the balance
Imagine that on day 23 your notes say this: four orders, of which two would have paid for delivery; six hours of video, spread over one series; and the music unopened. The delivery saved is already close to a month's fee and the series adds to it.
It makes sense to continue. If instead you had placed a single large order and had not opened Prime Video, the answer would be the opposite: cancel and come back when you need it.
What not to do
- Buy more because delivery is free. That does not measure whether Prime pays off: it measures how much you spend.
- Leave the decision for the last day. One surprise and it renews.
- Start other trials at the same time, such as Audible or Music Unlimited. You will not have time to use them.
- Judge the video catalogue by its home screen, without looking at what is included.
If you live with someone else
Before starting, check that nobody else at home already has Prime: it is more common than it seems. And decide which account the orders will be placed from during the trial, so that the count is real. If each of you buys from your own account, the trial will measure half the household's use.
Photos, with care
If you turn on photo backup during the trial and then cancel, first check what happens to what you uploaded and download whatever you want to keep. The storage terms for people who stop being members are on the service's page. Do not leave your only copy of some photos on a service you are about to cancel.
If you decide to continue
Do nothing: the subscription starts by itself when the trial ends. What you do need to decide is the plan. If you doubt you will use it all year, stay on monthly for two or three months before moving to annual. The sums are in Prime monthly or annual. Note the date of the first charge.
If you decide not to continue
Cancel from your Amazon account, in the memberships section, before the trial ends. It costs nothing. Read the confirmation screen to the end to make sure the cancellation is recorded and keep the email confirming it. If you need it again later, you can take a single month at the time of year when you shop most.
What if I miss the date?
If the trial becomes a subscription without your wanting it, go into your account as soon as possible and cancel. Check the current refund terms there, which depend on whether you have used the benefits since the charge. The sooner you act, the better. And next time, set the reminder on the first day.
Can the trial be repeated?
It depends on your account and on how much time has passed. There is no fixed public rule we can give you: the trial page shows you the free option if you qualify. What you can always do is take a single paid month, which costs €4.99 at October 2026 prices.
If you are a student or aged 18 to 24
Do not start the standard trial without looking at Prime Student first. It has 90 free days instead of 30 and, afterwards, costs half. Starting with the 30-day trial when you could have had the 90-day one is the most expensive mistake you can make here. The requirements are in the Prime Student guide.
Common mistakes
- Starting the trial with nothing to order and nothing to watch.
- Not putting the reminder in the calendar.
- Not looking at which plan you are signed up to when it ends.
- Trying only the delivery and deciding without having opened the video.
- Forgetting that someone else at home already has Prime.
In short
A well-used trial has three moments: preparation, use and decision. Preparation takes ten minutes, use fills three weeks and the decision is made on day 23 with three figures noted down. The Amazon Prime guide has the facts about the service, and the free trial calculator gives you the last free day from the date you start.
Frequently asked questions about the 30-day Amazon Prime trial
When is the best time to start the Prime trial?
When you have purchases planned: a move, back to school or the weeks before Christmas.
On which day should I decide whether to continue?
On day 23, to leave a week's margin before the trial becomes a paid subscription.
Does it cost money to cancel the Prime trial?
No. Cancelling during the 30 trial days costs nothing.
What happens if I do not cancel?
The trial automatically becomes a paid subscription and the fee is charged.
Do I need a card for the free trial?
Yes. A valid payment method is requested, although nothing is charged during the trial.
What is the Amazon Prime free trial?
A 30-day period with every Prime benefit without paying the fee. If it is not cancelled before it ends, it becomes a paid subscription.
Who can take the Prime free trial?
Accounts that have not had Prime recently. If the trial page shows the option to start for free, your account qualifies.
When is the worst time to start the Prime trial?
A month when you will be away: parcels arrive at an empty house and you watch nothing on the TV.
What should I prepare before starting the Prime trial?
A list of pending orders, five included Prime Video titles, the apps installed and a decision on who will place the household's orders.
What should I do on day one of the Prime trial?
Start it and create two calendar reminders: day 23 to decide and day 29 as the last free day.
What should I try in the first week of the Prime trial?
Delivery: place your pending orders and note how many arrived in a day, in two or three, and how many took longer.
What should I try in the second week of the Prime trial?
Prime Video on the TV: whether the included catalogue interests you, whether the app works well and how much content is rental or paid channels.
What should I try in the third week of the Prime trial?
The music, the photo backup and the reading selection, to find out whether you would use them.
Which figures should I note during the Prime trial?
Three: how many orders would have paid for delivery, how many hours of video you watched and whether you opened the music app more than once.
Do I keep the benefits if I cancel the Prime trial early?
You normally keep them until the end of the trial; the cancellation screen confirms this before you accept.
What happens to my photos if I cancel Prime?
Check the storage terms for people who stop being members and download what you want to keep first.
Which plan should I choose when the Prime trial ends?
If in doubt, monthly for two or three months before moving to annual.
What if the Prime trial was charged by mistake?
Go into your account as soon as possible, cancel and check the current refund terms, which depend on whether you have used the benefits.
Can the Prime free trial be repeated?
It depends on the account and on how much time has passed. The trial page shows the free option if you qualify.
Should I start other free trials at the same time as Prime?
No. With Audible or Music Unlimited switched on at once there is no time to use them and it is easy to forget a date.
Sources and date checked
- Amazon: Prime at half price for young adults and students, announcement of June 2025 (in Spanish)
- Terms published by Amazon.es for the Amazon Prime free trial, checked in October 2026
The practical advice, examples and calculators are the work of Global Store Afiliados. Facts last checked: 10 October 2026. How we check the facts: editorial methodology.
Articles about Amazon Prime
- Prime
Is Amazon Prime worth it? How to do the sums with your own orders
A method to find out whether Amazon Prime pays off in Spain: what it includes, how many orders you place, what you would pay in delivery and what you would use.
- Prime
Prime monthly or annual: which to choose by the months you use it
A comparison of monthly and annual payment for Amazon Prime in Spain, with a table by months of use, the break-even point and practical cases.
- Prime
Fast delivery on Amazon.es: options, times and how to receive sooner
One-day delivery, same-day delivery, pickup points and delivery without Prime: the delivery options on Amazon.es and how to pick the fastest.