Amazon increases Prime subscription prices in Europe by almost 43%

Amazon.com has announced that it’s increasing the prices for its Prime subscription service in Europe, with fees increasing by as much as 43% in some markets.

The announcement comes some six months after the e-commerce and retail giant announced a similar price hike in the US, where the annual price jumped 17% from $119 to $139.

The latest Amazon Prime price hikes vary significantly between European countries, with French customers paying an extra 43% on top of the current 49 euros they pay each year. In Germany, Amazon’s second biggest market after the US, subscribers will pay 30% more than the 69 euros they currently pay. In the UK—the firm’s third biggest market—an extra 20% will be added to the 75 pound fee.

The new subscription prices will come into effect from September 15, 2022, and will impact all new renewals and members.

With the Prime subscription prices in the US increasing earlier this year, Amazon said it was due to its expansion of Prime member benefits and increased costs, including wages and transportation. Amazon serves a similar explanation in Europe, where it has added a host of new perks to the Prime subscription service since the last time the firm increased the prices, such as same-day grocery delivery. According to specific reports, Amazon has also pointed to “increased inflation and operating costs” as a driving force behind these increases.