Bad news for Amazon users.
After increasing the prices of its Prime subscription in the United States at the start of the year, the company will do the same from September 15 in France, Germany, England, Spain and Italy, announced the group to AFP on Tuesday.
In detail, prices will increase in France from 5.99 to 6.99 euros per month and from 49 to 69.90 euros per year.
In the United Kingdom, from 7.99 pounds to 8.99 (about 10.6 euros) and from 79 to 95 pounds (about 112 euros).
In Germany, from 7.99 to 8.99 euros and from 69 to 89.9 euros.
In Spain and Italy, from 3.99 to 4.99 euros per month and from 36 to 49.90 euros per year.
Subscribers must be notified since Tuesday 1 a.m., according to an Amazon France spokesperson with AFP.
The group claims to have to face an “increase in shipping costs”, in particular with the rise in the prices of fuel, energy or even “packaging costs”.
Prime offers subscribers including free shipping and access to Amazon Prime Video.
200 million Prime Video subscribers worldwide
Amazon France also explains that it has "greatly expanded the service since its launch in 2008", referring in particular to the number of products eligible for fast delivery or the ultra-fast food shopping service in partnership with Monoprix, offered in around ten cities in France.
Amazon does not communicate on the number of its subscribers by country and merely indicates that it has "more than 200 million" Prime members worldwide.
The American giant announced in February to increase the price of Prime in the United States, a precedent which allows it to be confident in the face of a risk of unsubscriptions in a context of strong consumer concerns about their purchasing power.
The group claims to have to face an “increase in shipping costs”, in particular with the rise in the prices of fuel, energy or even “packaging costs”.
A more accessible termination button for Prime Video
"From what we have seen in the United States, there has been no opt-out phenomenon (disengagement, editor's note) because we are providing more and more services via Prime and this service nevertheless allows consumers to make extremely significant savings, ”said the same source to AFP.
Read alsoOnline subscriptions: this “cancellation button” that could change the lives of millions of customers
At the beginning of July, the group simplified the procedure for unsubscribing from “Prime”, “following a dialogue with the European Commission and the national consumer protection authorities”, Brussels had indicated at the beginning of the month.
An approach that followed a complaint from several consumer associations.
