Amazon Prime Launches In Canada – E-book Lending And Instant Video Not Included

Amazon today announced that its membership program Amazon Prime is now available in Canada, offering customers free two-day shipping for an annual fee of CAD $79.00 and one-day shipping at $3.99 per item. Amazon Instant Video and Kindle e-book lending, which are both major benefits to the U.S. version of the service, are not being included with the deal, despite similar pricing. In the U.S., it’s $79 USD per year, which makes Canada’s pricing on par with the U.S. version, given the current exchange rate.

Rural areas will only have access to free standard shipping, Amazon also notes. No minimum purchases are required, and a one-month trial of the service is available.

Amazon says that residents in Quebec aren’t eligible for the free trial, however, but those who sign up for a 13-month membership can get the first month for free. So essentially, it’s the same deal, just structured in a different way. Quebec users will also not have their memberships renewed automatically, but will instead need to log into their account settings to choose whether to sign up again.

Free and discounted shipping will be available on millions of items on the Amazon.ca website, including electronics, baby, kitchen, books, movies, music, watches, sporting goods, tools, and more.

Amazon told Canadian press that there are no plans to include Kindle e-book lending or Amazon Prime video in the Canadian version of Amazon Prime at this point. The company recently opened a second fulfillment center in Delta, B.C., south of Vancouver, this fall, the report also notes.