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Amazon is targeting the higher education market in the UK by offering students free Prime membership in the newly-launched Amazon Student service.
The company has emailed customers explaining that if they were in higher education in the UK, from now on they will be eligible for a six-month free Amazon Prime trial, which includes student-targeted discounts and promotions on books and other products.
Learners can sign up through their Amazon.co.uk email accounts, or by the Amazon Student Membership page, the company said.
However, if students do not cancel their six-month free Amazon Prime trial after six months, then their membership will automatically switch to the paid £39-a-year service, which Amazon said will then include access to Prime Instant Video and Kindle Owners Lending Library.
“You can receive these benefits at a reduced rate for up to four years with automatic renewal,” Amazon told students. “After you graduate, or at the end of your fourth year of Amazon Student membership, whichever comes first, your Amazon Student membership will end and your Amazon Prime membership will automatically renew on its anniversary date into a full paid membership for Amazon Prime at the regular rate.”
In July 2011, Amazon began allowing students to trade in old textbooks in exchange for gift card credit on their Amazon account free-of-charge, as long as the titles featured on a specified list of 22,000 titles.
The company is continually pushing new ways for to get its customers to sign up to its Amazon Prime membership. In January 2014, Amazon began charging for deliveries of books on orders under £10, but offered the service free to Amazon Prime members.
The launch of the Fire phone earlier this month also signified a further mechanism for the internet giant to push its Amazon Prime service to users, according to some.