Dive Brief:
- Amazon has made agentic AI assistant Alexa+ free for all Prime members as it completes the rollout in the U.S., the company announced Tuesday.
- Non-Prime members can access the full Alexa+ for a $19.99 per month subscription. They can also access a free text-based Alexa+ chat at Alexa.com or the Alexa app. The free version is limited based on use.
- The news follows a strong customer response to Alexa+. The AI assistant reached more than 100,000 people in the weeks following its initial launch earlier this year, and "tens of millions" joined over the course of the early access period, the company said.
Dive Insight:
The introduction of Alexa+ as a Prime benefit arrives as Amazon and other major retailers are emphasizing the role of their membership programs as sales drivers that go beyond free shipping.
Prime membership grew in the double digits year over year during the second quarter of 2026, Amazon SVP and CFO Brian Olsavsky said during a July earnings call. “Prime remains a key pillar of our business.”
Alexa+ was part of this growth. Shoppers who have tried Alexa+ sign up for a Prime membership at a nearly 25% higher rate, according to an Amazon earnings release. Revenue from subscription services, including Prime, rose 12% year over year to $13.7 billion.
The introduction of Alexa+ as a Prime perk arrived just over two weeks after Walmart added more benefits to its paid loyalty program. Walmart+ members now receive 25 free 4x6 photo prints every month; they can now also have the fee waived for an in-store money service transaction once per quarter.
Walmart saw double-digit Walmart+ membership growth in the second quarter of 2026, which was a highlight in an otherwise muted quarter.
This contributed to the best fiscal first half membership growth in the paid loyalty program’s history, according to Walmart EVP and CFO John David Rainey on an earnings call last month. The positive impact goes beyond growing membership fee income.
“The thing that people sometimes overlook when reflecting on our membership program is the incrementality that we see on GMV,” Rainey said on the call. “Our members spend approximately four times more than nonmembers.”
Other retailers are introducing their own premium loyalty programs. In July, Dick’s Sporting Goods launched ScoreCard+, which offers free shipping, access to exclusive promotions, a 20% discount on in-store services and experiences and other benefits for a $99 annual fee.
