TikTok is being investigated in the U.K. for how it handles the safety and personal data of underage users. According to the Guardian, information commissioner Elizabeth Denham told a parliamentary committee that the probe started in February, after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission levied a $5.7 million fine against TikTok for breaking children’s privacy law.

Denham told the Guardian that the commission is examining how TikTok collects private data and concerns about the open messaging system, which may allow adult users to contact children. “We are looking at the transparency tools for children. We’re looking at the messaging system, which is completely open, we’re looking at the kind of videos that are collected and shared by children online. We do have an active investigation into TikTok right now, so watch this space,” she said.

The investigation will also examine if the popular app, owned by ByteDance, violates the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which requires companies to put special protections in place for underage users and provide them with different services than adults.

The FTC’s investigation, which began when TikTok was still known as Musical.ly, ruled that the app broke the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by failing to seek parental consent before collecting names, email addresses and other personal information from users under 13. The ruling resulted in an age gate being added to an app that prevents users under 13 from filming and posting videos on it.

ByteDance, the Chinese media startup now valued at $75 billion, told the Guardian in a statement that “We cooperate with organizations such as the ICO to provide relevant information about our product to support their work. Ensuring data protection principles are upheld as a top priority for TikTok.”

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The new era of tech-enabled banks is coming, even in regulation-heavy Japan. Kyash, a fintech company with visions on becoming Japan’s first challenger bank, said today it has raised $14 million to continue its expansion.

To be clear, Kyash isn’t a bank. Yet. But it is currently applying for a host of licenses in Japan that could allow it to offer banking-style features including checking accounts, ATM withdrawals and money remittance. Right now, it is a payment app that offers a connected Visa card in the style of Monzo, N26, Revolut (which has a Japan license) and others of that ilk.

The startup was founded in 2015 in Shinichi Takatori, a former banker and management consultant who saw the potential to merge tech and finance.

“I really noticed that information and communication has become ubiquitous but money itself hasn’t changed for a long time,” Takatori told TechCrunch in an interview.

The company took some time — two years — before it released a consumer product, but it quickly tied up with Visa to offer a prepaid debit card that connects to the Kyash app. That provides benefits like instant payment notifications, clear balance and lower fees for overseas spending, while costs are born by merchants rather than users. They might seem elementary today, but they are still not standard among Japan’s traditional banks, Takatori explained.

The company declined to share its user numbers, but Takatori said that this new round of funding — Kyash’s Series B — is a validation of the progress it has made.

The $14 million investment is co-led by Goodwater Capital, a U.S. investor that has backed fintech startups like Monzo, Stash and Toss in Korea, and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, the investment arm of Japan’s largest bank.

Mitsubishi’s involvement means that Kyash counts Japan’s three largest banks as investors, with SMBC, Mizuho having previous put money into the company. Others that took part in this Series B include Toppan Printing, JAFCO and Shinsei Corporate Investment Limited.

So many banks on the cap table might seem like a strange thing for a disruptor — let alone the banks, which tend to behave territorially — but Takatori believes that there’s the potential for cooperation, not to mention that it will help the startup with its licensing efforts. Already, he revealed, Mitsubishi plans to integrate its card with the Kyash app to provide its customers with the best of both worlds.

“We’re not here to win over existing banks, but instead inform [them of] how money should work in next decade,” explained Takatori. “So why not collaborate in some way.”

Kyash has a tie-up with Visa that allows it to offer its customers a connected debit card and also provide issuing services to other fintech startups

There’s also the fact that, even with a license, Kyash and others are unlikely to be able to offer full banking services. That means they will have to serve as complementary offerings to the industry, which would likely mean that cooperation is good — essential — for both sides.

But, beyond the consumer play, a notable piece of Kyash’s business that has investors excited is its B2B payment business.

The company developed its own payment processing system to reduce costs, which is one reason why it took time to launch. Thanks to a tie-up with Visa, it offers both issuing and processing of prepaid Visa cards to fintech companies in Japan that want to go down the payment route.

That’s increasingly popular given the government push to make the country a “cashless society” ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games next year. It could also appeal to crypto companies in Japan, which offers the world’s most robust licensing, who want to follow the example of the Coinbase card in Europe or startups like Crypto.com and TenX which offer similar prepaid cards.

Takatori said Kyash is “in discussions” with crypto companies, but that it has not made a decision on how to proceed yet. The company is also eying potential overseas expansions, although that is some way down the line.

“We have open eyes for globalization, it’s just a matter of when,” he told TechCrunch. “We still have a far way to go [in Japan, but] maybe after the Olympics.”

More pressingly, he sees the company looking to raise a “pretty quick” Series C round to give it acceleration into next year. That’s likely to go to more expansion and user acquisition since the licenses the startup has applied for are unlikely to be granted this year.

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At Baidu’s Create conference for AI developers in Beijing today, the company and Intel announced a new partnership to work together on Intel’s new Nervana Neural Network Processor for training. As its name very clearly states, this forthcoming chip (NNP-T for short) is a processor built specifically for the task of training neural networks for the purposes of performing deep learning at scale.

Baidu and Intel’s collaboration on the NNP-T involves working together on both the hardware and software side of this custom accelerator to ensure that its optimized for use with Baidu’s PaddlePaddle deep learning framework, which will complement existing work that Intel has already done to ensure that PaddlePaddle is set up to perform best on its existing Intel Xeon Scalable processors. The NNP-T optimization will specifically focus on applications of PaddlePaddle that focus on distributed training of neural networks, to complete other types of AI applications.

Intel’s Nervana Neural Network Processor lineup, named after ‘Nervana,’ the company it acquired in 2016, is developed by the Intel AI group led by former Nervana CEO Naveen Rao. The NNP-T is tailor-made for training AI (ingesting data sets and learning how to do the job its supposed to do), while the NNP-I (announced at CES this year) is designed specifically for inference (taking the results of the learning process and putting into actions, or actually doing the job it’s supposed to do).

The NNP made its debut in 2017, and the first-generation chip is currently being used as a software development prototype and demo hardware for partners, while the new so-called ‘Spring Crest’ generation are targeting production availability this year.

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Given the ubiquity of smartphones today, it’s fair to assume that not everyone is an expert on their device and its inner workings, but do you know what model you’re even using?

A survey conducted by Decluttr on 2,000 smartphone owners in the US asked a variety of non-typical questions about their usage, and found that many users weren’t fully aware of what their device was capable of.

5G is a state of mind

When it came to iPhone owners, those who thought their device was 5G capable varied by carrier, ranging from almost a quarter (24%) of Verizon customers to almost half (47%) of those with AT&T. There is currently no 5G-capable iPhone available.

As for Samsung handset owners, the numbers were even higher, although this could be due to some customers owning the latest Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and correctly identifying its connectivity.

Furthermore, almost two-thirds (62%) of those that thought they had a 5G-capable device claimed they noticed improvements to their service despite the unlikelihood of them owning a compatible device or being in an area that has widespread 5G coverage.

• Snapdragon 855: here's a list of phones with the 5G-ready chipset
• 5G smartphone shipments will overtake 4G by 2023
• Hands on: Samsung Galaxy S10 5G review

Features?

When shown images of their phone next to others from the same manufacturer, only around half of the survey participants were able to correctly identify their own model of handset, with the iPhone XR and iPhone 7 users scoring the lowest success rate of 44%.

In defense of these customers, it is getting somewhat more difficult to compare phone models by simply looking at an image of them, given how similar-looking some of their facades are these days. Moreover, it’s unclear if the participants were asked to name the model they owned as well.

According to the survey, many users were also unaware of their handset’s star features, such as the wireless charging on Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S9 devices (60% of owners were unaware of this). Only around half of iPhone X, iPhone XR, and iPhone XS owners knew about the handsets' water resistant design.

While this study is interesting, it’s worth noting that Decluttr – the site that conducted this survey – is also selling refurbished phones, and as such has a somewhat vested interest in claiming that many of the latest smartphone features are unnecessary.

• Best iPhone 2019: which Apple phone is the best?

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For those looking to buy a new DSLR, there's quite a few models from Nikon to choose from, although only eight of them are currently active. But, if rumors are to be believed, three of them will be the last of their kind.

Nikon Rumors is reporting that the D3500, the D5600 and the D500 will be axed, although it has been suggested that they may be replaced by mirrorless versions instead. This rumor is given weight by Nikon’s own statement from last year that the new Z mount will be used “to pioneer the future”.

Four other DSLRs – the D5, D850, D750, and D7500 – however will reportedly get fresh replacements. After all, we know there's a D760 incoming some time this year.

• The best cameras of 2019: 10 top models you can buy right now
• The 10 best DSLR cameras available right now
• The best mirrorless cameras of 2019

Without the looking glass

Nikon has been keen on capturing a large part of the mirrorless camera market share, and the launch of the Z7 and Z6 last year was a good start, but the company won’t be stopping there.

A Japanese newspaper recently reported that a mirrorless version of the top-end D5 is already in the pipeline, while another report suggests a mid-price enthusiast level model might also be launching some time this year. However, camera code registrations by Nikon indicate there may be as many three new Z series cameras joining the manufacturer’s mirrorless camera range.

When the new DSLRs and mirrorless cameras will arrive is anyone’s guess, but the rumors of Nikon thinning its DSLR herd may need to be taken with a pinch of salt. After all, the D3500 was launched only in August 2018 and we don't anticipate it being retired in 2019.

• The 10 best Nikon cameras in 2019

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For the first time, Apple has published the number of requests it’s received from governments to take down apps from its app store.

In its latest transparency report published Tuesday, the tech giant said it received 80 requests from 11 countries to remove 634 apps from its localized app stores during July 1 and December 31, 2018.

Apple didn’t list the apps that were removed but noted in most cases why the apps were pulled. China made up the bulk of the requests, seeking to remove 517 apps claiming they violated its gambling and pornography laws. Vietnam and Austria also requested the takedown of several apps which violated its gambling laws, while Kuwait asked Apple to pull some apps that fell foul of its privacy laws.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Lebanon were among the countries that requested the removal of some apps, along with The Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland.

The move comes more than a year after the company promised to publish the figures starting with this latest transparency report.

Apple said it will in a future transparency report — slated for mid-2020 — will report on appeals received in response to government demands to remove apps from the company’s localized app stores.

The tech giant also for the first time posted several national security letters it received permission to publish.

National security letters (NSLs) are controversial subpoenas issued by the FBI with no judicial oversight and often with a gag order preventing the company from disclosing their existence. Since the introduction of the Freedom Act in 2015, the FBI was required to periodically review the gag orders and lift them when they were no longer deemed necessary.

Apple first revealed it received an NSL in 2017 but never published the document. In its latest transparency report, the company finally published the letter — along with four others from 2018 which had the gag order lifted in April and May 2019.

The first national security letter Apple was allowed to release, but never did. (Image: Apple)

As for the rest of the report, most of the government demands went down during the six-month period compared to the previous reporting period.

Apple said it received 29,183 demands from governments — down almost 10 percent on the last reporting period — to access 213,737 devices in the second half of last year.

Germany issued the most legal demands for the six-month period ending December 2018 with 12,343 requests for 19,380 devices. Apple said the large number of requests were primarily due to police investigating stolen devices.

The U.S. was in a distant second place with 4,680 demands for 19,318 devices.

Apple also received 4,875 requests for account data, such as information stored in iCloud — up by 16 percent on the previous reporting period — affecting 22,503 accounts.

The tech giant also saw a rise in the number of government requests to preserve data for up to three months. Apple said it received 1,823 requests, up by 15 percent, affecting 5,553 accounts, during which law enforcement sought to obtain the appropriate orders to access the data.

In revamped transparency report, Apple reveals uptick in demands for user data

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SA’s SweepSouth becomes first Naspers Foundry investment, banks $2.1m

Competition in Africa’s two-wheel ride-hail market is accelerating. Nigerian motorcycle transit startup MAX.ng was the latest startup to add funding, raising a $7 million funding round in June with participation of Japanese manufacturer Yamaha.

Based in Lagos, the company’s app-based platform coordinates motorcycle taxi and delivery services for individuals and businesses.

With the Series A funding MAX intends to invest in its tech infrastructure, expand to 10 cities and add new vehicle classes — including watercraft and three-wheeled tuk tuk taxis. The company will also use its new funding to pilot e-motorcycles in Africa powered by renewable energy, CFO Guy-Bertrand Njoya told TechCrunch.

MAX.ng raises $7M round backed by Yamaha and pilots EVs in Nigeria

MAX.ng’s moves come after competitor Gokada (also based in Lagos) raised a $5.3 million round in May and announced it would expand in East Africa. Uganda-based motorcycle ride-hail company SafeBoda expanded into Kenya in 2018 and recently raised a Series B round. 

Uber’s also gotten into the motorcycle taxi market. It started offering a two-wheel transit option in East Africa in 2018, around the same time Bolt (previously Taxify) launched motorcycle taxi service in Kenya.

The on-demand motorcycle race could make Africa a reference point in the transformation of mobility. If successful, MAX.ng’s pilot to produce electric taxis powered by renewable energy could also become a global use-case.

June also brought announcements of new resources and funding for Africa’s startups. Sweden’s Norrsken Foundation — a co-working space and investment fund based in Stockholm — opened its tech fund and entrepreneurship hub in Rwanda to support ventures across the region.

Operating from a new Kigali campus, Norrsken will offer seed investments of $25,000 to $100,000 for early-stage startups in all sectors starting this year, CEO Erik Engellau-Nilsson told TechCrunch.

The fund size is still being determined, and Norrsken Kigali will extend the fund to larger series-stage investments from $100,000 to $1 million in the future.

Norrsken opens East Africa startup fund and hub in Kigali

Founders Factory Africa and South African healthcare company Netcare launched a new initiative to select 35 African health-tech startups for an acceleration and incubation program.

The partnership includes an investment (of an undisclosed amount) by Netcare in Founder’s Factory Africa, or FFA. The Johannesburg located organization was formed in 2018 as an extension of Founders Factory in London—an accelerator that has graduated 122 startups.

The application process is now open for FFA’s new Africa health-tech program, which will accelerate 5 startups a year and incubate 2, FFA CEO Roo Rogers told TechCrunch.

Criteria for the accelerator startups include that they have a healthcare focus, be post-revenue, and have a Pan-African scope.

Accelerated startups will receive a £30,000 cash investment (≈$38,000) and £220,000 in support services from Founders Factory Africa. Incubator health-tech ventures will receive £60K cash and £100K toward support.

Founders Factory Africa and Netcare will share a 5 to 10 percent equity stake in each startup accepted into the program.

Founders Factory Africa and Netcare to fund 35 health-tech startups

Africa focused fintech startups made up the 75 percent of JP Morgan Backed Catalyst Fund’s 2019 cohort, announced in June.  The organization plans to extend 30 additional slots (open to African startup applicants) for its accelerator program that provides up to $60,000 in non-equity venture support.

IBM brings its Quantum computer program to 16 African universities

IBM launched its Quantum computer program in Africa in June in a partnership with South Africa’s Wits University that will extend to 15 universities across nine countries.

Quantum — or IBM Q, as the U.S.-based company calls it — is a computer that uses quantum bits (or qubits) to top the capabilities of even the most advanced supercomputers and “tackle problems…seen as too complex and exponential in nature for classical systems to handle,” according to an IBM release.

IBM Africa will roll-out Q to Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.

IBM Q, which operates out of IBM’s Yorktown Heights research center in New York, will be accessed from African universities via the cloud. Researchers in Africa interested in working with IBM Q  can apply online.

TechCrunch was on location in Addis Ababa to attend Startup Ethiopia and meet with entrepreneurs and hubs in the East African nation. The country of 105 million with the continent’s seventh largest economy has the workings of a budding tech scene. The biggest hurdle for Ethiopia’s startup community is the local internet situation, with mobile and IP connectivity managed by a state-owned telecom — which occasionally shuts down the net for the entire country, including last month. The government is taking steps to break up the state mobile and IP monopoly and issue teleco licenses by the end of 2019.

Ethiopia’s bid to become an African startup hub hinges on connectivity

The digital ventures, techies, and angel investors I talked to at Startup Ethiopia were in unison on the need for better internet options. Most agreed this was step one for the country to have any chance of joining the continent’s tech standouts — such as Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa — who lead on startup formation, VC, and exits in Africa.

More Africa-related stories @TechCrunch

• South African SME finance startup Lulalend raises $6.5M Series A
• Google is building a new private subsea cable between Portugal and South Africa

African tech around the ‘net

• Egypt bus-app Swvl raises $42 million for African expansion

• SA’s SweepSouth becomes first Naspers Foundry investment, banks $2.1m

 

 

 

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When it comes to mobile plans, those that come bundled with a handset tend to steal the limelight, but if you've already got a phone you're happy with, then SIM-only plans present an excellent opportunity to save some money.

As the name implies, a SIM-only plan is any plan that doesn't bundle in a phone, whether it's on a 12-month contract or a no lock-in situation where you simply pay month-to-month, there is often a great deal of value to be found in these plans.

To make it even easier for you, we've gone through each of the SIM-only providers available to Aussies right now and have hand-picked the best deals we've come across, whether they're big on data, low on cost, or an excellent middle-ground overall.

• Discover our picks for the best outright mobile phones on the planet

Editor's pick: Best SIM-only plans under $25

Editor's pick: Best SIM-only plans under $40

Live-updated SIM-only deals: Plans under $40

Editor's pick: Best premium SIM-only plans

Live-updated SIM-only deals: Plans over $40

Should I go SIM-only?

If you a) want to save some money; b) don't want to be tied into a lengthy contract; c) already own a perfectly fine phone; or d) all of the above, then going SIM-only is well worth considering. In fact, you're probably in one of two situations if your thoughts are turning to a SIM-only mobile plan:

1. You're coming to the end of your contract and your phone is still fighting fit (if it isn't, then head to our best mobile phones deal page to see what plan you can grab alongside a phone), but otherwise going SIM only on your current phone is a no-brainer. You'll wind up paying much less than you are under contract, and you can often stick to a rolling month-to-month arrangement so that if your circumstances change, you can change with them.
   
   
2. It's time for a shiny new smartphone and you want to get the best value humanly possible. You'll have to find a few hundred bucks (or thousand at this stage) up front for the handset (be sure to check our SIM free comparison chart) but you'll end up better off at the end of it all. Plus, if you're a commitment-phobe, most SIM-only plans don't require you to sign up for two years like you would with a normal contract.

What SIM card size do I need?

There are three sizes of SIM card that you can get for your phone, and the one you need will depend on your handset. It's been a while since the traditional, so-called standard SIM (15 x 25mm) has genuinely been the staple in new phones. Instead, any phone you've bought within the last five or so years is much more likely to require a micro (12 x 15mm) or nano (8.8 x 12.3mm) SIM – the iPhone 5 was Apple's first mobile with a nano SIM, while Samsung began using the smallest size in its Galaxy S6.

Before you purchase your new SIM, double-check the manufacturer's website to see what size you require. And if you're simply not sure, most networks now simply send out a triple SIM, so you'll get one of each size.

What contract length should I get?

Unlike with a contract, there's a lot more flexibility available when it comes to how long your SIM-only plan will last. Two year commitments are virtually unheard of, with the norm being either one year or rolling one month contracts for ultimate flexibility. You can often get better prices if you tie yourself in for 12 months, especially on larger data tariffs. But sticking to one month at a time means that you can effectively hand pick a new plan to suit you every 30 days or so.

How much data do I need?

Because you can change your plan up more regularly than a normal, lengthier contract, it's less crucial to get this nailed from the start. But if you're thinking of grabbing a 12-monther or just put a personal pride on getting things right first time, then we'll help you pick out the sweet spot of data for you.

Firstly, check your phone to see how much data you've been using to date, and whether you have the tendency to use more than your current allowance every month. Then, if you're still unsure, check out our guidance: 

• 0-1GB Tiny amounts of data on SIM only plans could be a blessing or a curse. If you're putting it in a rarely used phone that will scarcely be away from wi-fi then it makes total sense. But if you end up with one because your head's turned by the incredible price, then you could end up paying more if you continually go over your allowance.
• 2-3GB For anybody who needs data for little more than the occasional Google Maps route planning, 2GB and 3GB plans come cheap and give you much more freedom to scroll away online away from the wi-fi.
• 4-8GB If you can't leave the house without having a music streaming service like Spotify pouring into your ears, then it might be worth paying for some extra GBs of data.
• 10-16GB This is a significant amount of data and some networks offer it for a very appetising price. Whether streaming music, downloading podcasts, watching social media videos, or all three is your thing - you should be covered.
• 20-30GB Only smartphone junkies that need regular (and hefty) data fixes need bother with this avalanche of GBs. You'll be able to rinse Netflix, Spotify and online games without too much fear of topping out.

The SIM-only plans on this page are checked regularly, so make sure you visit often if you want to get the most up-to-date information on the plans that are currently available!

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India’s Ola is further widening its lead over Uber in the nation — and getting the help it needs from their mutual investor. Ola Electric has raised $250 million from SoftBank as India’s largest ride hailing firm pushes to scale its electric vehicles business in the country.

The Series B financing round, details of which emerged in a filing to the local regulator on Tuesday, valued Ola Electric at $1 billion, a source familiar with the matter said.

The infusion comes as New Delhi looks to take a serious step in electrifying the existing fleet of cabs and scooters in the country as it attempts to curtail air pollution and carbon emissions. The country has set an ambitious goal to convert 40% of the fleet to electric by 2026.

Just so it happens, Ola has been working on electric vehicles for several years. The company is currently running several two-wheeler and three-wheeler electric vehicles pilot programs across the nation. It is also building charging infrastructure and swappable battery systems for these vehicles.

Ola Electric, which raised $56 million earlier this year, plans to bring 10,000 e-vehicles to road by end of this year and deploy a million similar vehicles over the coming years. The parent group, which raised $300 million from Hyundai and Kia to expand its mobility solutions and electric vehicles programs as part of an ongoing Series J round earlier this year, is also partnering with original equipment manufacturers to scale the EV business.

The active participation of SoftBank in Ola quells speculations that the Indian firm was trying to distance itself from the conglomerate fund.

The firm, which already has presence in the UK, New Zealand, and Australia, last month announced that it will set shop in Uber’s backyard. Ola said it will build a new advanced technology center in San Francisco and employ more than 150 engineers there.

“As we think of the next decade, we want to invest in and we want to be very relevant on the global scale business front as well as building new-age, cutting edge technology which impact the new age business model of the future, there is no better place in the world to do it than here in the Bay area, we have made a small start, we will be hiring close to around 100-150 people here this year and from there we will take it beyond,” Ola cofounder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal said at a recent conference.

Uber, meanwhile, currently has little to no electric vehicles play in the nation. Just two months ago, it partnered with electric bicycle sharing platform Yulu to conduct a trial in Bangalore.

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UPDATE: Amazon has announced the dates for Prime Day 2019. In Australia, the sale will begin at 00:01am on July 15 and go on for 48 hours till July 16 ticks across midnight. However, with plenty of deals on offer from the US storefront, Aussies will be able to shop on the Global Store until the sale in the US shuts down – that's 65 hours of nonstop shopping. So start saving now!

If you haven't signed up to become a Prime member yet, do so now and you'll get a 30-day long free trial period with the Prime Day sale duration included.

Scroll down to find out more about Amazon Prime. 

Although Amazon launched locally in Australia in December 2017, the online retail giant’s famous Prime subscription service – already well-established in other markets like the US and the UK – took a little longer to arrive. It finally made landfall Down Under some six months later in June 2018, and brings with it a range of savings and benefits for Aussie shoppers for a flat monthly fee of $6.99.

So what’s included? In a nutshell, if you sign up for Amazon Prime in Australia, you’ll get:

• Free two-day delivery on domestic purchases
• Free standard delivery on orders over $49 made from the ‘global’ section (ie. international purchases)
• Access to Prime Video, Prime Reading and Twitch Prime
• Early access to discounts and deals
• Big savings on Amazon Prime Day

• In the lead up to Prime Day 2019, Amazon Australia is offering free expedited delivery on international purchases and is also offering a three-month long free trial for both Audible and Kindle Unlimited to Prime members who have never tried either service before.

What is Amazon Prime?

The main appeal for Amazon’s Prime service is that it offers members fast and free delivery on many purchases, plus access to some of the company’s streaming services. 

Prime members also get exclusive early access to select deals and offers, and get to participate in a members-only annual sale called Prime Day.

In the US, Amazon Prime offers free shipping on millions of items, same-day delivery (or even two-hour delivery in some cases) and access to its video and music streaming services, unlimited ebooks and audiobooks, and unlimited photo storage. However, to get all the goods and services Amazon promises in its Prime package American customers pay US$12.99 a month (US$119 a year).

In Australia, unfortunately, there are some caveats to what Prime members get, but it also costs us less – half of what the US pays, to be precise.

How much does the Prime service cost in Australia?

In Australia, Amazon Prime subscriptions cost $6.99 a month, or $59 per year. 

As is customary with all of Amazon’s subscription services, there’s a 30-day free trial on offer. If you aren’t happy with the Prime service, you’ll need to manually cancel your membership before the 30-day trial ends or you will be charged the full monthly fee the following month.

What do Australian Prime members get?

Amazon has brought the promise of free delivery for its Aussie Prime members, but it’s limited to domestic purchases only. If you buy something from an Australian third-party merchant selling goods on Amazon Australia, you won’t be charged for delivery, not matter how small or large your final order costs. 

The caveat here, though, is that the product needs to carry the “Prime Eligible” label. If that’s not visible, speedy or delivery is not an option even if you are a Prime member. However, if the order is over $49, it automatically qualifies for Amazon’s free standard delivery policy.

Also worth noting is that, in Australia, Prime’s free delivery service isn’t the 'same day' one that's offered in the US. Locally, it’s a two-day delivery promise – something that's most likely due to Amazon having only one Australian fulfilment centre located in Melbourne. We’re hoping that might change to a one-day delivery promise, since the company’s second fulfilment centre in Sydney is now open.

On international items bought from the new 'global' area of the store, only purchases over $49 will be eligible for free delivery, but again, it needs to carry the “Prime Eligible” label to qualify.

Prime members also get exclusive early access to Lightning Deals (Amazon’s limited-time deals that vanish within hours of going live).

• Sign up for Amazon Prime in Australia

Alongside those shopping benefits, there’s a number of complementary digital-media subscriptions that are included for free with Prime:

Other Amazon services in Australia

While Prime members in the US get additional perks, like access to free grocery and restaurant deliveries and a free subscription to the Washington Post (which Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos also owns), the Australian Prime service is limited to just the aforementioned options. 

However, Amazon’s repertoire in Australia still extends beyond those Prime offerings. There’s a smattering of other services that the company runs locally, although you’ll need to sign up for them individually, paying either a monthly or annual fee for each. 

Here’s what those locally-available Amazon subscription services entail:

While Amazon Prime has its perks, you don't have to be a member to avail low prices on products being sold on the online marketplace. 

If you want to save on cool gadgets and gizmos, we handpick some excellent bargains to be had on tech in our Best Amazon Deals and Sales page.

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