How to Start Renting Movies on Amazon? (Your Full Guide)

Renting movies online has become increasingly popular over the past few years, and Amazon is one of the leading providers in this market. With a vast selection of movies available for rent, Amazon provides a convenient and affordable way to watch your favorite films.

In this blog post, we’ll explore how to rent movies on Amazon, from the initial requirements to ways to manage your rentals. So, without further ado, let’s dive right in!

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What Are the Benefits of Renting Movies?

Although it might seem like a hassle to rent movies, it can actually be quite beneficial. To give you an idea of what renting movies can do for you, here are some of the benefits that come with it:

Cost-effectiveness: Renting a movie is often much cheaper than buying a copy or going to a theater, especially if you only plan to watch the movie once.
Convenience: Renting movies can be done online, and you can watch them in the comfort of your own home, on your own schedule.

Variety: Renting movies allows you to choose from a wider selection of titles, including older movies and independent films that may not be playing in theaters.
Flexibility: Renting movies allows you to pause, rewind, or fast forward as needed, giving you more control over the viewing experience.
No commitment: Renting movies doesn’t require a long-term commitment, so you can try out different titles without having to commit to buying them.

What Are the Movie Rental Options on Amazon?

Amazon offers a simple and straightforward rental option that gives you 30 days to start watching the rented movie and 48 hours to finish it once you start. This means that you can rent a movie and watch it at your own pace within the 48-hour window. The rented movie stays in your video library for 30 days from the date of rental, and you can watch it as many times as you want during this period.

Once you rent a movie on Amazon Prime Video, you can watch it by streaming or downloading. Streaming allows you to watch the movie immediately after renting it without having to wait for it to finish downloading.

Downloading, on the other hand, lets you watch the rented movie offline later. Once downloaded, you can watch the movie even without an internet connection, but you need to make sure to download it before the expiration window ends.

Do You Need Amazon Prime to Rent a Movie on Amazon?

No, renting a movie on Amazon doesn’t require an Amazon Prime membership. You can still access the same selection of movies available to Prime users and rent movies with your free Amazon account. However, renting movies on Amazon with an Amazon Prime subscription does come with some advantages, such as discounted prices and faster streaming.

How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Movie on Amazon?

The cost to rent a movie on Amazon varies depending on the title and the video quality you want to rent. Generally, rental prices for new releases and popular titles range from $3.99 to $5.99, while rental prices for older or less popular titles can range from $0.99 to $3.99.

Additionally, some titles may offer the option to buy a movie, with prices generally ranging from $9.99 to $19.99. So, if you want to hold on to the movie after renting it and watching it multiple times, buying may be a better option than renting.

How to Start Renting Movies on Amazon?

To rent movies on Amazon, you’ll need an Amazon account. If you don’t have one, you can easily create one for free. Once you’re all set, follow these steps to rent a movie on Amazon:

Go to the Amazon website (www.amazon.com).
Use the search bar to find the movie you want to rent or browse the categories and collections to find something that interests you.

Once you have found the movie you want to rent, simply click on the “Rent” button next to the title.
Next, follow the prompts to complete your rental purchase using Amazon’s 1-Click payment system.
Once your rental purchase is complete, you can start watching the movie immediately by clicking on the “Watch Now” button.

The movie will be available to stream for the rental period you selected, and you can watch it as many times as you like during that time.

How to Stream Rented Movies on Different Devices?

Once you have rented a movie, you can watch it on any compatible device. To stream the rented movie from your Amazon account, follow these steps:

Download the Prime Video app on your device. If you are using a mobile device, download the Amazon Prime Video app from the App Store or Google Play Store. If you are using a streaming device like a Fire Stick, the app may already be installed.
Open the Amazon Prime Video app on your device.

Enter your Amazon account login information.
Find the rented movie in your video library and click on it to start streaming.
Once you click on the movie, it will start streaming, and you can enjoy watching it.

You can stream up to three videos simultaneously on different devices using the same Amazon account. However, you cannot stream the same video to more than one device at the same time.

If you try to do so, the video will stop playing on the first device and continue on the second device. This policy is in place to prevent the unauthorized sharing of rented or purchased content.

How to Download Rented Movies to Watch Offline?

If you choose to download the rental, you can do so on one compatible device such as a Fire tablet, Android, or iOS device. To download rented movies on Amazon to watch offline, you can follow these steps:

First, open the Amazon Prime Video app on your device.
Next, search for the rented movie that you want to download.
Once you’ve found the movie, select the “Download” option.

You’ll be prompted to choose the video quality that you want to download the movie in. Select the desired quality.
The movie will start downloading, and you can monitor the progress of the download in the “Downloads” section of the app.
Once the download is complete, you can watch the rented movie offline at any time.

When you download a rented video from Amazon Prime Video, it’s tied to the device that you downloaded it to, and you won’t be able to download it to another device.

However, you can start watching the downloaded video on one device and then later stream it on another compatible device, as long as it’s not playing simultaneously on multiple devices. This means that you can switch between devices and continue watching the rented video without any issues.

Lastly, the rental period for the movie will begin as soon as you start watching it, not when you download it. So, make sure to click the movie only when you’re ready to watch it.

Can You Return a Rented Movie on Amazon?

As long as you haven’t started watching or downloading the movie, you may be able to return it and get a refund. To return a rented movie on Amazon, you can follow Prime Video’s guide for returning accidental purchases on their website, which includes all the necessary details for the process.

Can You Share a Rented Movie on Amazon?

Yes, you can share a rented movie on Amazon if it is part of the Amazon Household sharing feature. This allows up to six members of a household to share purchased content, including rented movies. However, the rental period and viewing restrictions still apply to each individual account, regardless of sharing.

Can You Extend the Movie Rental Period on Amazon?

Unfortunately, Amazon does not provide the option to extend your rental period. Therefore, once the rental period has expired, you will no longer be able to watch the movie. However, you can always rent the movie again if you want to watch it longer.

Conclusion

Renting movies on Amazon is a great way to watch the latest releases without buying them or signing up for a subscription. With Amazon Prime Video, you can rent movies and stream them on your device, as well as download them to watch offline. With the average cost of renting a movie being only a few dollars, renting movies on Amazon is one of the most cost-effective ways to watch your favorite movies and shows.