[Indio777]

I would say that the usefulness of a B&N membership depends on your buying habits.

The membership is useful if you buy a lot of stuff in an actual store. I buy lots of magazines (although I am gradually moving to subscriptions--usually so much cheaper) and I do buy some books. So it can pay for itself and them some if you buy enough stuff.

For example, B&N had a Criterion DVD movie sale earlier this month--50% off. But I got 60% off in store. I bought enough that my membership price was covered and then some.

But as others have pointed out, you do not get any discount if you buy something online. Yes you are supposed to get faster shipping, but in my experience it does not compare with shipping speed if one has an Amazon Prime membership.

Case in point: I ordered some Criterion DVDs Monday evening that were not available in any stores near me. As of this morning, the shipment was still at the UPS shipping facility. Yes, I know yesterday was a holiday, but...... I suspect I will not get the package until next week. So compared to Amazon Prime's 2-days, not nearly as speedy (on the other hand Prime costs a lot more).

So, to repeat, it all comes down to your B&N buying habits. The membership might end up paying for itself or you might be be wasting money. You will have to figure that out.

Edit: I meant USPS, not UPS.

And no, does not compare with Prime. With prime you are basically paying for 2-day free shipping, both to your address and to any other address you ship to (in US I a guess). Plus now with Prime, you can stream "some" video free and can "borrow" a book--but only if you have a Kindle device.