Alibaba’s new VIP membership plan looks a lot like Amazon Prime

The new membership package allows members get free shipping, discounts and access to streaming video and music.

Alibaba Group said it is rolling out a new paid membership package that will give members benefits across its ecosystem of services as it looks to gain market share in digital entertainment and food delivery.

Called “88 VIP”, users pay an annual fee of 888 yuan (RM530)) to purchase a package that entitles them to a year of benefits, such as access to content on video-streaming platform Youku, a subscription to Alibaba’s music platform Xiami as well as discounts on its food delivery platform Ele.me and e-commerce marketplaces Taobao and Tmall. Existing Alibaba users can also upgrade to the 88 VIP package by redeeming 1,000 points and paying 88 yuan (RM52).