It is paid and ad free. You just have to pay the new rate. Perhaps they should have raised the rate of base Prime, and then offered a lower priced paid w/ads o

It is paid and ad free. You just have to pay the new rate. Perhaps they should have raised the rate of base Prime, and then offered a lower priced paid w/ads option. But there was probably an issue with the annual holders in that case. So, instead they lowered the features and now folks can up to the new subscription.