Bloomberg:

As of October, 3 million to 5 million people subscribed to Prime, a program begun in 2005 that provides two-day shipping for $79 a year, said the people, who asked not to be named because the figures are private. Amazon is working to reach 7 million to 10 million in the next 12 to 18 months, the people said. Analysts have pegged the current number at 10 million or more, with expectations for it to climb higher this year.

Prime is a good value for people who order a lot from Amazon because it nets you free shipping; you can easily make money on the cost over the year if you buy enough stuff. It has its limits, however (affiliates who sell through Amazon.com aren’t covered). But with the country still recovering from a devastating recession, are analysts actually that surprised at the low uptick?