NEW YORK (

TheStreet

) --

Amazon

(AMZN) - Get Report

is reportedly testing a monthly subscription for its Amazon Prime service, as it seeks to take on

Netflix

(NFLX) - Get Report

,

Hulu

and others in a more direct route.

The story was

first reported

in the Netflix-based blog,

Hacking Netflix

. Amazon will price its Prime service at $7.99 per month, putting it head-to-head with the cheapest Netflix plan. Currently, Amazon Prime costs $79 per year. A cost of $7.99 per month would cost users $95.88 per year if they were to pay month-to-month.

The story shows a screen shot of Amazon's Web site with the $7.99 per month charge, but a current look at

Amazon's Web site

shows the monthly pricing model has been removed.

Amazon could not be immediately reached for comment for this story.

Amazon, which has been expanding its content for the Prime service to take on Netflix and Hulu, also offers free two-day shipping with the Prime service.

The Seattle-based online retailer recently reported

third-quarter earnings

which did not live up to Wall Street's expectations. Amazon lost 60 cents a share, including a 37-cent impairment charge for its investment in

Living Social

, on $13.81 billion in revenue. Analysts polled by

Thomson Reuters

were expecting a loss of 8 cents a share in the September-ended period on revenue of $13.92 billion.

Amazon also recently signed a deal with rival

Staples

(SPLS)

to place Amazon lockers in Staples' U.S. stores, as Amazon continues to build out its physical presence.

Shares of Amazon were slightly lower in premarket trading Tuesday, off 0.1% to $234.10.

Interested in more on Amazon? See TheStreet Ratings' report card for

this stock

.

--

Written by Chris Ciaccia in New York

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