Amazon is canceling its plan to allow Prime members to share free shipping benefits with others. Starting from October 1st, those who wish to share the shipping benefits must reside at the same main address as the Prime member.
Recently, Amazon has begun notifying users that it will be ending the current “Prime Invitee” program on October 1st. This program allowed Prime members to share free two-day delivery with another adult in the household, even if they used different addresses.
After the termination of “Prime Invitee,” Prime members who want to share benefits and digital content with family members must add them to the “Amazon Family” program, as announced by the company online.
According to the company’s website, through “Amazon Family,” Prime members can share these benefits with another adult in the household, up to four teenagers (added before April 7, 2025), and up to four children.
As this change was announced, Reuters reported on Monday, September 1st, that Amazon’s internal documents showed that the Prime registrations in the United States didn’t meet last year’s total and the company’s own targets on the eve of this year’s Prime Day. This year’s Prime member discount event lasted for four days from July 8th to July 11th.
An Amazon spokesperson stated that Prime membership continues to show strong growth momentum in the US and international markets, with increasing customer engagement. They also added that the company set new registration records globally during Prime Day and the three weeks leading up to the event.
Amazon mentioned that Prime invitees losing access can request the Prime member in their household to add them to “Amazon Family” or register for their own Prime membership.
Amazon is encouraging users who don’t live with the account holder to subscribe to their own membership at a discounted price of $14.99 for the first year, and then $14.99 per month or $139 per year thereafter. This offer will start this Friday and be valid until December 31, 2025.
According to Amazon’s website, “Amazon Family” offers customers the following benefits:
– Free shipping on Prime-eligible items
– Access to exclusive Prime events and discounts
– Prime Video with ads
– Prime Reading
– Third-party benefits such as Grubhub
– Digital content like audiobooks, e-books, and games
Prime members can also share their Amazon Music Prime benefits with another adult in “Amazon Family,” including ad-free listening on shuffle.
To sign up for “Amazon Family,” customers can:
– Visit their “Amazon Family” membership, go to the “Share Your Prime Benefits” section, select “Manage Your Amazon Family,” and send an invitation to the members of “Amazon Family.”
Amazon stated that Prime members and “Amazon Family” members must share a payment method to share Prime benefits. “Amazon Family” members can use their own payment method for purchases.
Amazon also mentioned that “Amazon Family” members can opt out and rejoin the same “Amazon Family” at any time but must wait 12 months before joining another “Amazon Family.”
(Some information in this article was referenced from reports by “USA Today” and Associated Press)