Amazon Prime membership offers numerous benefits, but the one people use most is free 2-day shipping. It’s a convenient way to get almost anything your family needs delivered right to your door.
That might change for some people soon, though, because Amazon has decided to end a program that allowed Prime members to share their shipping benefits with other people. Here’s what the Prime sharing crackdown is about, and when it’s starting.
What’s Changing About Amazon Prime?
Amazon is ending a program that allows Prime members to share their shipping benefits with people who live outside of their households. The program, Prime Invitee, allows members to share their 2-day free shipping with anyone they choose. It was the way that many people split their Prime accounts, allowing people to split the cost of the pricey service, or extend the benefit to adult children, for instance.
So what does the change really mean? If you’re an Invitee on someone else’s Prime account, you’re going to lose access.
Why Is Amazon Cracking Down on Sharing?
The same reason that other companies, like Netflix, have cracked down on account sharing: profits. Amazon Prime sign-ups are way down this year, and the company failed to meet its own goal for sign-ups during Prime Day in July, according to Reuters. Tariffs and other uncertain economic conditions are likely affecting both the company and the wallets of its shoppers.
When Do the Changes Start?
The Prime Invitee program will end on October 1, 2025, according to the Help section of Amazon’s website. That’s when you’ll lose access to Prime delivery if you’re using someone else’s Prime account for your orders.
What Should I Do if I’m Losing My Prime Access?
You’ll have to get your own Amazon Prime account if you want that sweet, sweet 2-day free shipping. Luckily, current Prime Invitees are getting emails from Amazon with a great offer: one year of Prime membership for just $15. After that, you’ll have to pay $15 per month, so make sure you set a reminder to cancel in a year. Otherwise, you’ll have to reside at the same address as a Prime member and be part of their Amazon Family, a new program that’s taking the place of Prime Invitee.
How Does Amazon Family Work?
Amazon Family is what the company is pushing people to use if they want to share their Prime shipping benefits, but there’s one huge catch: you have to live at the same address, so no more Prime shipping to other addresses. Amazon Family members can only add one other adult to their account, so the days of sharing with a few other adults to spread around the cost are over. You can add up to four teens and four kids to your Amazon Family account. But do you really want your 10-year-old ordering 50 Labubus anyway?
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