Amazon Prime Free Shipping Changes: Invitee Program Ending, Amazon Family to Replace It

Amazon is ending its Prime Invitee program on October 1, which allowed household members to share free shipping with non-residents. Instead, Amazon is promoting its Amazon Family feature, which allows household members to share benefits with other adults, teens, and children who live in the same household. To help transition, Amazon is offering a discounted one-year Prime membership for $14.99 until December 31, 2025.

Amazon has announced a significant change to its Prime membership program, ending the Prime Invitee program effective October 1, 2025. This program allowed Prime members to share free shipping benefits with individuals living outside their household. In its place, Amazon is promoting its Amazon Family feature, which allows household members to share benefits with other adults, teens, and children who live in the same household.

The change comes as Amazon seeks to refine its membership model and potentially boost individual subscriptions. The Prime Invitee program, which has been in place for years, allowed Prime members to extend perks like fast delivery to friends or extended family not living under the same roof. However, Amazon has decided to phase out this feature, aiming to control benefit distribution more tightly.

From October 1, individuals who received free shipping through the Invitee program but do not live with the account holder will need to set up their own Prime subscription to retain the benefit. Existing Prime account holders can share their benefits by accessing the "share your Prime benefits" section of their account, and selecting "manage your Amazon Family." Users can then add adults or children who live at the same address.

To help transition, Amazon is offering a discounted one-year Prime membership for $14.99 until December 31, 2025. This offer is aimed at encouraging users to sign up for their own Prime memberships and take advantage of the new Amazon Family feature.

The decision has sparked mixed reactions among consumers, with some expressing frustration over the loss of invitee sharing. However, others see the Amazon Family feature as a more convenient way to manage shared services within a household.

This policy shift aligns with Amazon’s broader ecosystem strategy, where Prime serves as a gateway to higher spending across shopping, streaming, and groceries. The company is likely aiming to enhance the perceived value of individual Prime memberships and potentially increase revenue by encouraging more users to sign up for their own subscriptions.

As the October deadline approaches, industry watchers will monitor subscription metrics closely to gauge whether the end of outside sharing bolsters or burdens Prime’s dominance in the retail arena.

References:
[1] https://www.newsweek.com/amazon-announces-major-change-prime-benefits-shipping-family-2123643
[2] https://www.webpronews.com/amazon-ends-prime-invitee-program-free-shipping-sharing-cut-in-2025/