Amazon changing how to share Prime benefits: what to know
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Amazon is phasing out Prime Invitee — the 16-year-old perk for sharing free shipping beyond your household — and steering members to Amazon Family.
Why it matters: The move closes a money-saving workaround and shifts sharing to households, where members get broader Prime perks.
The big picture: The Invitee program, which began in 2009 but stopped accepting new members in 2015, officially ends Oct. 1, 2025.
- Amazon confirmed to Axios impacted people have been offered two options. They can join Amazon Family — formerly known as Amazon Household — or get their own Prime membership.
- Those impacted, who should be notified by Sept. 5, are being offered a one-year Prime membership for $14.99 — an 89% discount — if they sign up between Sept. 5 and Dec. 31, 2025.
Between the lines: Amazon didn't disclose how many people will be affected by its changes.
How it works: With Amazon Family, members can share Prime with one other adult in their household (spouse, roommate, family member) and up to four children, with shared benefits tied to a common address and payment method.
- Prime Video and additional digital content like Kindle eBooks, audiobooks, and games can also be shared with up to four children in a household, an Amazon spokesperson told Axios.
State of play: Amazon's change is one of the latest signs that the "mooch economy" is ending.
- Similar changes like the end of Netflix's password sharing and Costco's membership card-sharing crackdown both led to new membership signups, the companies have said.
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