A worker prepares orders at an Amazon fulfillment center.
Jason Alden | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Amazon is eliminating a program that allows members of its Prime subscription program to share free shipping benefits with people outside their household.
The company began notifying users in recent days that it plans to end the Prime Invitee Program on Oct. 1, according to a notice viewed by CNBC.
“We are writing to inform you that the Prime Invitee Program, which allowed sharing Prime’s fast, free delivery with others, will end on October 1, 2025,” the notice states. “Your invited guests will be notified directly about this change by September 5, 2025.”
Amazon previously let Prime members share free, two-day shipping with one other adult in their household, even if they used a different address.
Starting next month, the company will require invitees who don’t live with the account holder to sign up for their own Prime membership.
It’s phasing out the program in favor of Amazon Family, which lets Prime members share free shipping and other benefits with one other adult, four children and up to four teens added before April 7, 2025.
All users must share the same primary residential address, or the “address you consider to be your home and where you spend the majority of your time,” Amazon said.
The change comes as Reuters reported Monday that Amazon’s Prime signups in the U.S. fell short of last year’s total and its own targets, citing internal company documents. Amazon told the outlet that Prime membership continues to grow in the U.S. and internationally.
