Amazon ends Prime Invitee program for non-household shipping

Amazon is ending a longrunning program that allowed Prime members to extend free shipping to people who do not share the same household, a move that will take effect Oct. 1, 2025, the company said in an update to its customer support pages. The change will remove the Prime Invitee program that let nonPrime account holders receive Prime shipping benefits without a full subscription, and Amazon is notifying affected users by Sept. 5, according to the update and emails being sent to customers.

The Prime Invitee program historically allowed subscribers to invite a limited number of outside users to receive fast, free shipping only, without other Prime perks such as Prime Video. Amazon said the program had been scaled back over time and will now be discontinued entirely. Emails sent to impacted accounts include an offer for a discounted first year of Prime membership as well as guidance on alternative sharing options.

Amazon is directing customers who want to keep shared benefits toward Amazon Family, a household sharing option that is limited to members living at the same primary address. According to Amazon’s website, Amazon Family permits the primary Prime account holder to share...