Highlights:

• Amazon is ending its Prime Invitee Program on October 1, eliminating the ability to share free shipping benefits outside the household.

• The move aligns with the company’s focus on Amazon Family, which limits benefit sharing to a single adult and family members at the same address.

• The decision comes amid reports that U.S. Prime signups have fallen short of expectations, signaling a shift in Amazon’s growth strategy.

Amazon is phasing out a long-standing feature that allowed members to share Prime benefits with individuals outside their household, signaling a tighter approach to its subscription model just ahead of the holiday season. The Prime Invitee Program, which enabled users to extend fast, free shipping to non-household members, will officially end on October 1, 2025, according to notifications sent to account holders. The decision reflects a broader recalibration of the company’s membership benefits amid changing growth trends in the U.S. market.

Shifting From Invitees to Household-Only Benefits

Under the Prime Invitee Program, members could share two-day shipping perks with one other adult even if they did not live at the same address. Starting next month, those invited guests will need to register for their own Prime accounts to retain access to free shipping. Amazon is transitioning focus to Amazon Family, a program that allows members to share benefits with one other adult, up to four children, and four teens, provided they share the same primary residential address. The company defines the primary address as “the address you consider to be your home and where you spend the majority of your time.”

Industry analysts suggest the move tightens Amazon’s control over subscription usage and aligns benefits with paying households, potentially reducing abuse or extended sharing that bypasses revenue capture. While still supportive of family-focused sharing, the restriction signals a strategic pivot toward monetizing individual memberships more aggressively.

Growth Pressures and Market Implications

The decision comes amid reports that Amazon’s U.S. Prime signups have fallen short of both last year’s totals and internal targets, according to internal documents cited by Reuters. Despite this, Amazon maintains that membership continues to grow both domestically and internationally, although the pace of expansion appears uneven. Reducing external sharing may be aimed at reinforcing membership value and encouraging new subscriptions for those previously benefiting from shared access.

The policy shift may also influence consumer behavior during the critical fourth-quarter shopping season. Households accustomed to shared Prime privileges may be prompted to sign up individually, potentially driving incremental revenue. At the same time, the change could generate some friction with long-standing users, particularly those with multi-household arrangements who relied on the Invitee Program.

Strategic Considerations for Amazon

The elimination of the Prime Invitee Program highlights Amazon’s broader strategy to safeguard the perceived value of Prime. By tying benefits more closely to the account holder and their household, the company can better predict membership growth, revenue streams, and benefit usage. Analysts note that subscription monetization is increasingly critical as U.S. e-commerce competition intensifies, with retailers seeking to lock in loyalty and recurring revenue.

Looking forward, the impact of this change will be measured both by user retention and the adoption of individual memberships among previously shared accounts. While short-term friction may occur, the strategic move could ultimately strengthen Amazon’s control over its subscription ecosystem, ensuring that the benefits of Prime are monetized more effectively while preserving the program’s appeal to core family users.