Amazon ends Prime Invitee program to push subscriptions

On October 1, 2025, Amazon will end the Prime Invitee program, which allowed Prime members to share free shipping benefits with non-household users. This change is part of Amazon's strategy to encourage those who do not live with a Prime account holder to sign up for their own memberships. By recently offering a one-year subscription for just $14.99, Amazon aims to attract these users into becoming full members rather than relying on someone else's account. The decision aligns with Amazon's broader aim to enhance subscription revenues, especially after a membership fee increase that occurred in 2022 when the annual rate was raised from $119 to $139. While the Invitee program solely covered free shipping benefits, the new replacement, Amazon Family, allows sharing a wider range of Prime features with others living in the same household. Amazon Family enables account holders to share not just shipping benefits but also access to Prime Video, Amazon Music, and more with an additional adult guest, up to four teens who signed up before April 7, and up to four child profiles. This shift reflects Amazon's effort to strengthen its membership ecosystem, ensuring that users who want Prime benefits are incentivized to subscribe independently rather than rely on shared access, ultimately enhancing the company's customer base and subscription revenue model.