Amazon Ends Prime Free Shipping Sharing Outside Household

Amazon is ending its Prime Invitee program on October 1, 2025, which allowed Prime members to share free two-day shipping benefits with one other adult at a different address. This change restricts sharing to only those within the same household under the Amazon Family program, which permits sharing benefits with one other adult, up to four teens (added before April 7, 2025), and four child profiles, requiring a shared primary address and payment method. Users who previously benefited from sharing across different addresses will need to subscribe to their own Prime membership, with Amazon offering a discounted rate of $14.99 for the first year through December 31, 2025, after which the price returns to $14.99 per month or $139 annually. The company emphasized that the change does not affect the ability to ship orders to any address, only the ability to share free-shipping benefits across households. This move coincides with Amazon's expansion efforts to improve delivery speed in smaller U.S. cities, towns, and rural areas. The update follows reports of declining Prime signups ahead of Prime Day 2025, suggesting a tightening of membership perks as Amazon adjusts its business model.