Amazon Prime is rolling back one of its longtime perks. Starting Oct. 1, the company will end its “Prime Invitee program,” which let members share free shipping with people outside their household. Going forward, the perk will only extend to household members under Amazon’s updated rules.
The Invitee program launched in 2009 and gave non-members access to Prime’s shipping benefits if a friend or relative shared them. But Amazon confirmed to FOX Business that it’s winding the program down in favor of its “Amazon Family” plan. That option allows members to share benefits with one other adult in their household, up to four teens added before April 7, 2025, and up to four child profiles.
Those benefits go beyond free delivery. Amazon Prime members also get access to exclusive sales, events, and entertainment perks like Prime Video and Prime Reading. Membership also includes third-party tie-ins, such as free delivery through Grubhub.
The change comes as Amazon continues to tout record-breaking results. While the company didn’t disclose how many people currently subscribe to Prime, it described July’s Prime Day as its “biggest shopping event yet.” According to Amazon, the four-day stretch that included Prime Day outpaced every previous Prime Day period, with more items sold and more independent businesses reporting record sales.
For sellers, many of whom are small and mid-sized businesses, Amazon said Prime Day brought record-breaking sales and a larger volume of items sold than ever before. The company framed the event as a win not just for consumers but also for entrepreneurs who rely on its platform.
Prime currently costs U.S. members $139 annually, a price set in 2022 after a bump from the previous $119 fee. Analysts at J.P. Morgan have already signaled that Amazon could raise the price again in 2026, citing the strength of the program and the company’s continued expansion of benefits.
Despite the looming price hike speculation, Prime remains one of Amazon’s most powerful loyalty drivers. By limiting shipping benefits to household members only, the company may be betting that more Invitee users will now sign up on their own to keep access to fast and free delivery.