INDIANA— Amazon is ending its Prime Invitee program, a 15-year-old service that allowed Prime members to share shipping benefits with non-household members. The change will take effect on October 1.
The program, which launched in 2009, will be phased out as Amazon shifts its focus to its “Amazon Family” program. The Amazon Family program allows members to share several benefits with another adult in their household, as well as up to four teens added before April 7, 2025, and up to four profiles for children. These benefits include fast, free delivery on eligible items, access to exclusive deals, Prime Video, Prime Reading, and third-party benefits like Grubhub.
While Amazon did not provide specific figures for its Prime membership during its latest earnings call, the company stated that its most recent Prime Day was its “biggest Prime Day shopping event yet,” with record sales and more items sold over the four days. Independent sellers, primarily small and medium-sized businesses, also achieved record sales and a record number of items sold.
The annual fee for an Amazon Prime membership in the U.S. has been $139 since 2022, an increase from its previous price of $119 per year. A J.P. Morgan analyst has predicted that the company may raise the cost of its popular membership again in 2026.
