September 12, 2025
SEATTLE – The Prime Invitee program, which enrolled new members from 2009 to 2015, has allowed those members to share free shipping with friends and family. As reported by the New York Times and elsewhere, Amazon plans to end the program on Oct. 1, right before the holiday shopping season begins.
“This is not the same as password sharing,” writes NY Times reporter Karen Weise. “A friend or family member could get his or her own pared-back version of Prime that did not include benefits like streaming videos but did provide free shipping. Prime members can still use free shipping to send items to a friend or family member who lives somewhere else, but those friends or family members can no longer get free, fast shipping on their own account without their own Prime membership.”
As to the why, Weise concludes that the move will allow Amazon to sell more Prime memberships, and people who previously received free, fast shipping from a friend or family member through the Invitee program will now need to pay.
According to Weise: “Prime memberships and other subscription fees account for about 7 percent of Amazon’s sales, amounting to more than $12 billion in the last quarter alone. But the growth rate of Prime subscriptions has stayed in the low double-digits for almost two years. Most American households that can afford a Prime membership already have one, analysts have said. This change allows Amazon to find more customers who will sign up and pay for their own accounts.”
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