Amazon is ending a program that allows Prime members to share their free shipping benefits with people who don’t have the same primary address.
In an update to the customer service section of its website, the company said it will end sharing on October 1.
Amazon is encouraging users who don’t live with the account holder to subscribe to their own membership at a discounted rate of $14.99 for one year. After that, it’s $14.99 per month or $139 annually. The offer starts this Friday and is valid until December 31.
Amazon is replacing the Invitee program with Amazon Family.
This is more limited and only lets account holders share the free two-day shipping perk and other perks — including deals and movies — with one other adult in their household. They can also share with four teens and four child profiles.
Amazon said that the adult could be a spouse, family member or roommate.
The move comes as Amazon expands its network to bring faster delivery to less densely populated areas. By the end of the year, the service will be available in 1,000 of the 4,000 smaller cities, towns and rural communities it is targeting.
Customers have been in a frenzy since the announcement. Some have canceled their memberships, while others are preparing to Christmas shop someplace else.
Amazon is ending a program that allows Prime membership holders to share their free shipping benefits
Amazon’s fan-favorite delivery perk will be axed on October 1
‘My family has Prime because they order non-stop, whereas I only order a package or two in a year, so it isn’t worth it for me. This just means I’ll order zero instead,’ a Reddit user wrote.
Amazon has axed multiple perks this year — including its Try Before You Buy service. The option, which ended on January 31, allowed subscribers to try on select clothing items, shoes and accessories at home before completing a purchase.
Members had been preparing for the loss of its ad-supported streaming service Freevee when its Try Before You Buy feature disappeared.
It was home to originals like Jury Duty, Bosch: Legacy, and Judy Justice before shutting down for good in August.
Besides the perk removals, Amazon became an enemy to consumers who were infuriated with its decision to layoff employees and increase AI usage.
The e-commerce empire had already slashed around 27,000 roles between 2022 and 2023.
‘As we roll out more generative AI and agents, it should change the way our work is done,’ CEO Andy Jassy told employees in an internal memo.
Amazon still managed earn $167.7 billion in second quarter sales — a 13 percent increase compared to that time period last year. It also held its biggest Prime Day ever despite a low start in sale earnings.
Several Reddit users plan to cancel their Amazon Prime memberships over the perk axe
While the company is looking to grow, its facing tough competition from top retailers like Target and Walmart.
Fans have frequently debated canceling their memberships in favor of Target 360 — a subscription-based program Target launched last year.
Walmart is turning up the heat even more by offering Walmart+ member Peacock’s ad-tier plan at no extra cost, starting on September 15.
That means subscribers can can stream shows including Real Housewives, SNL, The Traitors, plus NFL, NBA, and Olympic coverage — for less than buying the service directly.
Peacock’s annual ad-tier price jumped to $109.99 in August, while Walmart+ with video streaming costs $98 a year.
Walmart+ subscribers had the privilege of having access to Paramount+ before the upcoming addition. Those users will be able to switch between the two streaming services every 90 days.
