Amazon Prime was once one of the best deals in online shopping, but the perks that helped entice millions of subscribers to fork over a monthly fee are growing less numerous as Amazon unexpectedly kills off Prime features. Today, we learned that the e-commerce giant is ending its long-running Prime Invitee program, which allows users to share some Prime benefits. Those invited by the subscriber were given access to free and fast shipping on eligible items. But when the program ends on October 1,
just under a month from now, invitees will find themselves paying full price for shipping once more.
The announcement comes as new data obtained by Reuters shows Amazon falling short of its target for new subscribers, a year-over-year decline. The shortfall arrives amid uncertainties over the future of the consumer economy. United States shoppers have grown accustomed to an unlimited supply of cheap goods shipped right to their doorstep, but the government's new tariff program spearheaded by Donald Trump threatens to upend that paradigm. The most impactful change came on August 29, which marked the end of the "de minimis" rule exempting items of $800 or under from international duties and tariffs.
Late last month, European postal services halted package shipments to the U.S., as did nations including Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and New Zealand. Amazon is hoping to bolster new Prime signups in this turbulent climate, but all hope is not lost for those losing their Prime Invitee status. In its place, Amazon still offers the Amazon Family plan, which provides a lot more benefits than the outgoing program.
Read more: 8 Little-Known Amazon Gadgets Worth Trying For Yourself
The Amazon Prime Family Plan Is Left Standing After The Invitee Program Ends
Amazon is offering the Prime Family plan in lieu of the outgoing Prime Invitee program. The main caveat is that those invited to join a Family plan must live with the primary subscriber and share an address. Amazon is very clear that it must be "the address you consider to be your home," but it's unclear whether the company is subjecting members to the same rigorous location checks as, say, Netflix's household requirements for account sharing. Existing Prime subscribers can invite one other adult along with up to four teenagers, and can configure profiles for up to four children.
The benefits afforded to a Prime Family member are more plentiful than for an Invitee, including most of the perks of a Prime Subscription. In addition to free shipping on Prime purchases, Family members get ad-supported Prime Video, Prime Reading, e-books, audiobooks, games, and access to deals from events. Benefits from affiliates like Grubhub may also be available. Finally, the one other adult allowed on a Family Plan can share access to Amazon Prime Music. If you're looking to save on subscriptions, that could end up being cheaper than Spotify, and it has perks like high-resolution streaming that Spotify still doesn't offer. However, anyone who joins an Amazon Family will have a year-long cooldown period before they're allowed to join a different one.
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