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Amazon Is Cutting Off This Free Shipping Benefit Next Month

Amazon delivery person places some Amazon packages on a porch

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Amazon is winding down a program that has allowed family members to share Prime shipping benefits and even have packages sent to different addresses.

On Oct. 1, customers who are part of the Amazon Invitee program will "lose access to the shared Prime delivery benefit, but can use Amazon Family instead," according to a customer service page.

The change has led to confusion and frustration among shoppers who share Prime benefits, and users are letting out those complaints on social media.

When customers received notice of the changes last week, comparisons were immediately drawn to Netflix's crackdown on password sharing. Amazon's move is also being called the latest signal that the "mooch economy" is ending.

The online retailer is defending its move, emphasizing that customers have not been able to join Amazon Invitee since 2015. In a statement, Amazon said the company is "phasing out" the old program as it promotes a new option for families.

Is Amazon ending Prime sharing?

Amazon is ending a specific program that allows family members to share the Prime shipping benefit. The option will be removed at the beginning of October.

To maintain access to free expedited Amazon shipping, customers currently sharing Prime through the Invitee program will need to make their own Prime accounts (typically $139 per year) or join the Amazon Family program. Impacted users are being offered a promotional Prime membership rate of $14.99 for a year.

Customers were able to join Amazon Invitee from 2009 to 2015. The company then rolled out Amazon Household in August 2015, which offered more limited shared shipping benefits. Amazon Household is now becoming Amazon Family.

What is Amazon Family?

The new program lets customers share Prime perks with household members.

Amazon digital benefits such as Prime Video can be shared through Amazon Family, according to the retailer. (Amazon Invitee offered only shared shipping benefits.)

Here's the catch with Amazon Family: Shipping benefits can be shared with only one person — and that individual must have the same primary address as the main account holder.

"Amazon Family enables Prime members to share a range of benefits with one adult —whether that is a spouse, family member or roommate — and Prime Video and additional digital content like Kindle eBooks, audiobooks and games, with up to four children in their household," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement.

What about password sharing?

At this time, Amazon hasn't announced any new efforts to crack down on password sharing. On social media, users are also wondering if they'll still be able to ship packages to family members at other addresses. Again, Amazon hasn't announced any changes to other shipping policies.

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