Prime benefits' access limited by Amazon, effective from October 1 onwards
Amazon Prime members may experience changes to their subscription benefits, with the most notable being a restriction on the free shipping perk starting next month. The perk, which allows for fast and free delivery on Prime-eligible items, will now be limited to household members only, marking a shift from the current policy that allows Prime members to share their benefits with people outside their household.
This change comes as Amazon continues to evolve its Prime programme, offering a range of benefits including access to exclusive events and deals, Prime Video, Prime Reading, and third-party benefits like Grubhub. Amazon also recently expanded its same-day delivery service to include perishable food items in over 1,000 cities.
The "Prime Invitee program," which enabled Prime members to share their shipping benefits with others, will end on October 1. This program, first launched in 2009, was a cornerstone of the Prime membership, allowing members to extend their benefits to friends and family. Amazon has been encouraging members to transition to its Amazon Family program, which allows members to share several membership benefits with one other adult in their household.
Amazon's Prime Day event in 2025 set a new record, with more items sold during the four-day period than any previous Prime Day event. This success was not limited to Amazon alone, as independent sellers, most of which are small and medium-sized businesses, also achieved record sales and a record number of items sold during the event.
While Amazon did not disclose specific figures for its Prime membership in its latest earnings call, analysts predict an imminent price hike for the popular membership. J.P.Morgan analyst Doug Anmuth predicts that Amazon could raise the price of its Prime membership in 2026. This would mark the second increase in the annual fee since 2022, when Amazon raised the fee from about $119 a year to its current cost of $139 in the U.S.
Amazon has also announced an investment of 20 billion US dollars in AI data centers in Pennsylvania as part of its 2025 capital expenditure plans. This investment is part of Amazon's ongoing commitment to innovation and growth.
As Amazon continues to grow and evolve, it will be interesting to see how these changes impact its Prime membership and its users. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
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