WASHINGTON — Starting Wednesday, Oct. 1, Amazon is ending a program that allowed Prime members to share their free shipping benefits with people outside their household.

In an update to its customer service page, the company announced it is eliminating the so-called Prime Invitee program and is encouraging users who don’t live at the same primary address as the account holder to sign up for their own Prime membership.

Amazon is replacing the feature with Amazon Family, which allows members to share two-day shipping perks with only one other adult in their household. Members can also add up to four teens, if they were added before April 7, and up to four child profiles, according to the company’s website.

Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 annually.

The change comes as Amazon continues to invest in expanding its delivery network to serve more remote areas. As of July, the company said its faster shipping service was available in 1,000 of more than 4,000 targeted small towns and rural communities across the U.S., with plans to reach more by the end of the year.

Less than a week after this takes effect, Amazon is once again hosting its Prime Big Deal Days event from October 7-8. The Prime member-exclusive sale signals the company’s kickoff to the 2025 holiday shopping season and is similar to its annual Prime Day event, which typically happens in July. 

The Prime Big Deal Days event kicks off October 7 at 12:01 a.m. PDT.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.