Amazon will end its free shipping benefit sharing program for Prime members.

The online retailer is discontinuing the Prime Invitee Program, which allows customers to share Prime benefits with individuals outside their household. Amazon announced the change on its customer service site.

The change comes as Amazon’s Prime Day sign-ups in the U.S. fell short of the company’s target and were lower than the totals from the previous year, according to Reuters, citing internal company data. Amazon’s Prime event ran sales for four days from July 8 to July 11.

An Amazon spokesperson said in a statement, “Prime membership continues to show strong growth and customer engagement in the U.S. and internationally.

When will the Prime Invitee Program end?

Amazon will discontinue its 16-year-old Prime Invitee Program on Oct. 1, which previously allowed customers to share benefits with anyone regardless of address.

Members who enrolled between its launch in 2009 and 2015 will be impacted by Amazon’s discontinuation. The program served fewer than 1% of Prime members in the U.S., reported USA TODAY.

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What is replacing the Prime sharing program?

Amazon announced the Prime Invitee Program will be replaced by Amazon Family, where Prime members can share benefits with one other person in their household, up to four teens (who were added before April 7) and up to four profiles for children.

Amazon said customers will have access to more perks than just Prime delivery with Amazon Family.

Additional benefits include sharing Prime Video (with ads), Amazon Music, and other digital entertainment, along with access to a free Grubhub+ membership and gasoline savings at participating locations. The Invitee program only offered Prime shipping.

Is there a discounted Prime offer?

The company is offering a limited-time Prime membership deal for those who were using the Prime Invitee Program, but anyone can sign up. The deal offers 12 months of Prime at a discounted rate of $14.99 per month or $139 annually, available from Oct. 3 through Dec. 31, 2025.