Group 1 - Amazon Prime will restrict its free shipping perk to household members only, phasing out the "Prime Invitee program" effective October 1 [1][2] - The Invitee program, launched in 2009, allowed Prime members to share shipping benefits with non-members outside their household [2] - Amazon is shifting its focus to the Amazon Family program, which allows sharing of membership benefits with one other adult in the household and additional profiles for teens and children [2] Group 2 - Amazon's Prime membership has an annual fee of $139 in the U.S., an increase from the previous cost of $119 [7] - Analysts predict a potential price hike for Amazon Prime membership in 2026 [8] - The last Prime Day event was described as the "biggest Prime Day shopping event yet," with record sales and items sold [4][6]