Amazon Prime lets you add up to four other adults and unlimited children to your account through a feature called Amazon Household
When you add a family member to your Prime membership, they get access to the same Prime benefits you do — fast shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music, and everything else included with your subscription. You do not need to pay extra. The person you add must have their own Amazon account, and you will need their email address or phone number to send them an invitation.
The process takes about five minutes and happens entirely online. Your family member receives an invitation, accepts it, and their account is linked to yours. They can start using Prime benefits right away.
Key Takeaways
- You can add up to four adults and unlimited children to one Amazon Prime account through Amazon Household.
- Each person you add must have their own Amazon account with a valid email address or phone number.
- Family members see the same Prime benefits as you but keep separate order histories and payment methods.
- You can remove someone from your Household at any time, and they lose Prime access when ready.
How to set up Amazon Household and add your first family member
Go to Amazon.com and sign in to your account. Click on the account menu in the top right corner (it shows your name or "Account & Lists") and select Your Account. Look for a section called Login & security or scroll down until you see Household settings or Amazon Household.
Click on Manage your Household or Set up your Household. Amazon will ask you to confirm your address and payment method. This is the address and card that will be associated with the Household. Once you confirm, you will see an option to Add an adult or Add a child. Choose the one that matches the person you want to add.
Enter their email address or phone number in the field provided. Amazon will send them an invitation. They need to accept the invitation from their own Amazon account within seven days, or the invitation expires and you will need to send it again.
What happens when a family member accepts the invitation
When the person you invited opens the invitation email or text message and clicks the link, they will be taken to their Amazon account. They will see a screen asking them to confirm they want to join your Household. Once they click accept, they are added when ready.
They can now use Prime benefits on their own account. When they order something, it ships to the address associated with your Household (the one you confirmed when you set up the feature). If they want orders to ship somewhere else, they can add a different address to their account and select it at checkout.
Each person in the Household has their own order history, wish list, and recommendations. Amazon keeps these separate so that your shopping does not show up in their account and theirs does not show up in yours.
The difference between adding an adult and adding a child
When you add an adult, they have full access to everything in the Household. They can see what other adults ordered, change payment methods, and remove other people from the Household. You can have up to four adults in one Household.
When you add a child, you control what they see and what they can do. You set up parental controls, which means you can restrict purchases, set spending limits, and control which content they can watch on Prime Video. There is no limit to how many children you can add. A child account is different from a regular Amazon account — it is created specifically to be part of a Household and cannot stand alone.
If a child turns 18, you can convert their account to an adult account, or they can leave the Household and create their own Amazon account.
How to remove someone from your Household
Go back to Your Account and select Manage your Household. You will see a list of everyone in your Household. Next to the person you want to remove, click Remove from Household or a similar option (the exact wording varies depending on whether you are removing an adult or a child).
Amazon will ask you to confirm. Once you do, that person is removed when ready. They lose access to Prime benefits right away. If they want Prime again, they will need to buy their own subscription or be added to someone else's Household.
If an adult removes themselves from your Household, they can do it from their own account without asking your permission. You will see that they have left, but you cannot stop them.
What you need to know about payment and billing
Everyone in your Household uses the same Prime membership. The person whose account owns the Household (usually the person who set it up) pays for the subscription. The payment method on file for that account is what gets charged each month or year, depending on whether you have a monthly or annual plan.
Family members cannot change the payment method or cancel the Prime subscription. Only the account owner can do that. If you want someone else to be able to manage the subscription, you would need to make them the account owner, which requires removing the current owner from the Household first.
If you share Prime with someone and later want to stop, you can remove them from your Household. Your Prime subscription continues, and you keep paying for it. Removing someone does not change your plan or your cost.
Troubleshooting common problems when adding family members
If the person you are trying to add says they never received an invitation, ask for their email address or phone number again and make sure you typed it correctly. Invitations sometimes go to spam folders, so have them check there. You can also send a new invitation — the old one will expire after seven days anyway.
If someone is already part of another Household, Amazon will not let you add them to yours. They have to remove themselves from the other Household first, wait a moment, and then accept your invitation. This usually takes less than an hour.
If you see an error message saying you have reached the limit of adults in your Household, you already have four adults added. You will need to remove one before you can add another.
If a family member can see Prime Video but cannot use Prime shipping, make sure their account is fully linked to the Household. Have them sign out and sign back in. If the problem continues, contact Amazon customer service — there may be a technical issue on their end.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add someone who lives in a different country?
No. Everyone in your Household must live in the same country and use the same Amazon site. If someone moves to another country, they will need to leave your Household and create an account on that country's Amazon site.
What if someone in my Household changes their password?
Changing their password does not affect their Household membership. They stay in your Household and keep their Prime access. Passwords are separate from Household settings.
Can I see what other people in my Household are ordering?
No, unless they are a child account that you set up parental controls for. Adult accounts have private order histories. You can see that someone made a purchase, but not what they bought.
What happens to Prime Video watchlists when someone leaves?
Their watchlist stays on their account. If they join a different Household or buy their own Prime subscription later, their watchlist is still there. Leaving a Household does not delete their account or their viewing history.
Can I have two separate Households with the same payment method?
No. One payment method can only be linked to one Household. If you want to create a second Household, you would need to use a different payment method.