Adding a household member to your Amazon Prime account
You can add another person to your Amazon Prime membership so they can use the same account benefits — free shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music, and everything else included — without paying a separate membership fee. Amazon calls this Amazon Household, and it lets up to six adults and four children share one Prime account.
The person you add needs their own Amazon account (they can create one free if they don't have one yet). Once you add them, they'll see your Prime benefits in their own account and can place orders that ship to addresses you've approved. You stay in control of the payment method and can remove people whenever you want.
Key Takeaways
- Amazon Household lets up to six adults and four children share one Prime membership, each using their own Amazon login.
- The person you add must have their own Amazon account, which takes two minutes to create if they don't have one.
- You choose which addresses household members can ship to, so you can prevent orders going to the wrong place.
- The account owner (you) pays for Prime and can remove anyone from the household at any time.
- Each person sees their own order history and recommendations, even though you're all sharing the same Prime membership.
How to set up Amazon Household on a computer
Go to amazon.com and sign in with your account. In the top right corner, click the account menu (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 — the exact wording varies depending on your region.
Click Manage your Household or Set up your Household. Amazon will ask you to confirm your password. Then click the button to add an adult or child (the steps differ slightly). Enter the email address of the person you want to add. If they don't have an Amazon account yet, you can create one for them right there by entering their email and a temporary password — they'll change it the first time they log in.
After you send the invitation, the other person will receive an email asking them to confirm they want to join your household. They click the link in that email and confirm. Once they accept, they're added to your Prime membership when ready.
How to set up Amazon Household on a phone or tablet
Open the Amazon app and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right. Scroll down and tap Your Account. Tap Login & security or look for Household settings — you may need to scroll to find it.
Tap Manage your Household and confirm your password when prompted. Tap the option to add an adult or child, then enter the email address of the person you want to add. If they need an Amazon account created, you can do that in the same screen. Send the invitation and wait for them to confirm via the email Amazon sends them.
Choosing which addresses household members can use
When you add someone to your household, you control which of your saved addresses they can ship orders to. This prevents someone from accidentally (or intentionally) ordering something to the wrong place. During setup, Amazon shows you a list of addresses on your account and lets you check the boxes next to the ones that person can use.
You can change these addresses later. Go back to Household settings, find that person's name, and look for an option to edit their address permissions. Uncheck any address you want to remove access to, or add new addresses if you've moved or want to include a second home.
What happens when someone joins your household
Once they're added, the person sees all Prime benefits in their own account — free two-day shipping (or faster in some areas), access to Prime Video, Prime Music, and anything else included with your membership. They place orders normally, and those orders count toward your Prime account's shipping benefits.
Each person keeps their own order history, saved items, and recommendations. Your household member won't see what you ordered, and you won't see their orders. However, you (the account owner) can see a list of everyone in the household and remove anyone at any time from the Household settings page.
Removing someone from your household
Go to Household settings in your Amazon account. Find the person you want to remove and click or tap the option to delete them (usually shown as an X or a "Remove" button). Confirm when Amazon asks you to verify. That person loses access to Prime when ready, though any orders they've already placed will still be delivered.
If you remove someone and later want to add them back, you can — just send a new invitation. There's no limit to how many times you can add and remove people, so you can adjust your household as your situation changes.
Switching who pays for Prime
If you want someone else in your household to become the account owner and pay for Prime instead of you, Amazon doesn't have a direct "transfer ownership" button. Instead, you would need to remove yourself from the household (which requires the current owner to remove you), and then the other person would need to set up a new household with you as a member, or you'd need to create a separate Prime account in your name.
For most situations, it's simpler to just keep the same person as the account owner and payment method. If you're splitting costs with a household member, you can arrange payment between yourselves outside of Amazon — the account owner pays Amazon, and the other person reimburses them however you both agree.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add someone who doesn't live with me?
Yes. Amazon Household doesn't require people to live at the same address. You can add anyone with an email address, and you control which of your addresses they can ship to. Some people use it to share Prime with adult children, parents, or close friends.
What if someone in my household already has their own Prime membership?
They can't have two active Prime memberships at once. If they join your household, their separate Prime membership will end, and they'll use your shared one instead. They won't lose anything — they'll just use your Prime benefits going forward.
Can I add a child to my household?
Yes. Amazon lets you add up to four children under 18. Child accounts have some restrictions — for example, they can't make purchases without approval from the adult account owner — but they can still use Prime Video and other Prime benefits. You set up a child account differently than an adult account during the household setup process.
What if the person I'm inviting doesn't receive the email?
Check their spam or junk folder — the invitation email sometimes ends up there. You can also resend the invitation from your Household settings page. If they still don't receive it, double-check that you entered their email address correctly and ask them to check all their email accounts.
Do household members see my payment information?
No. They see that Prime is active on the account, but they can't see your credit card number, billing address, or payment history. You remain the only person who can change the payment method or view billing details.