The Takeaway
- Amazon ended Invitee program Oct. 1, 2025. Sharing free shipping outside the household is gone.
- Netflix set the tone. Its 2023 crackdown on password sharing boosted subscribers and revenue.
- Disney+ and Hulu followed. Both now block account sharing beyond a single household.
- Music services are strict. Spotify and Apple Music already tie “family” plans to one address.
- Expect more to follow. Companies see clamping down as a path to new subscribers.
What’s Changing
It's been a good life in the world of subscription bartering, hasn't it? Despite not being in the same (official) "household," Grandma gives the kids a thousand miles away her username and password for her Hulu account and the kids give Grandma the account into for their Amazon Prime account.
For years, Amazon let some members share shipping benefits with friends and family outside their homes under the Prime Invitee program (thank you, Amazon – really). However, you can kiss that goodbye.
