by What is Amazon Household and How Does It Work?
| 4 min read
Amazon Household is an easy and free way to share many of your Prime benefits. You can share those benefits with up to one other adult and several children. Despite the name, you don’t need to live in the same home to join someone’s Amazon Household.
Free two-day shipping isn’t the only perk Amazon Prime members enjoy. Membership benefits range from Prime Video streaming to early access to Lightning Deals. However, some people are still reluctant to sign up due to the price of Amazon Prime. Thankfully, Amazon Household provides a more affordable way to access these benefits, and we’re here to explain how.
What Is Amazon Household?
Even if you’ve heard of Amazon Prime, you might not be familiar with Amazon Household. However, you should be. Amazon Household is a free option that allows members to share many Prime benefits and digital content.
Not all Amazon Prime benefits are available to Amazon Household members, but a lot of them are. This service can allow you and other Household members to enjoy the following perks:
- Free Prime Delivery benefits
- Early access to Lightning Deals
- Prime Video streaming
- Free eBooks with Prime Reading and Amazon First Reads
- Photo backup and album sharing with Amazon Photos
Amazon Household also allows members to share purchased digital content like eBooks, audiobooks, apps, and games.
Who Can Use Amazon Household?
Each Amazon Household can include adults, teens, and children. However, Amazon limits the number of people that can be in each Household.
- Adults: Each Household can include two adults (age 18 and up). Each adult must have their own Amazon account and be in the same country or region. Despite what the word “household” would have you think, these adults do NOT have to live together.
- Teens: Up to four teens (age 13 to 17) can be in a Household. Teens can have their own Amazon account to shop and stream, but their parents can still see what they’re doing.
- Kids: A single Amazon Household can contain up to four children (age 12 and under). Kids in the Household cannot shop on Amazon.
How Can You Save With Amazon Household?
There is no cost to sign up and use Amazon Household. This service is free as long as one adult in the Amazon Household has an Amazon Prime membership.
You’ll find there are two ways you can save with help from Amazon Household.
- Join the Amazon Household of a generous friend or family member.
- Split the cost of Amazon Prime membership with the other adult in the Household.
The first option gives you free access to many Amazon Prime benefits, while the second one allows you to enjoy them for half the price.
The actual savings become clear when you consider how much it costs for two adults to each have their own Amazon Prime account. Prime is $14.99 per month ($179.88 annually when paying each month) or $139 per year. As a result, that’s $359.76 (monthly option) or $278 (annual option) for two adults to have separate accounts.
If two adults split the cost of a single Prime membership, the cost comes out to just $89.94 (monthly option) or $69.50 (annual option) per person. And if you’re lucky enough to join someone’s Amazon Household without having to pay, the cost for you is $0!
How Do You Create Your Amazon Household?
If you’re on board and ready to save with Amazon Household, you or another Amazon Prime member will need to create an Amazon Household. The method for adding members to the Household varies for adults, teens, and kids.
- Open the My Households page.
- To add an adult, select Add Adult. Doing so will send them an email invite, which they must respond to within 14 days. Another option is to sign up together to verify accounts.
- To add a teen, click on Add a Teen. This option will send the teenager an email invite, which they must accept to set up their login.
- To add a child, select Add a Child, add the child’s details, and hit Save.
Keep in mind that the main Amazon Prime account holder will be asked to review content-sharing settings in the Family Library when creating an Amazon Household. To avoid sharing certain types of content, just uncheck the boxes next to the content type’s name. It’s also possible to go back and adjust the settings later.
Can You See Orders and Content for Other Amazon Household Members?
One common question about Amazon Household is whether the members can see each other’s orders and content. If you want to keep content private or gifts a secret, you’ll be happy to know that adults cannot see orders or content if they have their own accounts. However, the situation is a bit different for teenagers and children.
- With teens, adults can review and approve items and payment information for the teen’s orders. They can also set spending limits for Amazon purchases.
- Adults can see and control the content that their children view. Additionally, children in an Amazon Household cannot shop on Amazon.
How Do I Remove Someone From My Amazon Household?
Nothing lasts forever, so Amazon offers a way to remove members from a Household. The process is even easier than adding someone to a Household.
- Go to Manage Your Household.
- Select Remove under the name of the adult to be removed.
- When removing a teen, select Edit Profile and then Remove from Household.
How Do I Leave an Amazon Household?
If you’re in an Amazon Household and want to leave, Amazon also makes this an easy process. You’ll just go to Manage Your Household and under your name under the adult avatars. From there, you’ll click on the word Leave beneath your name. Just make sure you really want to leave before you click this button, though.
Why is this a big deal? There are two reasons. First, you will no longer be able to access the primary Amazon Prime member’s benefits and content. This will likely come as no surprise. However, the second reason may shock you. After leaving (or being removed from) an Amazon Household, you can’t join another Household for 180 days.
Now that you know everything about Amazon Household, it’s time to start or join your own. Reach out to a friend or a family member to start the process and enjoy those savings!