If you‘re one of the 195 million Amazon Prime members worldwide, you likely already know about all the amazing benefits that come with your subscription. But did you know that with Amazon Household, you can extend those perks to your family at no extra cost?
Amazon Household is a seriously underrated feature that lets you create a "household" and share your Prime benefits, purchased content, and even payment methods with up to six family members. According to a report by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), about 60% of Prime memberships are Household accounts with multiple members.
It‘s an exciting option – but what happens if your Amazon Household suddenly stops working as it should? Maybe you can‘t add family members, access shared content, or see purchase history. These issues can be frustrating, but luckily, they‘re often easy to troubleshoot and fix.
In this ultimate guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know about how Amazon Household works, common reasons it may not be functioning properly, and step-by-step solutions to get your family sharing back up and running. Plus, we‘ll share some expert tips and insights to help you make the most of this Prime perk.
Let‘s dive in!
Understanding Amazon Household Basics
Before we get into the troubleshooting, it‘s important to understand the key features and limitations of Amazon Household. Here‘s a quick overview:
- An Amazon Household can include up to six members:
— Two adult profiles (ages 18+)
— Four teen profiles (ages 13-17)
— Four child profiles (ages 12 and under) - The two adults must agree to share payment methods to enable all Household benefits
- You can share Prime shipping, streaming (Prime Video, Music, Gaming), early access to deals, free books, and more
- Some content, like Kindle and Audible books, must be purchased by the adults and then shared
- In-app purchases, subscriptions, and certain digital content are NOT shareable
- Both adults have access to the Household‘s browsing/purchase history and shared payment methods
According to Amazon, the idea behind Household is to make it more convenient for busy families to share their Prime benefits and manage purchases in one central place. It can also help save money on multiple Prime subscriptions and keep everyone‘s account information secure.
So now that we‘ve covered the basics, what are some common reasons your Amazon Household may stop working – and how can you fix them? Keep reading to find out.
5 Reasons Why Your Amazon Household Isn‘t Working (& How to Fix Them)
1. You‘ve exceeded the Household member limit
One of the most common issues Prime members run into is trying to add more than the maximum number of members to their Household. As we mentioned above, a single Household can only include up to:
- Two adult profiles
- Four teen profiles
- Four child profiles
That‘s a total of six members maximum. If you try to add a seventh member, you‘ll see an error message letting you know you‘ve reached the limit.
The solution? Remove an existing member before adding someone new. Here‘s how:
- Log in to your Amazon account and go to Manage Your Household (under Account & Lists)
- Find the individual you want to remove under their respective profile section
- Click Remove next to their name and confirm the removal
After removing a member, you should now have an available "slot" to add someone else to the Household.
2. Your Household doesn‘t have two adults
Another requirement for a working Amazon Household is having two valid adult profiles. You can‘t create a Household with only one adult, and teens/children can‘t start their own household.
Luckily, it‘s easy to add a second adult to your existing Household:
- Go to Manage Your Household and look for the "+ Add Adult" option
- Click Add Adult and enter their name and email address
- Follow the on-screen prompts to send them an email invitation to join
The second adult will then need to accept the invitation and agree to share payment methods. Once they do, your Household should be good to go!
It‘s important to note that the two adults in an Amazon Household must share the same home address. This is Amazon‘s way of verifying that you‘re actually in the same household and family.
3. You recently left another Household
Here‘s a quirk of Amazon Household that catches many people off guard – if you leave a Household as an adult, you have to wait 180 days before you can join another one.
So if you left your previous Household last week and are now trying to set up a new one or join someone else‘s, you‘ll get hit with an error message about the mandatory waiting period.
As inconvenient as it may be, there‘s no way to get around this rule. You‘ll have to wait the full 180 days before creating or joining a new Household. In the meantime, you can still enjoy your personal Prime benefits.
4. You haven‘t enabled purchase sharing
For your Household members to share select purchases and payment methods, the two adults need to go through an extra step to enable sharing during the setup process.
If your Household is set up but members are having trouble accessing shared content or payment methods, purchase sharing may not have been turned on. Follow these steps to enable it:
- Log in to your Amazon account and go to Manage Your Household
- Click on Manage Your Shared Payment Methods under the Adults section
- Click Add next to the payment method you want to share
- Confirm the shared payment method and agree to the terms
Once you‘ve enabled purchase sharing, your Household members should be able to access eligible shared content and use the shared payment methods (if you choose to allow that).
5. Your Prime sharing benefits aren‘t active
The key to a functioning Amazon Household is having the "Share Your Prime Benefits" feature properly set up. Without this step, you‘re technically not sharing anything with your Household!
Even if you‘ve added members to your Household, you need to go through the Prime benefits sharing process for it to actually work. Here‘s how:
- Go to your Prime membership benefits page (under Account & Lists)
- Look for the "Share Your Prime Benefits" option and click Manage
- Go through the Household creation/invitation process
- Both adults will need to accept the invitations and agree to share payment methods
- Prime sharing benefits should then be active within a few minutes
If you‘ve double checked all these common issues and your Household is still not working, there may be a problem on Amazon‘s end. Try contacting customer support for assistance.
Amazon Household Features & Benefits to Know
We‘ve talked a lot about fixing issues with Amazon Household not working – but what can you actually do with this feature when it IS functioning properly? Let‘s take a closer look at some of the key perks and capabilities.
Perhaps the biggest draw of Amazon Household is the ability to extend your Prime shipping benefits to other family members. With a basic Prime subscription, you get free one or two-day shipping on millions of items, regardless of order minimum.
So if you have kids away at college or elderly parents across the country, they can still take advantage of free expedited shipping without having to pay for their own Prime account. It‘s a great way to simplify shopping and save on shipping costs for the whole family.
Access Streaming Entertainment
In addition to physical purchases, your Amazon Household can also share access to Prime Video streaming, Amazon Music, Prime Gaming, and more. With shared profiles, each member can have their own personalized recommendations and playlists.
So instead of fighting over the remote or sharing one streaming queue, your Household can enjoy separate profiles while still sharing the overall benefits. You can also set parental controls and purchase limits for the teen/child profiles.
| Service | Individual Plans | Shared with Household? |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Video | $8.99/month | Yes |
| Amazon Music Unlimited | $9.99/month | Only with Family Plan |
| Prime Gaming | Included with Prime | Yes |
| Amazon Kids+ | $2.99/month | Yes |
Sources: Amazon.com as of September 2021
Keep in mind that there are some limitations around sharing digital content like ebooks and audiobooks – more on that later.
Another useful aspect of Amazon Household is the ability to share and manage payment methods between the two adult profiles. With shared payments enabled, both adults can:
- Make purchases on Amazon using the shared credit/debit cards and gift card balance
- Add, edit, or remove payment methods from the shared wallet
- Review the Household‘s purchase history and budget
Of course, as we discussed earlier, sharing payment methods is totally optional. If you‘d rather keep your accounts separate, you can choose not to share wallets during the Household setup process.
Set Up Teen Purchasing
If you have teens in your Household, you can grant them some purchasing independence while still maintaining oversight. With teen profiles, kids ages 13-17 can shop on their own using the shared payment methods – but the adults must approve each order first.
Teens can also access select Prime benefits like fast shipping, Prime Video, and early access to deals. But they can‘t view the adults‘ browsing/purchase history. It‘s a good balance of freedom and supervision as your teens start to shop online.
One area where Amazon Household sharing gets a little tricky is digital content. While you can share Prime Video and Amazon Music access, other digital items like ebooks, apps, and games have more restrictions.
For example, Kindle books and Audible audiobooks can only be shared between adults in a Household, not teens/kids. The adults have to first purchase the content and then manually share it with each other.
In-app purchases and certain subscriptions also generally can‘t be shared across a Household. So it‘s a good idea to review Amazon‘s content sharing rules before assuming everything is fair game.
Expert Tips for Using Amazon Household
Now that we‘ve covered the key features and benefits of Amazon Household, here are some tips and best practices to keep in mind as you set up and use yours:
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Make sure to enable purchase sharing during setup. As we‘ve mentioned, this is a crucial step to unlocking all the Household perks. The two adults will need to agree to share wallets and payment methods.
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Keep your Household secure. Even though you‘re sharing benefits, each member should have their own unique login credentials. Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication when possible.
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Customize profiles and permissions. Take advantage of the ability to set age limits, content filters, and purchase approvals for teen/child profiles. You can also create personalized profiles for each member‘s streaming preferences.
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Know what can and can‘t be shared. Not all Prime benefits and digital content can be shared with a Household. Do your research ahead of time to avoid any confusion or frustration.
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Review your Household activity regularly. Since you‘re sharing sensitive info like payment methods, it‘s a good idea to periodically check in on your Household‘s purchase history and content usage. Look out for any suspicious charges or activity.
The Future of Amazon Household
As Amazon continues to expand its Prime ecosystem with new features and content, it‘s likely that Household will also evolve over time. While nothing is official yet, here are some potential updates and improvements we may see in the future:
- Ability to share even more Prime perks like Amazon Photos, Amazon Fresh grocery delivery, Prime Wardrobe, etc.
- More granular controls and permissions for shared content and purchases
- Expanded payment options for Households, like the ability to split costs or set spending limits
- Integrations with other Amazon services and devices for easier household management
- Exclusive deals and discounts for Household members
Of course, these are just predictions based on Amazon‘s current trajectory. Only time will tell what the future really holds for Amazon Household – but we‘ll be keeping a close eye on any developments.
Conclusion
Amazon Household is a powerful tool for extending the value of your Prime membership to the whole family. By sharing benefits like free shipping, streaming entertainment, and purchase privileges, you can save money and simplify your household shopping.
However, setting up and troubleshooting an Amazon Household can sometimes be confusing or frustrating. Between the member limits, age restrictions, and content sharing rules, there‘s a lot to keep track of.
But by understanding the basics of how Household works, knowing the common issues and fixes, and following best practices, you can make the most of this feature without the headaches.
Whether you‘re a long-time Prime subscriber or just signing up, taking a few minutes to properly set up your Household can unlock a ton of value. And if you do run into any snags, refer back to this guide for step-by-step solutions.
Happy sharing!
FAQs
What happens to my Household if I cancel my Prime membership?
If the primary account holder cancels their Prime subscription, the Household will lose access to all shared Prime benefits and content. The other members will have to sign up for their own Prime membership to regain access.
Can I be in more than one Household at a time?
No, you can only be an adult in one Amazon Household at a time. If you leave a Household, you have to wait 180 days before you can join another one. Teens and kids can only be in one Household as well.
What information is visible between Household members?
The two adults in the Household can see each other‘s purchase history, shared payment methods, and content libraries. Teens and kids generally can‘t see the adults‘ activity.
Is there a cost to use Amazon Household?
No, Amazon Household is a free benefit included with your Prime membership. You just need to have an active subscription and meet the eligibility requirements.
How do I contact Amazon for help with my Household?
If you‘re still having trouble with your Household after trying the troubleshooting steps, you can contact Amazon customer support by phone, email, or live chat. Go to the Help section on Amazon‘s website to get started.
