This little-known Amazon hack helps keep your gift purchases a secret while sharing Prime benefits with family
The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.
- For $119 a year, an Amazon Prime membership comes with a slew of benefits.
- Some you're probably already well aware of, like free two-day shipping, which has come in clutch for us in all too many situations.
- Others like Amazon Household are a little less known but further emphasize why a Prime membership is completely worth it.
When you live with a family member who has Prime, it's easy to just ask for their login information and take advantage of those benefits without paying for an extra membership. The trade-off is the loss of privacy.
Everyone in my family uses my brother's account when we need to use Prime. It's convenient and keeps the cost of membership low, but it also means we can all see what everyone is looking at and buying. Furthermore, confirmation and shipping emails are sent to my brother and have to be forwarded to the appropriate recipient.
It turns out we've been overlooking a key feature that would help relieve these problems and help us regain control of our shopping: Amazon Household.
Amazon Household lets each adult keep his or her personal account while sharing Prime benefits at no additional cost. Here's how it works:
- You'll need two adults (ages 18 and over) each with their own Amazon account. One must have a Prime membership.
- Both adults must agree to share credit and debit cards associated with your Amazon accounts. Both accounts will retain their current payment methods, but you'll each be able to see and use each other's credit and debit cards.
- You can set up content you would like to share within your Household. This includes current and future purchases. After setup, you will still be able to manage or change your shared content. Shareable content includes apps and games, audiobooks, and eBooks, so you can have a whole family library accessible to you if you'd like. Here's what that setup looks like:
- If you have teens (ages 13 through 17) in your household, you can add up to four teen profiles. This will allow them to have their own Amazon login to shop or stream content while still keeping their parents informed.
- If you have younger children (ages 12 and under), you can add up to four child profiles which can be used on Amazon experiences geared toward children, like Amazon FreeTime. Children won't be able to shop on the site.
As you start shopping for the holidays, this feature is especially handy to keep your gift browsing and purchases secret from the rest of your family. Now you'll always be able to experience the satisfying feeling of surprising your loved one with an unexpected present.
Of course, you can't share the great Prime benefits with anyone if no one in the household has a membership in the first place. From speedy shipping and delivery policies to digital content access and exclusive member pricing, a Prime membership will be an indispensable tool for the whole family.