Whether you’re dead-set on your decision or still a little unsure, some part of you is urging you to cancel Amazon Prime. You have your reasons. The good news is that getting rid of your subscription is quick and easy… unless Amazon convinces you otherwise along the way.
You can cancel your Prime membership at any time, and don’t worry: you’ll still get to keep your Amazon account. Prime is just the online retailer’s subscription program, so even if you ditch it you’ll still be able to buy stuff on the site—you just won’t have access to Prime deals or expedited free shipping. And while you won’t get a refund for canceling early (before your next billing date), Prime’s benefits won’t disappear until that date arrives.
The only time you won’t have to pay anything is if you’re just testing the program out for 30 days to see how you like it. In that case, you can cancel the Amazon Prime free trial before it ends, and your card will be spared any charges.
How to cancel Amazon Prime
The cancelation process works exactly the same whether you’re trying to end a monthly, yearly, or free trial subscription. Canceling Prime will also shut off your access to benefits like Prime Video and Amazon Music—you can’t say goodbye to them individually. To start, click Accounts & Lists in the upper right corner of the Amazon website to manage your Prime membership. Once you’re there, follow these steps:
1. Click on the Prime tile—it’s the third one in the first row.
2. Amazon really, really won’t want you to cancel Prime, so it’ll try its best to remind you of all the benefits of having a subscription. Ignore all that and focus on the banner at the top of the screen, where you’ll click on Manage membership, the third option to the right.
3. Go to the bottom of the dropdown menu and click End membership.
[Related: Canceling Prime just got easier for Amazon customers in the EU]
4. Again, Amazon will remind you of everything you’ll be losing if you leave, but you are stronger, so scroll down and choose Continue to cancel.
- Note: If you start doubting whether you actually want to cancel Amazon Prime, this page also allows you to change plans (click Prime plan offers) or procrastinate (click Remind me later).
5. The next screen will display a summary of your membership, including what you’re paying, how often, and when your next payment is due. You have two options here: Cancel on renewal and Pause on renewal. The first one is selected by default, so if that’s what you want, confirm it by clicking the yellow button that says End on [your next billing date].
If second thoughts keep haunting you, select Pause on renewal and confirm your choice. Pausing is similar to canceling your Prime membership in that you won’t have to pay anything until you come back, which you can do whenever you want. There are some differences, though. For one, if you cancel, you’ll lose your Prime Video watchlist, as well as any household members you might have added. If you’ve stored any pics on Amazon Photos or created any playlists on Amazon Music, you’ll also lose those. If you pause your membership, however, your personalized settings and content will be waiting there for you when you come back.
New member? Try a monthly plan first
A 30-day free trial may not be enough to know how much you’ll actually use a Prime membership. It’s fresh and new, so you may be excited about all the benefits, exclusive deals, and fast free shipping, so you’ll likely use it more.
[Related: Amazon tricked millions into renewing Prime subscriptions, FTC lawsuit claims]
If you’ve never had a Prime membership, start by signing up for a monthly subscription so you can find out if you really get a lot out of it. In the long run, paying month-to-month is slightly less convenient than paying for an entire year upfront, but you can use that time to experiment and see if Prime is just something that’s nice to have, or if it’s something you just cannot live without.
