You can cancel Amazon Prime at any time through your account settings, and you will keep access until the end of your current billing period

Amazon Prime cancellation happens in your Amazon account, not through a phone call or email. You log in, go to your membership settings, and choose to end the subscription. If you paid for a full year upfront, you get a refund for the unused months — but only if you cancel within a specific window. If you cancel mid-month on a monthly plan, you keep Prime until the next billing date.

The process takes about two minutes. You do not need to contact Amazon customer service unless something goes wrong during cancellation or you want to discuss your reasons for leaving.

Key Takeaways

  • Cancel Prime through Your Account > Memberships and Subscriptions > Prime Membership, then select End Membership.
  • You keep all Prime benefits (free shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music) until your current billing period ends, even after you cancel.
  • Annual plans refund unused months only if you cancel within 30 days of the charge date; monthly plans do not refund partial months.
  • If you cancel by mistake, you can restart your membership from the same settings page within 30 days and keep your cancellation date.
  • Amazon will ask why you are leaving, but answering is optional and does not affect your cancellation.

Step-by-step cancellation on desktop or mobile

Open Amazon.com and sign in to your account. On desktop, hover over "Account & Lists" in the top right corner and select "Your Account." On mobile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) and scroll to "Your Account."

Look for "Memberships and Subscriptions" — it is usually in the middle section of your account page. Click or tap it. Find "Prime Membership" in the list and click "Manage Membership." You will see your current plan (monthly or annual), your next billing date, and a button that says "End Membership" or "Cancel Prime Membership."

Click that button. Amazon will show you a confirmation screen with your cancellation date and a summary of what you are losing. Read it to make sure the date is correct. Then click "End Membership" again to confirm. You will see a final screen saying your membership has been cancelled.

What happens to your money after cancellation

If you pay month-to-month, you do not get a refund for the current month. Your membership ends on your next billing date, and you keep all Prime benefits until then. For example, if you cancel on the 15th of the month and your billing date is the 20th, you have Prime for five more days.

If you pay annually, Amazon refunds the unused portion of your year — but only if you cancel within 30 days of your annual charge date. After 30 days, no refund is issued. The refund goes back to the payment method you used (credit card, debit card, or Amazon gift card balance). It usually appears within 3 to 5 business days, though it can take longer depending on your bank.

To check your charge date, go back to "Memberships and Subscriptions" and look at the line that says "Next Billing Date." Count back 12 months from that date to find when you were charged.

What you lose when Prime ends

Prime Video stops working when ready after your membership ends. You will not be able to watch movies, TV shows, or live events through the Prime Video app or website. Any watchlist or saved shows you created will still be there if you restart Prime later, but you cannot access them while cancelled.

Free two-day (or faster) shipping ends. Regular Amazon shipping will still be available, but you will pay the standard shipping fee. Prime-exclusive deals and early access to Lightning Deals disappear. Prime Music and Prime Reading also end, along with any other benefits bundled into your membership at the time of cancellation.

If you use Prime Video channels (like HBO Max or Paramount+) through your Prime account, those subscriptions may also end, depending on how you set them up. Check your channel subscriptions before you cancel if you want to keep any of them.

Restarting Prime after you cancel

If you cancel by mistake or change your mind, you can restart your membership from the same "Memberships and Subscriptions" page. Look for "Prime Membership" and select "Restart Your Membership" or "Rejoin Prime." You will be charged when ready, and your membership will restart with a new billing date.

If you restart within 30 days of cancelling, Amazon will honor your original cancellation date. That means if you cancelled on January 15 and restarted on January 20, your next billing date will still be February 15 (not February 20). This gives you a small window to change your mind without losing your place in the billing cycle.

Why Amazon asks why you are cancelling

After you click "End Membership," Amazon shows a screen asking you to choose a reason: "No longer want Prime," "Too expensive," "Do not use it enough," or other options. You can also type a comment. This step is optional — you can skip it and cancel anyway.

Amazon uses this feedback to understand why people leave, but your answer does not affect whether your cancellation goes through or whether you get a refund. Some people skip it entirely. Others use it to note that they would return if the price dropped or if a specific feature improved.

Cancelling Prime when you share it with family

If you are the account holder for an Amazon Household (a shared Prime membership), cancelling Prime ends it for everyone in the household. Family members will lose access to Prime benefits on their accounts, though they can set up their own separate Prime memberships.

If you are a family member on someone else's Amazon Household, you cannot cancel the shared Prime membership — only the account holder can. You can remove yourself from the household through your account settings, which will end your access to that shared Prime membership, but the main account holder's Prime will continue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I lose my Amazon account when I cancel Prime?

No. Cancelling Prime only ends your membership subscription. Your Amazon account, your order history, your saved addresses, and your payment methods all stay active. You can still shop on Amazon and use your account normally — you just will not have Prime shipping or Prime Video access.

Can I cancel Prime if I have an unpaid balance on my Amazon account?

Yes. An unpaid balance does not prevent you from cancelling Prime. However, Amazon may still charge you for the balance separately. If you have a dispute about a charge, contact Amazon customer service before cancelling to resolve it.

What if I cancel Prime but want to keep Prime Video?

You can subscribe to Prime Video as a standalone service through Amazon for a separate monthly fee. After you cancel Prime, go to the Prime Video page and select "Start Your Free Trial" or "Subscribe Now" to sign up for video-only access. This is cheaper than full Prime but does not include free shipping.

Will cancelling Prime affect my Amazon credit card or store card?

No. Cancelling Prime does not affect any Amazon credit cards or store cards you hold. Those accounts remain active and separate from your Prime membership. You can continue to use them to shop on Amazon.

How long does it take for Prime to actually stop working after I cancel?

Prime stops working at the end of your current billing period. If your next billing date is February 20 and you cancel on February 5, you have Prime until February 20. After that date, you will see an error message if you try to use Prime Video or Prime shipping.