How to Cancel Your Prime Video Subscription
Canceling Prime Video depends on whether you're ending just the streaming service or your entire Amazon Prime membership—and the steps differ slightly depending on how you signed up. Understanding the distinction upfront will save you time and prevent accidental charges.
The Key Distinction: Prime Video Alone vs. Amazon Prime
This is the most important thing to clarify before you proceed.
Prime Video standalone is a separate subscription you can cancel independently. If you signed up specifically for Prime Video through Amazon's website or app, you can remove it without affecting anything else.
Prime Video bundled with Amazon Prime is included as part of your full Prime membership (which also includes free shipping, Prime Music, Prime Reading, and other benefits). If you have an Amazon Prime membership and want to cancel Prime Video, you have two paths: cancel just the video service while keeping Prime, or cancel your entire Prime membership, which automatically removes Prime Video access.
The reason this matters is that some people assume canceling Prime Video means canceling their entire Prime account—it doesn't, unless you choose it to.
How to Cancel Prime Video Standalone Subscription
If you signed up for Prime Video as a standalone product, the cancellation process is straightforward.
On a web browser:
- Go to amazon.com and sign in
- Navigate to "Your Account" (usually in the top-right menu)
- Select "Your Memberships and Subscriptions" or "Subscriptions"
- Find Prime Video in the list
- Click "Manage Membership" or "Cancel" (the exact label varies by region and account type)
- Follow the prompts to confirm cancellation
On the Prime Video app:
- Open the app and tap your profile icon (usually bottom-right)
- Select "Account" or "Settings"
- Look for "Manage Prime Video Membership" or "Subscriptions"
- Select the option to cancel or manage your subscription
- Confirm the cancellation
The cancellation typically takes effect immediately, though you may retain access through the end of your current billing period—this depends on your payment arrangement and Amazon's current policy.
How to Cancel Prime Video If It's Part of Amazon Prime
If Prime Video is bundled with your Amazon Prime membership, you have options.
Option 1: Cancel Just Prime Video (Keep Amazon Prime)
You can remove Prime Video while keeping other Prime benefits like free shipping.
- Go to amazon.com and sign in
- Navigate to "Your Account" > "Memberships and Subscriptions"
- Find "Amazon Prime"
- Select "Manage Prime Video" or "Edit"
- Choose "Cancel Prime Video" (this option appears separately from canceling Prime itself)
- Confirm
Your Prime membership for shipping, Prime Music, and other benefits continues. You'll lose video streaming access.
Option 2: Cancel Your Entire Amazon Prime Membership
This removes Prime Video along with all other Prime benefits.
- Go to amazon.com and sign in
- Navigate to "Your Account" > "Memberships and Subscriptions"
- Find "Amazon Prime"
- Select "Manage Membership" or "Edit"
- Choose "Cancel Membership" (not just Prime Video)
- Amazon typically asks why you're canceling and may offer a discount to stay—you can skip this or engage with offers
- Confirm the cancellation
This takes effect after your current billing period ends, unless you're specifically billed month-to-month, in which case it may be immediate.
What Happens to Your Account After Cancellation
Understanding the aftermath helps you decide if you need to download or save anything.
Access to videos and watchlists: Once your subscription ends, you lose the ability to stream Prime Video content. Your watchlist and viewing history remain associated with your account if you resubscribe later, but you cannot watch any Prime Video titles during the cancellation period.
Downloaded content: If you've downloaded Prime Video episodes or movies to your device for offline viewing, those files typically become inaccessible once your subscription ends, though they may remain on your device temporarily. The exact behavior depends on the app and your device.
Billing: After cancellation, you will not be charged again unless you resubscribe. If you canceled mid-billing cycle, you generally cannot receive a prorated refund, though Amazon's refund policy may vary by situation and region—this is worth checking if you canceled very early in a billing period.
Timing Considerations
The cancellation effective date depends on your billing cycle.
If you're on a monthly subscription, canceling typically stops charges at the end of your current billing month. You may retain access through that date.
If you're on an annual subscription, the same principle applies—cancellation usually takes effect at the end of your annual period. Canceling mid-year typically forfeits the remainder of the prepaid year, though you should verify this with Amazon's current policy.
If you signed up through a third-party platform (like a wireless carrier, Roku, or Apple TV channel), the cancellation process differs—you'll need to cancel through that provider rather than directly through Amazon.
Why You Might Want to Cancel Just Prime Video (But Not Prime)
Some people keep Amazon Prime for shipping but don't use the video service. This makes sense if you:
- Rely on Prime's two-day (or faster) shipping
- Use other benefits like Prime Music or Prime Reading
- Don't watch enough video content to justify the cost
Removing just Prime Video while keeping Prime is the right move in this scenario.
Reactivating Your Subscription Later
If you cancel and later want Prime Video again, you can resubscribe at any time through the same account. Depending on whether you canceled the standalone service or just paused a bundled Prime membership, the reactivation process is equally simple—just sign back up.
Your viewing history and watchlist typically remain tied to your account, so reactivation picks up where you left off.
Regional and Account-Type Variations
The exact steps and options can vary slightly depending on:
- Your country or region (Amazon Prime Video operates differently in different countries)
- Your account type (student, family, standard)
- How you originally signed up (direct, through a carrier, through an app platform)
If the steps above don't match what you see on your account, check Amazon's help section for your specific region or contact Amazon's customer service—they can walk you through your exact situation.
What You Should Know Before You Cancel
Consider your unwatched content. If you have shows or movies you're partway through and want to finish, do that before canceling, since you'll lose access immediately upon subscription end.
Check for shared family access. If other household members use your Prime Video account, canceling affects their access too. This is worth discussing if Prime Video is shared.
Bundle costs. If you're paying for Prime mostly for video but also use shipping, calculate whether the full Prime cost is worth it for the remaining benefits. Sometimes canceling just video makes more financial sense than canceling everything.
The cancellation process itself is quick and reversible, but taking a moment to clarify which subscription you have and what you'll lose helps ensure you're making the choice that fits your situation.
