How to cancel Amazon Prime and get your money back
You can cancel Amazon Prime at any time through your Amazon account settings, and you may receive a refund depending on when you cancel within your billing cycle. Amazon's refund policy differs based on whether you pay monthly or annually, and how far into your current membership period you are. The cancellation itself takes a few clicks, but the refund decision happens separately — Amazon will tell you on the cancellation screen whether you may have access to for one.
Your Prime benefits stop when ready after you confirm the cancellation, including free shipping, Prime Video, and Prime Music access. If you are outside the refund window, you keep those benefits until your next billing date, then lose them without a charge.
Key Takeaways
- Cancel Prime through Your Account > Memberships and Subscriptions > Prime Membership, then select "End Membership" — the process takes under two minutes.
- Monthly members may receive a refund if they cancel within the first week of a billing cycle; annual members can request a refund even months into the year, though Amazon evaluates each request.
- The cancellation screen tells you when ready whether you may have access to for a refund based on your membership type and billing date.
- If Amazon denies your refund request on the cancellation screen, you can contact Amazon Customer Service to appeal, though refunds are not may provide outside the stated windows.
Where to find the cancellation option in your account
Log into your Amazon account on a computer or the mobile app. On a computer, go to Your Account (the menu in the top right), then select Memberships and Subscriptions. You will see Prime Membership listed there. Click on it, and you will see an "End Membership" button. On the mobile app, tap the menu icon, go to Your Account, then Memberships and Subscriptions, and follow the same path to Prime Membership.
Amazon will show you a confirmation screen before the cancellation is final. This screen will also tell you whether you are may be able to access for a refund based on your membership type and how far into your billing cycle you are. Read this screen carefully — it is your only notice of whether money will come back to you. Your cancellation confirmation number appears on this screen and in your email confirmation; save it if you plan to contact Amazon Customer Service later.
Refund rules for monthly Prime members
If you pay for Prime month-to-month, Amazon may refund your most recent charge if you cancel within a certain window after your billing date. The exact window varies, but Amazon typically allows refunds if you cancel within the first week of a new monthly cycle. The cancellation screen will show you whether your current billing period qualifies for a refund.
If you are outside that window — for example, if you are three weeks into a monthly cycle — Amazon will not refund the current month. Your membership will end on your next billing date, and you will not be charged again. You keep access to Prime benefits until that date arrives, so you do not lose anything by waiting a few days if you are close to the end of your cycle.
Refund rules for annual Prime members
Annual members have more flexibility than monthly members. If you cancel an annual Prime membership, you can request a refund even if you are months into the year. However, Amazon does not automatically refund annual members — you must request it, and Amazon evaluates each request based on how much of the year remains and how often you have requested refunds in the past.
When you cancel an annual membership, the cancellation screen will tell you whether a refund is available. If it says one is not available, you can still contact Amazon Customer Service to explain your situation and ask them to reconsider. Amazon has discretion to issue refunds to annual members even outside the standard window, particularly if you have not requested refunds recently or if you have been a member for several years.
What happens to your Prime benefits after cancellation
Your Prime membership ends when ready after you click the final confirmation button. You lose access to free two-day (or faster) shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Reading, and any other Prime-exclusive benefits right away. Any items in your cart do not receive Prime shipping discounts unless you complete the purchase before cancellation is final.
If you have an active Prime Video subscription bundled with Prime, that access ends too. However, if you subscribed to Prime Video as a standalone service (separate from Prime membership), that subscription continues and you will still be charged for it monthly. Orders you placed before cancellation will still ship with any Prime benefits those orders already have; only new orders lose Prime shipping discounts.
How to appeal a denied refund request
If the cancellation screen says you do not may have access to for a refund, you can still contact Amazon Customer Service to request one. Go to Amazon.com, scroll to the bottom, and click Contact Us. Select the option for Prime Membership, then choose Your Issue. Explain that you cancelled Prime and would like to request a refund, even though you were told one was not available.
Amazon Customer Service can review your account and may issue a refund as a one-time courtesy, particularly if you have been a long-time member or if your reason for cancellation is compelling. There is no may provide, but the request costs nothing and takes a few minutes. Have your cancellation confirmation number ready when you contact them — it appears on the screen after you cancel and in your email confirmation.
Preventing accidental reactivation after cancellation
After you cancel, check your account settings to make sure Prime is truly off. Some readers have reported that Prime reactivated after cancellation, usually because a free trial was still attached to the account or because a family member reactivated it. Log back into Your Account > Memberships and Subscriptions and confirm that Prime Membership shows as "Not a member" or "Inactive."
If you see a free trial listed under Prime Membership, cancel that too. Free trials can auto-convert to paid membership, and cancelling the trial prevents that conversion. If Prime reactivates after you cancelled it, contact Amazon Customer Service when ready — they can reverse the charge and cancel it again without requiring you to go through the cancellation process a second time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cancel Prime if I have an active order?
Yes. Cancelling Prime does not cancel any orders you have already placed. Orders placed before cancellation will still ship, and you keep any Prime shipping benefits those orders already have. Only new orders placed after cancellation lose Prime shipping discounts.
Will I lose my Prime Video watchlist if I cancel?
Your watchlist and viewing history remain in your Amazon account even after Prime ends. If you reactivate Prime later, your watchlist will still be there. However, you cannot watch Prime Video content while your membership is inactive.
How long does a refund take to appear in my account?
If Amazon approves a refund, it typically appears in your original payment method within 3 to 5 business days. If you paid with a credit or debit card, the refund shows as a credit on your card statement. If you used an Amazon gift card balance, the refund goes back to that balance.
Can I cancel Prime on the mobile app instead of a computer?
Yes. The mobile app has the same cancellation option under Your Account > Memberships and Subscriptions > Prime Membership. The refund may be able to access screen appears the same way, and the cancellation is final once you confirm it.
What if I want to pause Prime instead of cancelling it?
Amazon does not offer a pause option for Prime membership. You must either keep it active or cancel it. If you think you might want Prime again soon, cancelling and then reactivating later is an option, though you will not receive a refund for the time between cancellation and reactivation.