An Amazon Prime membership can be a great value for frequent online shoppers, offering benefits like free 2-day shipping, exclusive deals, and access to streaming services. But if you find you‘re not using your Prime perks enough to justify the cost or you‘re looking to trim expenses, you may be considering canceling your membership.
The good news is, Amazon does allow you to cancel your Prime membership and will even issue a refund in many cases. However, the refund amount and process depends on several factors. In this post, we‘ll walk you through everything you need to know about canceling Amazon Prime and getting your money back.
How to Cancel Your Amazon Prime Membership
While Amazon doesn‘t always make it obvious, canceling your Prime membership is a relatively straightforward process once you know where to look. Just follow these steps:
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Log in to your Amazon account and hover over "Account & Lists" in the top right corner. Click on "Your Prime Membership" from the dropdown menu.
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On your Prime membership page, locate the section titled "Membership Management" on the left side. Click "End Membership and Benefits."
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Amazon will attempt to retain you with a reminder of your Prime benefits and renewal date. If you still wish to cancel, click the "End My Benefits" button at the bottom of the page.
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You‘ll be asked to confirm the cancellation. Click "Cancel Membership" to finalize.
That‘s it! Your Prime membership and associated benefits will remain active until the end of your current paid membership period, after which the cancellation will take effect and your card will no longer be charged.
Will Amazon Refund Your Prime Membership Fee When You Cancel?
Now for the big question – do you get your money back when canceling Amazon Prime? The answer is, it depends.
Amazon‘s refund policy for Prime memberships is a bit nuanced. According to their terms, you may be eligible for a full refund of your current membership period fee if you meet the following criteria:
- You have not placed any eligible orders or used any Prime benefits since your latest Prime charge
- You cancel within 3 business days of signing up for or converting from a free trial to a paid Prime membership
If you‘ve used your Prime benefits even once, you‘ll generally only qualify for a partial refund based on the remaining time in your membership period. So if you cancel halfway through a year for which you‘ve paid the full $139 annual fee, you could expect around a $70 refund.
There are a few caveats and exceptions:
- If you cancel during a free trial period, you will not receive a refund but your membership will end immediately and your card will not be charged
- Refunds are typically processed within 3-5 business days and issued to your original payment method
- Partial refund amounts are based on the number of months left in your membership, rounded up to the nearest month. So if you cancel with 3 months and 5 days left, you‘ll be refunded for 4 months.
- Prime add-on subscriptions like channels and video rentals are generally billed separately and have their own cancellation and refund terms
The best way to understand your specific situation is to contact Amazon‘s customer service directly. They can look at your account history and clarify your estimated refund based on your usage and time left in the billing cycle.
How Much Does an Amazon Prime Membership Cost?
To determine if canceling makes financial sense, it‘s helpful to understand what you‘re currently paying for Prime and how the different membership options compare.
As of 2023, Amazon Prime membership fees are as follows:
- Annual Prime Membership: $139 per year ($11.58/month averaged)
- Monthly Prime Membership: $14.99 per month ($180/year)
In most cases, the annual membership offers better value if you plan to use Prime for a full year. The month-to-month plan can be a good choice if you only want Prime for a short period, but it will cost you more in the long run.
There are also some discounted Prime membership options available for certain groups:
- Prime Student: $69 per year ($7.49/month) or $7.49 month-to-month
- Qualified Government Assistance: $6.99 per month with valid EBT or Medicaid card
- Medicaid: $5.99 per month with valid Medicaid card
These discounted memberships include the core Prime benefits like fast shipping and streaming access, but some advanced features like music and reading may be limited.
What Benefits Do You Lose When Canceling Amazon Prime?
Before you cancel, it‘s worth taking stock of which Prime benefits you‘re actually using and what you may be giving up. Some of the most popular perks of Amazon Prime include:
- Free 2-day (or faster) shipping on millions of products
- Free same-day delivery in eligible zip codes
- Early access to Lightning Deals and Prime Day sales
- Streaming of movies, TV, and music through Prime Video, Amazon Music, and more
- Unlimited photo storage with Amazon Photos
- Access to Prime Reading ebooks and magazines
- Free gaming content and free games through Prime Gaming
- Exclusive discounts at Whole Foods Market
For a full overview of what‘s included, check out our dedicated post on Amazon Prime benefits.
Ultimately, the value of these perks depends on your specific shopping and media consumption habits. But for many frequent Amazon customers, the shipping benefits alone can justify the annual cost. Considering that non-Prime members pay $5.99 for standard shipping per order under $25, placing just 2 small orders per month would add up to over $140 per year!
The Bottom Line on Canceling Amazon Prime
While an Amazon Prime membership can offer great value and convenience, it‘s not the right choice for everyone. If you‘re looking to cut costs or find you‘re no longer using your benefits, canceling your membership is easy to do through your account settings.
In many cases, you‘ll be eligible for either a full or partial refund of your most recent membership fee when you cancel, with the amount dependent on your specific usage and remaining days in the billing period. To get the most accurate info on your refund eligibility, it‘s best to contact Amazon customer service directly.
Before canceling, be sure to weigh the value of your Prime benefits against the membership fee based on your typical shopping and streaming habits. You may find that the savings and perks are worth keeping your membership, or that downgrading to a monthly or discounted plan makes more sense than canceling outright.
For more info on maximizing your Prime membership, check out our other posts on Amazon Prime tips and tricks. And if you do decide to cancel, we‘ve got suggestions for Amazon Prime alternatives that may better suit your needs and budget.
