If I Cancel Amazon Prime, Does It End Immediately? (+ Other FAQs)

Amazon Prime is a wildly popular subscription program with over 200 million members around the globe.

Whether you’re already an Amazon Prime member or you’re thinking about signing up soon, there’s something you probably want to know, and that’s what happens if you decide to cancel.

I wondered this, too – if I cancel Amazon Prime does it end immediately? Don’t worry, I did some digging to find the right answer!

If I Cancel Amazon Prime, Does It End Immediately?

An Amazon Prime membership does not end immediately when canceled, as the default option is to cancel by the renewal date. You retain your Prime benefits until the end of the paid membership period, so you won’t lose orders or shipping discounts until your Prime membership ends for good.

If you want to know more about what happens when you cancel Amazon Prime, keep reading for all the details!

When Does Amazon Prime End After Canceling?

Amazon Prime costs $119 a year, but you can cancel at any time if you decide it’s not worth it for you anymore.

Even though you can cancel Amazon Prime whenever you want, you will still keep your benefits until the start of the renewal date by default.

This means Amazon Prime doesn’t end immediately, but instead once you reach the end of the paid membership period.

The Amazon Prime cancellation option is automatically set up to occur before the next time you’d be charged, so if you’re in the middle of a month or year, you will still have access to Prime benefits until then.

Amazon makes it clear on the cancelation page when your benefits will go away, and you can always go back and check your cancelation confirmation email or directly in your Amazon account if you forget.

The reason why Amazon Prime doesn’t end immediately after canceling is that you’ve already paid for benefits during that period.

Amazon charges for Prime when you first sign up and then either monthly or yearly, based on which option you choose.

If you’ve already been charged, it’s only fair to retain your benefits until the end of the paid period, even if you canceled.

What Happens To Prime Orders When I Cancel?

What Happens To Prime Orders When I Cancel?

One of the main benefits of Amazon Prime is the free two-day delivery, as well as one-day and even same-day delivery on select items in some markets.

It’s no wonder why many Prime members are concerned about what happens to their existing orders if they cancel.

The good news is your orders will arrive as expected with no changes. If they are already processing or on the delivery truck, they will still get to you.

It’s only if you place an order after your Amazon Prime benefits actually end that you will find yourself paying for shipping.

If I Cancel Amazon Prime, Can I Get It Back?

We all change our minds sometimes. If you cancel Amazon Prime but decide you want it back, that’s no problem.

To restart your Amazon account after canceling, just access the Prime Membership option under your account and follow the prompts.

The key is to click the button that says resume membership and make sure you confirm the restart.

You will once again be charged for Amazon Prime, but then you regain full access to all the Prime benefits like free delivery, Prime Video streaming, Amazon Key, and more.

Keep in mind that after restarting Prime, you will be charged the monthly membership fee of $12.99 a month unless you are eligible for a discount.

How To Cancel Amazon Prime?

Amazon allows you to cancel your Prime membership at any time, however, you may only receive a partial refund depending on how many times you’ve used your benefits.

What’s nice is that if you haven’t actually used your Prime benefits for anything, or even if it’s just been one time, you could end up with a full refund.

To cancel your Amazon Prime membership, log into your account and proceed to the Prime Membership option under your dropdown menu.

When you see your payment and renewal information on the left-hand side of the page, scroll down and select the option to “End Membership and Benefits.”

You’ll have to go through a few different screens as Amazon confirms you want to cancel. You’ll see options for renewal reminders or membership pauses instead, but keep going until you get the final option to click “End My Benefits.”

Once the confirmation screen appears, your Prime account will update with the end date, so you know just how much time you have before your access goes away.

Also, keep in mind that if you are on a free Prime membership, you can cancel whenever you want in the trial, and you’ll still get to finish out the full 30 days.

You can learn more in our step-by-step guide to canceling an Amazon Prime free trial.

To learn more about Amazon Prime, you can also see our posts on whether or not Amazon Prime charges tax, how to cancel Amazon Prime’s free trial, and Amazon Prime trial without a credit card.

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Marques Thomas

Marques Thomas graduated with a MBA in 2011. Since then, Marques has worked in the retail and consumer service industry as a manager, advisor, and marketer. Marques is also the head writer and founder of QuerySprout.com.

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