How to Cancel Amazon Prime in 2026 (Get a Refund + What You Lose)

Updated February 2026 • 9 min read

Amazon Prime is now $14.99/month or $139/year — up from $79/year just a few years ago. That's a 76% price increase. The question isn't whether Prime is good — it's whether it's worth $139-180/year when you factor in what you actually use vs. what comes free elsewhere.

✅ You Can Get a Refund

If you haven't used Prime benefits since your last renewal: full refund
If you've used benefits: prorated refund for remaining time
Annual plan refund = bigger check than monthly
Amazon processes refunds within 3-5 business days

How to Cancel Amazon Prime

Go to amazon.com/mc/pipeline (direct cancellation link)
Or: Amazon → Account → Prime → Manage Membership → End Membership
Amazon shows you everything you'll lose (psychological tactic)
Click Continue to cancel through 3-4 screens
Choose End on [date] or End immediately
If you choose immediately and request refund, the prorated amount is returned

What You Lose

Free 2-day shipping — most items still ship free over $25-35
Prime Video — now has ads unless you pay $2.99/month extra anyway
Prime Music — limited catalog, Spotify Free is better
Prime Reading — ~1,000 books, library card gives you millions
Amazon Photos — unlimited photo storage (this is genuinely good)
Prime Day access — 2 days of sales per year
Whole Foods discounts — 10% off sale items
Grubhub+ — free delivery included with Prime

What You Keep

All purchased digital content (movies, books, music)
Your Amazon account and order history
Kindle library and Audible purchases
Subscribe & Save discounts (these work without Prime)

The Real Math: Is Prime Worth $139/Year?

Break it down by what you actually use:

Free shipping: Most orders over $25-35 ship free anyway. How many sub-$25 orders do you place? At ~$5/shipment, you need 28+ small orders/year to break even.
Prime Video: Now with ads ($2.99/month to remove). The ad-free version alone is $36/year — you're paying for it in your Prime cost.
Prime Day: Studies show most Prime Day "deals" are available at similar prices throughout the year. Average savings: $30-50 per Prime Day.
Amazon Photos: Google Photos gives 15GB free. Most people don't need unlimited.

💰 The Spending Trap

Amazon's own data shows Prime members spend $1,400/year vs $600/year for non-members. Free shipping removes the friction that makes you think "do I really need this?" Canceling Prime might save you more in reduced impulse purchases than the $139 subscription cost itself.

Free Shipping Alternatives

Amazon (no Prime): Free shipping on orders $25-35+. Just batch your orders.
Walmart+: $12.95/month. Free next-day delivery, no minimum. Includes Paramount+ and Grubhub+.
Target Circle: Free same-day delivery on $35+ orders. Free with Target Circle membership.
Buy local: Skip shipping entirely. Often same price when you factor in Amazon's inflated marketplace prices.

🔍 See Your Full Amazon Spending

$139 for Prime is just the start. What about Kindle Unlimited, Audible, Amazon Music, Subscribe & Save, and all those "quick" purchases? Upload your bank statement to JustCancel and see your total Amazon bill — it's probably more than you think.

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Quick Cancel Guide: Amazon Prime

Direct cancel link + step-by-step instructions