Hi there! Like over 200 million people globally, you likely signed up for an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of free shipping, streaming media, discounts and other perks. However, there may come a time when the $139 annual fee no longer fits your budget or usage.
If you find yourself thinking about downgrading or fully cutting ties with Amazon Prime, you‘ve come to the right place! As a long-time member myself, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to cancel in just a few quick steps. I‘ll also discuss what happens after cancellation, alternatives to replace key Prime benefits, and address common questions.
Let‘s get started!
A Quick History of Amazon Prime
Before we get into the cancellation details, some quick background on Amazon Prime and how we got here.
Amazon first launched its membership program under the name "Amazon Prime" in 2005, offering free two-day shipping in the U.S. for an introductory $79 annual fee. At the time, most ecommerce sites had slow 5-7 day shipping or expensive overnight delivery options. Prime immediately stood out by letting shoppers quickly get orders without paying a premium.
Over the next decade, Prime steadily expanded – adding media streaming in 2006, one-day shipping in 2016, and expanding internationally. However, the biggest evolution came in 2018 when Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced Prime had exceeded 100 million members globally.
Fast forward to 2023 and analysts estimate over 200 million members now pay $139 per year for Prime benefits. With households making an average of just 12 purchases per year however, whether Prime still provides enough value vs. cost depends on the user.
And that‘s where cancellation comes in! While ending a Prime membership once seemed unfathomable for frequent Amazon shoppers, consumer fatigue with subscription costs makes it an increasingly common choice.
Next, let‘s get right into the step-by-step process for cancellation.
How to Cancel Amazon Prime on Desktop
Cancelling your Prime membership on a laptop or desktop computer takes just a few simple clicks:
- Visit Amazon.com and login to your account
- Hover over "Account & Lists" in the top right and click on "Your Account"
- Under "Ordering and shopping preferences", click the "Prime membership" option
- Click the yellow "Manage membership" button on the right side
- Finally, select "End membership" and confirm your choice!
Here‘s are screenshots of exactly what to click on each step:
Step 1: Login at Amazon.com
Step 2: Under Account lists, click "Your Account"
Step 3: Click manage next to Prime membership
Step 4: Select the "Manage membership" option
Step 5: Choose to "End membership" then confirm
Once you complete the confirmation, you‘ll receive an on-screen message verifying the cancellation.
I‘d suggest taking a quick screenshot or saving this confirmation number down somewhere. That way if any issues come up with refunding unused months, you‘ll have proof available.
And that‘s all it takes! Just 5 clicks and you‘ve successfully canceled your Amazon Prime subscription through the desktop site. Pretty straightforward right?
Now let‘s take a look at using the mobile app next.
How to Cancel Amazon Prime on Mobile
If you prefer managing subscriptions on your smartphone, canceling Prime Membership through the Amazon app is just as easy.
Here are the steps:
- Open the latest version of the Amazon shopping app on your iPhone, Android or tablet
- Tap the ≡ menu icon in the bottom right corner
- Tap on "Your Prime membership"
- Choose "Manage membership"
- Select “End membership” to cancel
Here are screenshots of what exactly to tap through in the app:
Step 1: Tap the hamburger menu icon
Step 2: Select Your Prime membership
Step 3: Choose Manage membership
Step 4: Tap End membership
Once you finish tapping through the confirmation, that‘s all you need to do. Your Amazon Prime account will be successfully closed on your next billing date.
When Do Benefits End After Cancellation?
Once you cancel Prime, you‘ll retain full access to its benefits through the end of your current 12-month membership or 1-month billing cycle.
So if you still have 3 months prepaid on an annual subscription, you‘ll still receive Prime shipping, Amazon media streaming, Whole Foods discounts and so on during those next 3 months. This gives you time to take advantage of any remaining benefits or find replacement services after the cancellation takes effect.
Here‘s a breakdown of exactly when you’ll lose access to key Prime features:
| Prime Benefit | End Date After Cancellation |
|---|---|
| Free 2-day shipping | End of current billing cycle |
| Prime Video streaming | End of current billing cycle |
| Amazon Music Unlimited | End of current billing cycle |
| Alexa app access | End of current billing cycle |
| Whole Foods discounts | End of current billing cycle |
| Prime Gaming | End of current billing cycle |
So in summary – enjoy Prime while you’ve got it! Just don‘t expect any partial refunds if you cancel before the next renewal.
Prime Shipping Alternatives
One of the most-used Prime benefits (aside from media streaming) is definitely the free two-day shipping and same-day delivery perks. Once canceled, you‘ll go back to Amazon‘s standard 3-5 day delivery window for most items.
However, there are a few Prime alternatives that come close or beat that 2-day timeframe:
| Service | Free Shipping Minimum | Shipping Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walmart+ | No minimum | Next day | $98/year |
| Target Deals | $35 min | 2 days | Free w/RedCard |
| Best Buy Totaltech | No minimum | 1-2 days | $199/year |
Walmart+ comes out as the top contender here – offering free next-day delivery from your local store without any order minimum commitments. At just $98/year, it can be a cheaper one-stop shipping alternative depending how frequently you shop Amazon.
Alternatives to Prime Video
Bidding farewell to Prime Video and its collection of originals, licensed shows and movies is often the toughest parting gift of cancellation.
Thankfully, there are a ton of streaming video on demand (SVOD) alternatives out there like Netflix, Hulu and more matching Prime Video‘s $8.99/month ad-free tier.
Here‘s how the libraries and pricing shake out:
| Service | Library Size | Starting Monthly Price | Top Originals | Offline Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Video | 40,000 titles | N/A (Requires Prime) | The Boys, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Tom Clancy‘s Jack Ryan | Yes |
| Netflix | 3,600+ movies 2,000+ shows |
$6.99 ad-free | Stranger Things, Wednesday, Virgin River and more | Yes |
| Hulu | 85,000+ episodes 3,200+ movies |
$7.99 ad-free | The Handmaid‘s Tale, Only Murders in the Building, Little Fires Everywhere | No |
| Disney+ | 1,000+ movies 400+ shows |
$7.99 ad-free | The Mandalorian, Loki, Andor | Yes |
Netflix narrowly beats the competition here with their unmatched collection of popular original exclusives. While losing access hurts, Prime members may find spending that $8.99/month directly on Netflix delivers more bang for the buck.
Expert Tips for Managing Multiple Streaming Services
With the rise of streaming wars, juggling multiple subscriptions can quickly get costly and frustrating. As a consumer tech specialist, I recommend following these tips to get your money‘s worth:
- Set calendar reminders to review each subscription every 6 months or when seasons end for any you no longer watch regularly.
- Temporarily suspend or downgrade to cheaper tiers with partial libraries to save money during busier times of the year
- Only keep 2-3 "anchor" services like Netflix, Hulu or Disney+ actively running if needed to avoid choice paralysis scrolling
- Don‘t forget about free streaming trials! Many services offer 7-30 days to sample before committing.
- Consider annually discounted gift card deals around the holidays to save 10-20% upfront if available
Following this advice lets you freely bounce between top streaming platforms when new and exclusive content catches your eye – all without going broke.
And if you ever feel the urge to tap back into Amazon‘s media ecosystem later on, simply reactive Prime and immediately regain access just like before. Pretty cool right?
So in closing – no matter your reasons for canceling Prime I hope breaking down exactly how to downgrade cleanly helps provide some relief. I‘m confident with this guide you‘ll be on the right track to saving money or taking control of any subscription fatigue.
Let me know if any other questions come up! I‘m always happy to help explain best practices when it comes to optimizing these services.
