When today’s shoppers review their subscription bills, they sometimes wonder, “How much would it take for me to give up this service?”
Some subscribers may have reached that breaking point for Amazon Prime after its price increase in early 2022. The annual membership now costs $139 (up from $119) and the monthly plan is $14.99 — a $2 rise.
Discounted tiers for students and lower-income households were also adjusted. Students now pay $7.50 per month, which equates to $69 a year and represents a $10 bump. People using qualifying government assistance programs, such as Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), pay $7 monthly, an increase of $1.
If you’re among those who feel Prime no longer justifies the expense, here’s how to cancel your account.
Be ready to persist.
Step-by-Step Guide to Canceling Amazon Prime
- From your Amazon homepage, open the “Accounts & Lists” menu. In the dropdown, choose “Prime Membership.”
- Click that option, then select “Manage Membership.”
- Another dropdown will present “Update, cancel, and more.” Click that, then choose “End Membership.”
- A new page will load; click “Cancel My Benefits.”
You’re not finished yet. Amazon makes it somewhat difficult to walk away from its subscription, regardless of price.
- After selecting “Cancel My Benefits,” you’ll likely be prompted repeatedly to confirm whether you truly want to cancel.
- Keep choosing “Continue to Cancel” until you reach the final screen.
- Eventually you’ll see “Cancel Your Prime Membership.” Click that and your membership will be terminated.
One Complication with Canceling Amazon Prime
If your Prime membership is tied to another service — for example, included through a wireless carrier — you’ll need to contact that provider to terminate your Prime access.
Alternatives to Amazon Prime
If you’ve used Amazon Prime for some time, it can be tough to give up the bargains and the free two-day shipping on many items.
That said, there are other services offering shopping and delivery perks similar to Prime. They might not cover everything Prime does, but depending on how you use Prime, one of them could be sufficient.
Target RedCard
Restricted to Target’s merchandise, Target RedCard can provide same-day delivery in certain locations. The RedCard is free; delivery costs $5.99 per eligible order, which is waived for purchases of $35 or more. Note that delivered items don’t qualify for the RedCard’s 5% discount. The RedCard is a credit card with a high interest rate (25.90% as of this writing), so carrying a balance would be unwise.
ShopRunner
ShopRunner offers shipping from many of the popular retailers and brands you may already shop with. It’s worth reviewing the list of partners to see whether ShopRunner covers enough of your usual stores. The annual fee is $79. You can either shop through ShopRunner directly or look for the ShopRunner badge while browsing partner sites.
Hive
Hive specializes in natural, eco-friendly products and provides free delivery on orders of $50 or more. Orders under $50 incur a $5.95 shipping fee. Deliveries to Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico carry a $30 fee. A Hive subscription is $12 per month, with discounted plans available for certain nonprofits.
Walmart
Walmart offers express delivery in as little as two hours, depending on where you live. Single deliveries cost $7.95 or $9.95, but customers can buy an annual delivery membership at Walmart+ for $98 or subscribe monthly for $12.95. Next-day delivery is always free.
How to Cancel an Amazon Prime Video Subscription
Amazon Prime Video is Amazon’s streaming service and is included with Prime, but you can also subscribe to Prime Video independently. That allows you to watch originals like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” or shows such as “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls” without paying for Prime shipping. Prime Video alone costs $8.99 per month.
To end a Prime Video subscription, sign in, go to “Manage Your Prime Video Channels,” select “Prime Video Channels,” find the channel or subscription you want to cancel, click “Cancel Channel,” and the subscription will be terminated.
You may be presented with a self-service refund option; selecting it will stop the subscription immediately.
Otherwise, the confirmation screen will show your subscription’s end date. You can change your mind and undo the cancellation before that date. After the end date, you won’t be billed and you’ll lose access to the content.
Jordan Hale is a seasoned financial writer who has covered personal finance topics since 2013. They contribute to Savinly.
