How to cancel Amazon Prime and the best alternatives explained

There are more video streaming services to choose from than ever before, and while Netflix remains the most popular, it’s now fighting for your attention against Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, Now and more. However, with consumers looking to lower their monthly outgoings as the cost of living crisis escalates, it might be time to cut back on some of these services.

Even though its price is about to go up for the first time in eight years, Amazon Prime is still one of the most cost-effective digital subscriptions, as it combines free next-day shipping with the streaming of music, TV shows and movies, plus speedy grocery deliveries and unlimited eBooks.

But if you don’t use all of these services, or are put off by the price rise coming into effect in September, you might want to cancel your Prime subscription. And the good news is, you might even be entitled to a full or partial refund if Amazon’s records show you haven’t used what you’ve been paying for.

Furthermore, you can save money by switching from a full Prime subscription to one that only includes the Prime Video streaming service. And within there, you can cancel individual channels that you no longer need, or were perhaps subscribed to by mistake – something we know we’re guilty of.

Here, we’ll explain exactly how to cancel your Amazon Prime and Prime TV subscriptions, and look at some alternative streaming services.

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As of August 2022, subscribing to Amazon Prime in the UK costs £7.99 a month or £79 for a year. However, these prices are about to change, as from 15 September a Prime membership will cost £8.99 a month or £95 annually. Prices will also be increased in other markets too, with a 39 per cent increase in Italy and Spain, while Prime subscribers in France will see their annual bill go up by 43 per cent to €69.90.

If you want to cancel your Amazon Prime membership, you’ll need to go to Amazon.co.uk and hover your mouse over your name in the top-right corner, then click on “Memberships & Subscriptions”. Here you’ll be shown everything you’re paying for through Amazon, including your Prime membership and any Prime Video channels you might be subscribed to.

Next, click on the “Prime membership settings” button and then, on the following page, click on “Manage Membership” towards the top-right corner. Now click on the “End Membership” button.

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On a smartphone, open the Amazon app and tap on the profile button at the bottom of the screen, then tap “your account,” followed by “prime membership” then “manage membership” and “end membership”. Simple, right?

Well yes, but Amazon values your custom and doesn’t want to let you go without a fight. So, naturally, it will then show you all of the benefits you’ll miss out on if you terminate your Prime membership – thankfully the “I do not want my benefits” button is still obvious in the middle of the screen. Click that, then “Continue to cancel” on the next page and – finally – the “End Prime Benefits” button, which shows the exact date on which your Prime subscription will be terminated. You can continue using Prime until then at no extra charge.

Read more: How much does Disney+ cost in the UK and US, and what’s included?

After that, you’re all done. Your Prime membership will stop working on the date shown on the final button, and your credit card will no longer be charged.

It’s a fairly long process, but to Amazon’s credit, it’s easy enough to click through. Plus, unlike some digital subscriptions, you don’t need to send an email or make a phone call to complete the process.

As for the potential refund we mentioned earlier, this will usually be applied if you haven’t ordered anything from Amazon while being a Prime member. This stems from complaints made by customers who signed up for a free Prime trial when it was relatively new, in a bid to get free delivery on a single purchase, then forgot to cancel but didn’t use Amazon again for months or even years. If that’s you – say you signed up to buy something on Prime Day and forgot all about it afterwards – you could be offered a refund.

Similarly, if you’ve only used your Prime membership for free delivery, and not used Prime Video or any other benefits, you may be offered a partial refund. The amount will depend on what you’ve used and how long you’ve been a Prime member.

Read more: How much does the Netflix cost in UK and US, and what’s included?

If you don’t automatically get a refund and you’re certain you’ve never used the benefits of Prime membership, try contacting Amazon Customer Service. The online chat option is usually quick to respond, and if you explain that you forgot to cancel your Prime membership before it auto-renewed, the support agent will often agree to refund the charge for you. Keep in mind that Amazon will have a record of any Prime benefits you have used.

Amazon offers a second subscription service, which is cheaper than regular Prime because it only grants access to the retail giant’s TV and movie-streaming service, Prime Video. This is also fairly easy to cancel if you no longer want to use it.

To cancel, follow the same instructions outlined above, and then you’ll see Prime Video listed as one of your Amazon subscriptions on the “Memberships & Subscriptions” page. Go through the same process of ending your membership as explained earlier, and this subscription will also be terminated.

Read more: How much does Amazon Prime cost in the UK and US?

As a side note, without a Prime Video subscription you can still pay to rent or buy individual movies and TV shows from Amazon Prime, just as long as you have an Amazon user account, which doesn’t cost anything.

Confession time. In writing this article we realised we’d been paying for a couple of Prime Video channels by mistake. Both subscriptions were taken out months ago to watch a couple of specific shows, then completely forgotten about – and we’ve been charged monthly for them ever since.

Don’t let this be you. Instead, once again follow the earlier instructions and head to “Account & Lists”, then “Memberships & Subscriptions”, and click on the membership settings button next to the Prime Video channel you no longer want (or forgot you had in the first place).

If you’ve decided to part company with Amazon Prime, you might be interested in alternative video streaming services. The obvious first port of call is Netflix, which is full of movies and exclusive TV shows that it has pumped billions of dollars into over the last decade. From Squid Game and Black Mirror, to Stranger Things and Drive to Survive, you are bound to find a Netflix original to sink your teeth into.

Read more: How much does Now cost and what are the best packages?

The basic package is priced at £6.99 a month, following a recent price increase, but to watch content in HD and on more than one screen simultaneously, you’ll need to pay £10.99 a month for the standard package. Fancy your content streamed in 4K? That’ll be £15.99 a month for the premium Netflix package.

Alternatively, there’s Now, formerly known as Now TV. Owned by Sky, this streaming service brings Sky Cinema, Sky Entertainment and Sky Sports content to those without a Sky subscription, meaning premium TV on a rolling monthly contract.

Prices start at £4.99 a month for the Now Hayu package full of reality TV, climbing to £9.99 a month for Now Cinema, and £33.99 for Now Sports, although one-day sports passes are also available. You can read more about Now’s subscriptions in our extensive guide.

Read more: Paramount Plus has officially launched in the UK, here’s how to start watching

Or there’s newcomer Disney+, which launched in 2019 and came to the UK in 2020. It already boasts over 130 million subscribers globally, and includes access to Disney’s entire back catalogue, plus all titles from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the entire Star Wars collection, all 33 series of The Simpsons, and exclusive documentaries like The Beatles: Get Back.

Disney+ costs £7.99 per month in the UK or £79.90 annually. Subscribers in the US pay $7.99 a month or $79.99 per year. For more information about the subscription service that is most definitey not just for kids, read our guide before signing up.

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