How many streaming services do you subscribe to? With at least one of the major players Disney +, Netflix, Apple TV+, Now and Amazon Prime a permanent fixture in many of our homes, it makes the decision to cut back a tough one.
But with the cost of living crisis starting to bite, it makes sense to be more thrifty – and maybe take a closer look at what you don’t actually need.
One streaming service stands out as being among the most cost effective and tweakable - Amazon Prime.
It combines free next-day shipping as well as the streaming of music, TV shows and movies, plus unlimited eBooks and rapid grocery deliveries.
But what if you don’t actually use all the above services? Then you might want to cancel or at least tweak your Prime subscription.
You may even be in line to receive a full or partial refund too, if Amazon’s records show you haven’t actually used what you’ve been paying for.
Want the latest streaming news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our Binge-Worthy newsletter HERE
You can also save cash by switching from a full Prime subscription to one that merely includes the Prime Video streaming service.
And that’s not all, you can also cancel individual channels you aren’t interested in – and also ones you may have subscribed to by mistake (something that is very easy to do).
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to cancel and/or tweak your Amazon Prime and Prime TV subscriptions.
How to cancel Amazon Prime
To terminate your Amazon Prime membership, simply visit its home page and hover your mouse over your name in the top-right corner, then click on Memberships & Subscriptions .
You will then be greeted with everything you’re actually paying for through Amazon, with some things possibly coming as a surprise, particularly under the Prime Video channels.
Next click on the Prime membership settings button before clicking on Manage Membership towards the top-right corner. Then click the “End membership” button.
If all this sounds simple, that’s because it is – but Amazon may not let you go without some sort of resistance.
Once clicking the last button, you will then be treated to all the benefits you’ll miss if you axe your Prime membership.
Mercifully, the “I do not want my benefits” button is still clearly there in the middle of the screen. Click that, then “Continue to cancel” on the next page and then click the “End Prime Benefits” button.
This should then show the exact date on which your Prime subscription will end; you can keep using Prime until then at no extra cost.
The potential refund will only come into play if you haven’t ordered anything from Amazon while being a Prime member.
This possible path to a rebate arose following complaints made by customers who signed up for a free trial of Prime, with a view to getting free delivery on a single purchase. They then neglected to cancel but didn’t use Amazon again for months or maybe even years.
If this is what you’ve done, then you should be entitled to a refund.
Likewise if you have only used your Prime membership for free delivery, and not used Prime Video or any of its other benefits, you may be in line for a partial refund.
The amount will depend solely on what you’ve used and how long you’ve actually been a Prime member.
How to cancel Amazon Prime Video channel subscriptions
After doing the above steps, some will learn they have been paying for a few Prime Video channels by mistake.
This oversight can happen very easily, particulary when taking out a subscription in the distant past to watch a couple of specific shows, which then slipped completely from your mind. Only problem is you've been charged monthly for them ever since.
To avoid this, follow the earlier instructions and head to Account & Lists , then Memberships & Subscriptions , and simply click on the membership settings button next to the Prime Video channel you no longer want.
