Amazon lets you close your account in a few steps, but you need to settle any outstanding orders or balances first

Closing an Amazon account is straightforward if you have no active orders, no pending refunds, and no balance owed. You go to your account settings, find the option to close the account, and confirm. Amazon will send a confirmation email. The process takes a few minutes, but the account deletion itself can take up to 90 days to fully process in their system.

If you have orders in progress, refunds pending, or a balance on a gift card or store credit, you cannot close the account until those are resolved. This is the main reason the process stalls for people — they start the closure and hit a wall because something is still active.

Key Takeaways

  • You must cancel or receive all active orders and resolve any pending refunds before closing your account.
  • Any remaining balance on gift cards, store credit, or your payment method will block the closure until it is zero.
  • The account closure request is submitted through Account Settings under "Login & Security", not through customer service.
  • After you confirm closure, Amazon sends a confirmation email and the account is fully removed from their system within 90 days.
  • Once closed, you cannot reopen the same account — you would need to create a new one with a different email address.

Check for active orders and pending refunds before you start

Open Amazon and go to Returns and Orders or Your Orders in the account menu. Look for any order with a status other than "Delivered" — anything showing "Processing", "Shipped", "Pending", or "Cancelled" will block closure. If an order is on its way, wait for it to arrive. If it is stuck, contact Amazon customer service to cancel it or get a refund.

Check the Returns section separately. If you have started a return but have not yet sent the item back, or if a return is in progress, you need to complete it or cancel it. The same applies to refunds — if you see a refund that says "Pending" or "In Progress", wait for it to finish before closing the account.

Pay off any balance on your account

Amazon account balances usually come from gift cards, store credit, or a charge that failed to go through. Go to Account Settings and look for Gift Cards or Your Account Balance. If there is money in your account, you can spend it on an order, or you can contact Amazon customer service to request a refund of the balance to your original payment method — though this can take several weeks.

If you have a negative balance (money owed), you must pay it before closure. This happens rarely, but it can occur if a refund was processed after a charge, or if there was a billing dispute. Your payment method on file will show this. Contact Amazon customer service to settle it.

Go to Account Settings and request closure

Sign in to your Amazon account and go to Account in the top right corner. Select Account Settings. Scroll down to Login & Security and look for an option labeled Close Your Account or Deactivate Account — the exact wording varies by region and whether you use Amazon.com or another Amazon site.

Click that option. Amazon will show you a summary of what will happen: your account will be closed, your data will be deleted according to their privacy policy, and you will no longer have access to Prime, your order history, or any saved payment methods. Read through this carefully. If everything is settled and you want to proceed, click the button to confirm closure.

Confirm the closure and watch for the confirmation email

After you confirm, Amazon sends a confirmation email to the address on your account. This email will say something like "Your Amazon account has been scheduled for closure" and will include a link or instructions in case you want to cancel the closure request within a certain window — usually 24 to 48 hours. If you do nothing, the closure proceeds.

The account is fully removed from Amazon's active system within 90 days. During that time, you will not be able to log in, but the data is still being purged from their backup systems. After 90 days, the account is gone and cannot be recovered.

What happens to your data and subscriptions

Your order history, saved addresses, payment methods, and wish lists are all deleted. If you have an active Prime membership, it is cancelled when ready and you lose access to Prime Video, Prime Music, and any other Prime benefits. Any recurring subscriptions tied to your Amazon account — like Subscribe & Save orders or Kindle Unlimited — are also cancelled.

If you use your Amazon account to sign in to other apps or services (like Goodreads, IMDb, or third-party retailers), those connections are severed. You will need to create separate accounts or use a different sign-in method for those services going forward.

You cannot reopen the same account after closure

Once your account is closed and the 90-day deletion period is over, that email address and account combination cannot be used again. If you want to use Amazon in the future, you will need to create a new account with a different email address. Your old order history will not transfer to the new account.

If you are closing the account because of a problem — fraud, a dispute with customer service, or a billing issue — consider contacting Amazon customer service first to see if the issue can be resolved. Closure is permanent, and starting over with a new account means losing all your history and any account-level benefits or status.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I have a pending refund when I try to close my account?

You cannot close the account while a refund is in progress. Wait for the refund to complete — this usually takes 3 to 5 business days after the return is received and processed. Then start the closure process again.

Can I close my account if I have an active Prime membership?

Yes. Your Prime membership is cancelled as part of the closure, and you lose access to all Prime benefits when ready. If you paid for an annual membership and are closing partway through, contact Amazon customer service to request a refund of the unused portion before you close the account.

What if I forgot my password and cannot sign in to close the account?

Use the Forgot Password link on the Amazon sign-in page to reset it. You will need access to the email address or phone number on your account. Once you have reset your password and signed in, follow the closure steps in Account Settings.

Can I reopen my account after I close it?

No. Once the account is closed and deleted, it cannot be reopened. You would need to create a new account with a different email address. Your old order history and account information will not be available on the new account.

How long does it take for my account to be completely deleted?

The account is removed from Amazon's active system when ready after you confirm closure, but the full deletion from all their backup systems takes up to 90 days. You cannot log in or recover the account during this time.