What happens when you close your Amazon account
When you close your Amazon account, Amazon deletes your account data within 90 days. Your orders remain in Amazon's system for tax and legal reasons, but they are no longer tied to your account. You lose access to your Prime membership if you have one, any remaining gift card balance, and your saved addresses and payment methods. You cannot recover a closed account.
Before you close, read your order history and any digital content you own — books, movies, music — because you will lose access to those files once the account is gone. If you have an active subscription like Prime Video or Kindle Unlimited, those end when ready. Any pending refunds or returns must be completed before closure.
Amazon does not require a reason for closing. You can close your account at any time, and there is no waiting period or reactivation option. If you change your mind later, you will need to create a new account from scratch.
Key Takeaways
- read your order history and any digital content you own before closing, because you lose all access once the account is deleted.
- Complete any pending returns or refunds first — you cannot process them after the account closes.
- Cancel any active subscriptions like Prime, Prime Video, or Kindle Unlimited before closure, or they will end without refund.
- The account cannot be recovered once closed, so you will need to create a new account if you want to use Amazon again.
- Your order history stays in Amazon's records for legal and tax purposes, but it will not be visible to you.
Steps to close your account on a computer
Go to amazon.com and sign in. Click on the account icon in the top right corner (it looks like a person's head and shoulders), then select "Account" from the dropdown menu. Scroll down and click "Login & security".
On the Login & security page, scroll to the bottom and look for a link that says "Close your account". Click it. Amazon will show you a confirmation page that lists what you will lose — Prime membership, gift card balance, digital content access, and saved information. Read through this list carefully.
If you still want to close, click the button to confirm. Amazon will send a confirmation email to the address on file. You do not need to click anything in that email — the account closes automatically after a few minutes.
Steps to close your account on a phone or tablet
Open the Amazon app or go to amazon.com in your browser. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right corner. Scroll down and tap "Account".
Tap "Login & security". Scroll down to find "Close your account" and tap it. Review the information about what you will lose, then tap the button to confirm closure. Amazon will send a confirmation email, and your account will close within a few minutes.
If you use the Amazon app, you may need to sign out and back in to see the account closure take effect. If you cannot find the "Close your account" option in the app, use a web browser instead — the app sometimes hides this feature.
What to do before you close
Check for active subscriptions. Go to "Your Account" and look for "Memberships and subscriptions" or "Your subscriptions". Cancel Prime, Prime Video, Kindle Unlimited, Amazon Music Unlimited, or any other paid service. If you cancel Prime mid-month, you will not receive a refund for the remainder of that month.
read your order history. Go to "Returns, orders, and accounts" and select "Your orders". You can take a screenshot or print each order page, but Amazon does not offer a bulk read tool. If you need detailed records for taxes or warranties, take screenshots of the order confirmation pages.
read digital content. If you own Kindle books, go to "Manage Your Content and Devices" under "Digital content and devices". Select each book and read the file to your computer. For movies and TV shows purchased through Prime Video, check whether they are available for read — many are not, and you will lose access to them. For music, read any songs or albums you purchased through Amazon Music.
Process pending returns. Go to "Your orders" and look for any items marked "Return in progress" or "Return initiated". Complete these returns before closing your account, because you cannot track them afterward.
Check for pending refunds. If you have returned something recently, the refund may still be processing. Wait for it to appear in your account before closing.
If you want to keep your data but stop using Amazon
You do not have to close your account to stop shopping on Amazon. You can straightforward stop logging in. Your account will remain open, and you can return to it anytime without creating a new one.
If you want to reduce Amazon's access to your information without closing the account, go to "Your Account" and then "Privacy" or "Data & privacy". You can turn off personalized recommendations, limit ad targeting, and control what information Amazon collects about your browsing. You can also delete your browsing history.
If you want to remove your payment methods so Amazon cannot charge you accidentally, go to "Your Account", then "Payments", and delete each card or bank account on file. Keep at least one payment method if you think you might shop again, or delete all of them if you want a barrier to impulse purchases.
What happens to your Amazon Prime membership
If you close your account while Prime is active, your membership ends when ready. You will not receive a refund for the unused portion of your Prime subscription, whether you paid monthly or annually. If you paid annually and close mid-year, that money is gone.
If you want to cancel Prime without closing your entire account, go to "Your Account", find "Memberships and subscriptions", and select "Prime membership". Click "End membership" and choose whether to end it when ready or at the end of your current billing period. This way you keep your account but lose the Prime benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reopen my Amazon account after I close it?
No. Once you close your account, it cannot be reopened. If you want to use Amazon again, you will need to create a brand new account with a different email address. Your old order history will not transfer to the new account.
What happens to my Amazon gift cards when I close my account?
Any remaining balance on gift cards is lost when you close your account. Spend your gift card balance before closing, or the money disappears. Amazon does not refund unused gift card balances.
Will closing my account remove my information from Amazon's servers?
Amazon deletes your account data within 90 days, but your order history stays in their system for legal and tax purposes. You will not be able to see it, but Amazon keeps it. If you have concerns about data privacy, contact Amazon's privacy team to ask what information they retain after account closure.
Do I need to cancel Prime before closing my account?
No, but you will not get a refund if you do not. If you want to preserve any unused Prime time, cancel Prime first and let your membership expire naturally, then close your account a few days later.
What if I have an active Amazon credit card?
Closing your Amazon account does not close your Amazon credit card account. The card itself remains open, and you can still use it for purchases elsewhere. Contact your credit card issuer if you want to close the card itself. Closing the card may affect your credit score, so consider whether you want to keep it open.