What canceling Kindle actually means
Canceling Kindle is not a single action — it depends on what you want to stop paying for. You might want to close your entire Amazon account (which stops Kindle), cancel a Kindle Unlimited subscription (which stops the monthly charge but keeps your account open), or just remove a payment method so Amazon stops charging you. Each one works differently and takes a different number of steps.
Most people who search for "how to cancel Kindle" actually want to stop a Kindle Unlimited subscription, which costs $11.99 per month in the United States. That cancellation takes about two minutes and you keep your Amazon account, your Kindle device, and any books you bought outright. If you want to close your entire Amazon account instead, that is permanent and takes longer to process.
Key Takeaways
- Canceling Kindle Unlimited (the monthly subscription) takes two minutes on Amazon's website and stops the charge without closing your account.
- You can still read books you purchased outright after canceling Kindle Unlimited, but you lose access to the Kindle Unlimited library.
- Closing your entire Amazon account is permanent and can take up to 90 days to fully process, during which Amazon may still charge you for pending orders.
- If you only want to stop charges without closing anything, you can remove your payment method, though this may cause future orders to fail.
- Kindle devices continue to work after you cancel a subscription, but you cannot read new books from the Kindle store without an active account.
How to cancel Kindle Unlimited in two minutes
Go to amazon.com and sign in. Click on the account icon in the top right corner and select "Your Account" from the dropdown menu. Scroll down to "Digital content and devices" and click "Manage your content and devices." In the left sidebar, click "Memberships" and you will see your Kindle Unlimited subscription listed.
Click the three dots next to Kindle Unlimited and select "Cancel membership." Amazon will ask you to confirm and may offer you a discounted rate to stay. If you decline, the cancellation is when ready. You will receive a confirmation email. Your access to the Kindle Unlimited library ends right away, but any books you bought with your own money remain on your device and in your library.
Closing your entire Amazon account
If you want to delete your Amazon account completely, go to amazon.com, sign in, and click the account icon. Select "Your Account," then scroll to "Login and security." Click "Close your account" at the bottom of that section. Amazon will ask you to confirm your password and explain why you are leaving.
Amazon will not delete your account when ready. The company holds your account open for 90 days in case you change your mind or have pending orders. During this time, Amazon may still charge you for items you ordered before you requested closure. After 90 days, your account is permanently deleted. You cannot recover it, and you cannot use the same email address to create a new Amazon account for 90 days.
If you have an active Kindle device, it will stop working after your account closes because Kindle devices require an active Amazon account to read books. You can still read books that are already on the device, but you cannot add new ones.
Stopping Amazon charges without closing your account
If you want Amazon to stop charging you but keep your account open, remove your payment method. Go to Your Account, click "Manage payment methods," and delete the card or bank account Amazon has on file. This stops all charges when ready.
The downside is that any future purchase you try to make will fail until you add a new payment method. If you have a Kindle device and want to keep downloading books, you will need to add a payment method back before you can buy anything. This approach works best if you are taking a break from Amazon but plan to return later.
What happens to your books and devices
If you cancel Kindle Unlimited but keep your Amazon account, books you purchased outright stay in your library forever. You can re-read them to any Kindle device or read them in the Kindle app on your phone or computer as long as your account exists.
Books you borrowed through Kindle Unlimited disappear from your library the moment you cancel. If you want to keep reading one, you have to buy it. Kindle devices themselves do not stop working when you cancel a subscription — they stop working only when you close your entire Amazon account. After that, the device becomes a brick unless you can somehow restore an Amazon account to it, which is not possible for most users.
Refunds and what you lose
Amazon does not refund Kindle Unlimited charges for the current month, even if you cancel on the first day. You paid for the month, and you have access until the next billing date. If you cancel on the 15th of a month, you still have access through the end of that month.
When you close your entire Amazon account, you lose access to everything tied to it: your order history, your saved addresses, your wish lists, and any digital content you purchased (books, music, videos, apps). Physical items you ordered before closure will still be shipped if they have not already left the warehouse, and you will be charged for them.
If you cannot find the cancellation button
Kindle Unlimited cancellation is sometimes hidden behind account settings that change layout. If you cannot find "Manage your content and devices," try this path instead: go to Your Account, click "Digital content and devices," then look for "Memberships" in the left sidebar. If that sidebar does not appear, scroll all the way down the page — sometimes it is at the bottom instead of the side.
If you are using the Kindle app on your phone instead of a computer, the cancellation option may not be available in the app itself. You will need to go to amazon.com on a web browser to cancel. The same is true for Kindle devices — you cannot cancel from the device itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a refund if I cancel Kindle Unlimited mid-month?
No. Amazon charges monthly and does not refund partial months. If you cancel on the 10th of the month, you keep access through the end of that month but are not refunded for the days you do not use it. You are charged again only if you do not cancel before the next billing date.
Will my Kindle device stop working if I cancel Kindle Unlimited?
No. Canceling Kindle Unlimited only removes your access to the Kindle Unlimited library. Your device continues to work, and you can still read books you purchased. The device stops working only if you close your entire Amazon account.
What if I cancel my Amazon account but want to use Kindle again later?
You can create a new Amazon account after 90 days, but you cannot use the same email address. Any books you purchased on your old account are gone — they are tied to that account and cannot be transferred. You would have to buy them again.
Can I pause Kindle Unlimited instead of canceling it?
Amazon does not offer a pause feature for Kindle Unlimited. You either keep the subscription active and pay monthly, or you cancel it. If you want to stop paying temporarily, you have to cancel and rejoin later. Rejoining costs the same as a new subscription.
Do I need to cancel Kindle Unlimited before closing my Amazon account?
No. When you close your Amazon account, all subscriptions end automatically, including Kindle Unlimited. You can cancel the subscription first if you want, but it is not required. Either way, the account closes after 90 days.