What happens to my Kindle books when I close my account?

All Kindle books, even those you purchased, become immediately and permanently inaccessible when your account is closed. Kindle purchases are licenses tied to your account, not owned files. They cannot be recovered or transferred. You lose all access to your Kindle library, including books, magazines, and newspapers.

Can I close my account if I have pending orders?

No. You must wait for all orders to be delivered, all returns to be processed, and all refunds to be completed before Amazon will close your account. Customer service will not process account closure requests with pending transactions. Check 'Your Orders' to ensure everything is resolved.

Will I lose my product reviews when I delete my account?

Yes. All product reviews, ratings, questions, and community contributions you've made are permanently deleted when you close your account. Your reviews will be removed from product pages. There's no way to preserve or transfer your reviews to another account.

What happens to my Amazon Prime membership?

You must cancel Prime before closing your account, and wait for it to fully expire. If you cancel mid-billing period, you can request a prorated refund for unused time. After Prime expires, you can proceed with account closure. Any remaining Prime benefits are forfeited.

Can I reopen my Amazon account after closing it?

No. Once your Amazon account is closed, it's permanently deleted and cannot be reopened. However, you can create a new Amazon account using the same email address, but you'll start completely from scratch with no purchase history, digital content, or account settings.

What happens to my gift card balance?

Any remaining Amazon gift card balance, promotional credits, or Amazon Cash is permanently forfeited without refund when you close your account. Amazon will not provide cash equivalent for unused balance. Make sure to use all credits before requesting account closure.

Will my Alexa device still work?

No. Alexa devices require an Amazon account to function. When you close your account, your Echo, Fire TV, Fire tablet, and other Amazon devices will lose access to Alexa services, purchased content, and smart home integrations. You'll need to factory reset devices and set up with a different Amazon account.

How to Delete Your Amazon Account - Step-by-Step Guide (2025)

Written & Verified By

Delete.Directory Content Team

Our team of privacy advocates and former social media employees verify every deletion process through hands-on testing.

This guide helps you permanently delete your Amazon account. We believe in digital autonomy: your right to leave any platform should be as easy as joining it. Follow these verified steps to ensure complete account deletion.

How We Verified This Guide

Methodology: Hands-on testing with live accounts

Quick Information

Time Required

15 minutes

Difficulty

medium

Steps

5 steps

Official Resources

Amazon Help - Close Your Account

Official deletion guide from Amazon

Additional Resources

[1]

Download Your Amazon Data

Official guide for downloading your complete Amazon data and order history

[2]

Amazon Privacy Notice

Understanding how Amazon handles your data and privacy

[3]

Cancel Amazon Prime

How to cancel Prime membership before closing your account

Step-by-Step Guide

Cancel All Subscriptions and Services

Before closing your account, you must cancel Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited, Subscribe & Save deliveries, and any other active subscriptions. Go to 'Your Memberships and Subscriptions' and cancel each one. Wait for subscriptions to fully expire.

Tips

•Check 'Your Memberships and Subscriptions' for all active services
•Consider downloading purchased Kindle books before canceling

Warnings

•You cannot close your account while subscriptions are active
•Prime benefits last until the end of your billing period

Resolve Pending Orders and Balances

Ensure all orders are delivered or canceled, all returns are processed, and any outstanding gift card balances or promotional credits are used or forfeited. Check 'Your Orders' and 'Your Account' for pending items.

Tips

•Use any remaining gift card balance before deletion
•Wait for all returns to be fully processed

Backup Your Order History and Data

Download your Amazon data archive which includes order history, reviews, wish lists, and account activity. Go to amazon.com/privacycentral/data-requests and request your data. This can take up to 30 days.

Tips

•Your order history is valuable for warranties and returns
•Download includes all your product reviews and ratings

Contact Amazon Customer Service

Amazon requires you to contact customer service to close your account - it cannot be done through account settings alone. Go to amazon.com/contact-us, select 'Something else', then 'I want to close my account'. Choose chat or phone support.

Tips

•Have your account information ready
•Chat support is usually faster than phone
•Be prepared to confirm your identity and reason for closure

Confirm Account Closure With Representative

The customer service representative will verify your identity, confirm all subscriptions are canceled, and process your account closure request. They may offer alternatives or retention incentives. Confirm you want to proceed with permanent deletion.

Warnings

•This action is permanent and cannot be undone
•All purchase history, reviews, and wish lists will be deleted

Important Warnings

All Purchase History Permanently Lost

When you close your Amazon account, your entire order history is permanently deleted. This includes proof of purchase for warranties, return eligibility verification, and records of past transactions. You won't be able to track packages, initiate returns, or access digital purchases after closure.

Digital Content Access Permanently Lost

All digital purchases including Kindle books, Audible audiobooks, Prime Video rentals/purchases, Amazon Music purchases, and Amazon Photos storage are immediately and permanently inaccessible. Even though you purchased this content, it's tied to your account and cannot be recovered or transferred.

Cannot Close Account With Active Subscriptions

Amazon requires you to cancel Prime, Kindle Unlimited, Subscribe & Save, and all other subscriptions before account closure. You must wait for these subscriptions to fully expire (end of billing period), which could take up to 30 days. Accounts with active subscriptions cannot be closed.

Gift Card Balances and Credits Forfeited

Any remaining Amazon gift card balance, promotional credits, or Amazon Cash in your account will be permanently forfeited without refund when you close your account. Make sure to use all credits before deletion or they're lost forever.

Product Reviews and Ratings Deleted

All product reviews, ratings, questions, and answers you've contributed to Amazon are permanently deleted. Your reviews will be removed from product pages. If you've written verified purchase reviews, that valuable feedback will be lost to the community.

Linked Accounts and Devices Affected

Amazon accounts connected to Alexa devices, Fire tablets, Ring doorbells, Kindle e-readers, and third-party smart home devices will lose functionality. You'll need to factory reset devices and set up with a new account. Whole Foods rewards, Amazon Key, and Pharmacy accounts are also affected.

Alternatives to Consider

Keep Account Active, Remove Payment Methods

easy

Instead of closing your account completely, remove all payment methods and stored addresses while keeping your account for accessing order history and digital content.

Pros

•Keep access to past order history for warranties
•Retain purchased digital content (Kindle, Audible, etc.)
•Can still write and read reviews
•Maintain wish lists and gift registries
•Easy to resume shopping if needed

Cons

•Your data remains on Amazon's servers
•Account still vulnerable to security breaches
•Amazon continues to collect browsing behavior
•May receive marketing emails (can unsubscribe)
•Doesn't address privacy concerns fully

5 min

Cancel Prime, Keep Basic Account

easy

Cancel Amazon Prime but maintain a free Amazon account for occasional shopping. This eliminates recurring costs while preserving your account benefits.

Pros

•No ongoing subscription costs
•Keep all digital purchases accessible
•Maintain complete order history
•Still eligible for free shipping on qualifying orders
•Can reactivate Prime anytime

Cons

•Lose Prime Video, Music, and shipping benefits
•Data still stored by Amazon
•May be tempted to continue shopping
•Slower shipping without Prime

3 min

Minimize Account Footprint

medium

Remove stored payment methods, delete addresses, clear browsing history, opt out of personalized ads, and minimize the data Amazon has while keeping account active.

Pros

•Significantly reduce your data footprint
•Maintain access to past purchases and digital content
•Can still use account when absolutely necessary
•Less targeted advertising

Cons

•Requires manual configuration and ongoing maintenance
•Amazon still retains past purchase history
•Browsing behavior still tracked when using site
•Doesn't fully eliminate privacy concerns

20 min

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Unlike most online services, Amazon requires you to contact customer service (via chat or phone) to close your account. There is no self-service account deletion option in your account settings. This is Amazon's policy to prevent accidental deletions and ensure all requirements are met.

References & Citations

[1]
Download Your Amazon Data
Official guide for downloading your complete Amazon data and order history
https://www.amazon.com/gp/privacycentral/dsar/preview.html
[2]
Amazon Privacy Notice
Understanding how Amazon handles your data and privacy
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GX7NJQ4ZB8MHFRNJ
[3]
Cancel Amazon Prime
How to cancel Prime membership before closing your account
https://www.amazon.com/mc/

All citations verified as of 11/8/2025. We regularly review and update all external links to ensure accuracy.

Found incorrect information?

We strive for accuracy. If something's outdated or wrong, let us know.

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Quick Navigation

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paypal

Many users link PayPal to their Amazon account for payments

Critical Warnings

All Purchase History Permanently Lost
When you close your Amazon account, your entire order history is permanently deleted. This includes ...
Digital Content Access Permanently Lost
All digital purchases including Kindle books, Audible audiobooks, Prime Video rentals/purchases, Ama...
Cannot Close Account With Active Subscriptions
Amazon requires you to cancel Prime, Kindle Unlimited, Subscribe & Save, and all other subscriptions...

Last Updated

November 8, 2025

Amazon Account Deletion

How We Verified This Guide

Quick Information

Official Resources

Additional Resources

Step-by-Step Guide

Cancel All Subscriptions and Services

Resolve Pending Orders and Balances

Backup Your Order History and Data

Contact Amazon Customer Service

Confirm Account Closure With Representative

Important Warnings

All Purchase History Permanently Lost

Digital Content Access Permanently Lost

Cannot Close Account With Active Subscriptions

Gift Card Balances and Credits Forfeited

Product Reviews and Ratings Deleted

Linked Accounts and Devices Affected

Alternatives to Consider

Keep Account Active, Remove Payment Methods

Cancel Prime, Keep Basic Account

Minimize Account Footprint

Frequently Asked Questions

References & Citations

Found incorrect information?

Quick Navigation

Related Guides

Critical Warnings

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