If I Cancel Amazon Prime Do I Keep My Movies? (Must Know)
As a successful Amazon seller, this is a question I get all the time from my clients who are looking to cancel their Prime memberships.
The short answer is – yes, you do get to keep any movies or TV shows you‘ve purchased through Prime Video when you cancel your Prime membership. The content you own will remain available to watch.
However, you‘ll lose access to Prime‘s entire streaming catalog and some other membership perks. So before taking that step, it‘s important to understand exactly how canceling Prime affects your access to purchased videos.
In this detailed guide, I‘ll clear up any confusion around canceling Prime and your movie library. I‘ll also share some pro tips as an ecommerce insider on how to fully leverage your Prime membership before ending it.
Here‘s what we‘ll cover:
Table of Contents:
What happens to your Prime video library when you cancel
Do you keep purchased movies and TV shows?
What about rented titles – can you still watch them?
How to access purchased videos after cancellation
Getting refunds on recent purchases
Losing access to Prime Video Channels
Re-subscribing to Prime later
Impact on other Prime media benefits
Should you buy titles before canceling?
Step-by-step guide to canceling Prime
Effects on Amazon Household & Family
The bottom line
Let‘s get started.
What Happens to Your Prime Video Library When You Cancel?
One of the best parts of being an Amazon Prime member is gaining access to Prime Video – Amazon‘s massive on-demand streaming library with thousands of popular movies, shows, and original content.
It allows you to instantly watch everything from new releases to classic films and binge-worthy TV series on nearly any device you own. For sellers like us, it‘s awesome for entertainment during long days of sourcing, listing, and shipping.
However, as soon as you cancel your Prime membership, you‘ll lose instant access to this entire streaming catalog. The entire Prime Video library goes away.
Why does this happen? Well, the free unlimited streaming is considered one of the main benefits of the Prime program. So if you end your membership, Amazon understandably takes away access.
But what about any movies, TV shows, or other videos you‘ve already purchased through Prime Video? Let‘s look at whether you get to keep those permanently.
Do You Keep Purchased Movies and TV Shows After Canceling Prime?
Here‘s the good news…
While you lose access to the overall Prime Video library when you cancel Prime, any movies, series, or other videos you‘ve previously purchased will remain yours to watch and enjoy even after cancellation.
For example, say as a Prime member you purchased some of your favorite films like The Godfather, The Dark Knight, or classics like Jurassic Park to own digitally through Prime Video.
If you cancel Prime a year later, you‘ll still be able to access and watch those purchased movies you own indefinitely. You didn‘t just rent them – you bought and paid for them. So they don‘t go away when your membership ends.
Same goes for any TV show seasons you decided to buy, or any Amazon Prime originals you purchased like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel or Jack Ryan. Episodes and seasons you own will still be there after canceling so you can continue bingeing.
According to Amazon‘s cancellation policies, they do not revoke access to digital purchases and purchases stay in your library. This is excellent news for sellers like us who have invested in building up their Prime video collections.
The only catch is that you can only watch purchased videos through the Prime Video app or website. You won‘t be able to browse or stream any Prime catalog content. But your purchases will all be waiting for you in Your Video Library.
So in summary – feel free to cancel Prime, but rest assured you don‘t lose your purchased movie collection!
What About Rented Titles – Can You Still Watch Them After Cancelling?
Okay, so now you know that purchased movies and videos are still accessible if you cancel Prime. But what if you‘ve been renting titles through Prime Video rather than buying them?
Unfortunately, here‘s where things get a little tricky…
Rented movies or TV shows will become inaccessible after you cancel Prime, unless your rental period hasn‘t expired yet by the cancellation date.
For example, let‘s say you rented a movie on Prime Video on Monday and your rental period is 3 days. If you don‘t cancel Prime until Thursday, you‘ll still be able to finish watching the rental.
But if you canceled on Wednesday, that movie would disappear from your library even if you were only halfway through it since the rental access expired. Bummer!
The bottom line: Try to watch any rented titles BEFORE your Prime cancellation date, otherwise you‘ll likely lose access even if you had time left. Different from purchases which are yours forever.
As a seller, I always recommend buying your very favorite movies on Prime so you have permanent access. But renting can be perfect for titles you just want to watch once. Just be strategic with timing if you plan to cancel Prime soon.
How to Access Purchased Videos After Cancelling Prime
If you cancel your Prime subscription and want to view videos you‘ve purchased, it just takes a couple simple steps:
Open up the Prime Video app on your smart TV, mobile device, or other platform. Or visit primevideo.com directly in your browser.
Sign into your Amazon account when prompted.
Select "Your Video Library" in the app or click "Your Videos" on the Prime Video website.
All of your purchased movies, TV shows, and other videos will be right there and ready to watch!
Again, the only downside is you won‘t see any Prime streaming content – just the titles you‘ve bought and added to your permanent collection. But it works exactly the same as when you had an active Prime membership.
For disc-based purchases, you can also just pop those Blu-rays or DVDs into any normal player – no difference there.
So don‘t stress about losing access. Your Prime movies can live on your shelf forever if you want. Or at least until you sell them on Amazon as a third-party seller!
Getting Refunds on Recent Purchases Before You Cancel
Let‘s say you purchased some movies or shows on Prime Video very recently, and now you‘re planning to cancel your membership sooner than expected.
Is it possible to get a refund on any purchases you made shortly before canceling Prime?
The good news is yes, Amazon will refund any digital purchases made within the last 7 days. So if you just bought something through Prime and are now canceling right after, you can request your money back.
Here is Amazon‘s official policy on Prime Video refunds:
"Refunds are available for digital content purchases made within the past 7 days, as long as you have not started watching it."
So if you just made a purchase in the last week, and especially if you haven‘t even started viewing it yet, you should be able to get a full refund by reaching out to Amazon customer service. Explain the situation politely and they will likely oblige.
For physical discs, the same 30 day return policies apply as for any normal Amazon order. You‘d simply ship back the unopened DVDs and Blu-rays.
So lesson learned – only buy titles on Prime Video if you‘re willing to own them permanently! Otherwise, wait until after you‘ve canceled.
Losing Access to Prime Video Channels After Canceling
Another great perk of Amazon Prime is access to a wide selection of Prime Video Channels – premium add-ons like HBO, Showtime, Starz, and dozens more.
By subscribing to these channels through Prime Video, you get to stream all their content on-demand for a small added monthly fee. It‘s very convenient as a Prime member.
However, when you cancel your Prime membership altogether, you also lose access to any active Prime Video Channel subscriptions. All of that premium content goes away.
For example, if you were subscribed to HBO through Prime to watch series like Game of Thrones, Euphoria, or House of the Dragon, you‘ll no longer be able to stream any of it after canceling Prime.
That HBO subscription was tied to your overall Prime account. They aren‘t stand-alone channel subscriptions you can just keep.
So if watching premium channels is important to you, make sure to take full advantage before your Prime cancellation date. Binge your favorite HBO, Showtime, and Starz series while you still can!
Re-Subscribing to Prime Later On
Let‘s say you go through with canceling your Prime subscription after reading this guide. But a few months down the road, you‘re really missing your shipping perks, Prime Video, and being a proud member.
The good news is – you can resubscribe and reactivate your Prime membership at ANY time!
All it takes is heading over to Amazon.com, clicking "Account & Lists" then "Your Prime Membership", and selecting "Join Prime" or "Reactivate" Prime.
You‘ll have to pay the membership fee again, but you‘ll instantly regain full access to Prime benefits, the streaming library, and other perks.
And the best part? Any movies, shows, or videos you‘ve purchased over the years will still be waiting for you in Your Video Library.
Canceling Prime doesn‘t mean you lose your collection forever! You can always rejoin later and get back instant access to all your purchased stuff.
So don‘t hesitate to subscribe again down the road if you start missing Prime. Your videos are safe either way.
What About Other Prime Media Benefits Like Music and Books?
We‘ve talked a lot about Prime Video. But your Amazon Prime membership likely also gave you access to other great media benefits, like:
Prime Music – over 2 million songs available for unlimited ad-free streaming
Prime Reading – unlimited reading from a rotating selection of over 1,000 ebooks, magazines, comics, and more
If you take advantage of these other Prime media offerings, what happens when you cancel your membership?
The story is similar…
Once you cancel Prime, you‘ll lose on-demand access to stream or download anything from the Prime Music and Prime Reading libraries. It all goes away.
However, any specific ebooks, music, or other media content you paid for individually will still be yours.
For example:
Ebooks you bought through Prime Reading are yours forever and can be read on Kindle or any e-reader.
Any albums or songs you purchased through Prime Music can still be downloaded to listen offline.
So be sure to purchase your absolute favorites before canceling Prime!
According to Amazon‘s Help pages:
"Media purchased, downloaded or permanently saved, including Prime Video, Prime Music, Kindle Owners‘ Lending Library, or Kindle Unlimited titles, will not be removed from your library when you end your Prime membership."
This also applies to any Audible audiobooks purchased with credits through an Amazon Household membership.
But remember, you‘ll lose unlimited access to stream or browse Prime‘s music, reading, and other media catalogs. Content you specifically purchased is the exception.
Should You Buy Titles Before Canceling Prime?
Given what we‘ve covered about retaining purchased content, here‘s my advice as an experienced ecommerce seller…
Before canceling your Prime subscription, take some time to browse your full Prime Video, Music, Reading, and Audiobook histories.
Look for any absolute favorite titles, albums, or books you can purchase outright so you‘ll have permanent offline access even after you end your membership.
For example, think about:
- Movies and TV shows you‘ve streamed multiple times and know you‘ll watch again.
- Your most listened to albums and artists on Prime Music.
- Kindle ebooks or Audible listens you loved and may revisit.
The morecontent you purchase now, the larger library you‘ll have available later as a non-Prime member. It just requires going on a quick buying spree first!
Consider it getting your money‘s worth before letting go of Prime. I suggest my clients do an "exit shopping" session so they have no regrets after canceling their membership.
At the very least, be sure to download any ebooks you want to keep from Kindle Unlimited or Prime Reading before the access goes away.
Step-by-Step Guide to Canceling Your Prime Membership
If you‘ve decided to cancel your Prime account after reading this, here‘s a simple walkthrough of how to do it:
- Go to amazon.com and click "Account & Lists"
- Under "Your Prime Membership", click "End membership"
- Select a reason for cancelling from the list
- Click "Continue to cancel"
- Finally, click "Confirm cancellation"
And that‘s it! Your Prime membership will be cancelled right away.
You‘ll continue to have access to Prime benefits until the end of your current billing period. Once that expires, your membership will end and most Prime services will go away.
However, you‘ll retain permanent access to any purchased movies, songs, books, etc. as we‘ve discussed in this guide.
One last tip: If you JUST signed up for Prime recently, you may be eligible for a full refund on your membership fee if you cancel within 3 days of joining. Reach out to Amazon customer service about a refund.
Otherwise, no partial refunds are given for cancelling partway through the subscription term. But your purchases are still yours to keep.
What About Amazon Household and Family?
Sharing Prime benefits with family? Here‘s what happens when you cancel:
If you‘re the PRIMARY Prime account holder in an Amazon Household or Family Library, canceling your own Prime membership will also remove Prime access for your entire household.
Family members or partners on your account will no longer receive shared Prime shipping, media benefits, or anything else.
However, any digital content like movies or ebooks that family members purchased for themselves will NOT be revoked. Their purchases won‘t disappear, just the shared Prime access.
Keep this in mind if you manage the "parent" account other members rely on. You may want to remove just yourself from Household sharing rather than cancelling your whole membership.
That way, your family can continue enjoying Prime while you save on the membership fee.
The Bottom Line
So in summary, here are the key points to remember if you plan to cancel your Prime membership:
You‘ll lose access to the full Prime Video, Music, Reading, and Audiobook libraries. No more unlimited streaming and browsing.
However, any movies, TV shows, music, ebooks, etc. that you PURCHASED will still be yours to enjoy forever!
Rented movies or shows may become inaccessible unless you watch them before cancelling.
You can still easily watch purchased videos through the Prime Video app or website.
recent purchases may be refundable if you contact Amazon customer service.
You can always resubscribe to Prime later and regain full access. Your purchase history sticks around!
While Prime membership has great perks, I hope this guide provided the info and assurances you needed around canceling without losing your purchased stuff.
Let me know if any other questions come up! I‘m always happy to share insights from my years as an Amazon seller.
