Cancel Amazon Prime Video: The Right Way

How to cancel Amazon Prime Video in new zealand and stop unwanted charges

Why you need to act on Amazon Prime Video now

Amazon Prime Video is a streaming service that delivers films, TV series and licensed content to your screen across New Zealand, whether you subscribe standalone or bundle it with Amazon Prime membership. If you've stopped watching, found a service that suits you better, or you're caught in subscription creep, cancelling is your right and it's faster than you think.

At Tocancel, we understand that monthly charges add up quickly. Streaming fatigue is real, and so is the frustration of paying for services you no longer use. This guide walks you through your cancellation rights, the exact steps to end your subscription, and how to protect yourself from unexpected charges.

What Amazon Prime Video costs in new zealand

Knowing what you're paying helps you make a clear decision about whether to stay or cancel. Below is the current pricing for Prime Video in New Zealand.

Prices are subject to change without notice. If you're on an introductory offer, your full rate kicks in once the promotional period ends, so plan your cancellation before that date if you don't want to pay the regular price.

When you should cancel Prime Video

You have strong reasons to cancel if you've finished binge-watching your shows and have no plans to return, you've switched to Netflix, Disney+ or TVNZ+, or you're cutting back on subscription costs. You should also cancel immediately if you were charged without authorising a renewal or if you subscribed by accident during a free trial.

You might keep your subscription if you watch new releases regularly, you value Prime Video channel add-ons, or you've purchased content you plan to re-watch.

Your consumer rights under new zealand law

New Zealand's Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 (the CGA) gives you powerful protections when you cancel a subscription service, and understanding these rights puts you in control of the process.

What the consumer guarantees act means for you

Under the CGA, Amazon must provide services that are of acceptable quality, fit for purpose, and safe. If Prime Video fails to meet these standards, you have the right to cancel and claim a refund without penalty. You also have the right to cancel at any time if Amazon has not given you clear, upfront information about the subscription terms, cancellation process, or pricing.

Your legal position is straightforward: if you authorised the subscription and received the service as promised, you may not qualify for a refund under the CGA, but you have an absolute right to cancel future charges. If you were not told how to cancel, or if the cancellation process is deliberately hidden or difficult, you can complain to the Commerce Commission, New Zealand's consumer protection authority.

When you can claim a refund

You have grounds for a refund if Amazon charged you after your free trial ended without clear consent, if you cancelled but were charged anyway, or if the service was unavailable for an extended period. Tocancel recommends contacting Amazon within 14 days of an unauthorised charge with proof of the transaction and your cancellation request. Document everything: screenshots, email confirmations, and your payment history.

If Amazon refuses to refund you and you believe the charge was unfair, you can escalate to the Commerce Commission or file a dispute through your bank. The Commerce Commission investigates complaints about misleading or unfair trading practices, and they have power to issue corrective notices.

How to cancel Amazon Prime Video in five straightforward steps

Cancelling Prime Video in New Zealand takes fewer than five minutes if you follow this method, whether you subscribe via the Amazon website or the mobile app.

1. Sign in to your Amazon account at www.amazon.com.au or the Amazon app (Amazon services are managed through the Australian site for New Zealand users).
   • Use your email address and password.
   • If you've forgotten your password, select "Forgot password" and follow the email link.
2. Navigate to "Your Account" (usually found in the top-right menu or under "Account & Lists").
   • Select "Memberships and subscriptions" or "Prime Video memberships".
   • You should see your active Prime Video subscription listed with the renewal date.
3. Select your Prime Video subscription and choose "Manage" or "Edit subscription".
   • Review the renewal date and your current plan.
   • Look for "Cancel subscription" or "End membership" link.
4. Confirm your cancellation reason (Amazon will ask why you're leaving; your answer is optional and doesn't affect the cancellation).
   • You may be offered a retention discount; accept only if you intend to stay.
   • If you want to cancel, ignore any discount offer and proceed to confirmation.
5. Confirm the cancellation and save your confirmation email.
   • Amazon will send you a confirmation email within minutes.
   • Screenshot this email and your account settings as proof of cancellation.
   • Your access will continue until the end of your current billing cycle; you will not be charged after that date.

Once you cancel, your Prime Video access ends at the close of your current billing period, not immediately. This is important: you retain full access to all content until that date, so there's no rush to binge everything today.

What happens after you cancel Prime Video

Cancelling Prime Video is not the end of your journey; knowing what to expect next protects you from surprise charges and helps you plan your next streaming service.

Your access timeline and what changes

After you submit your cancellation, Amazon will let you stream until the last day of your current billing cycle. For example, if you cancel on the 15th of a month and you were charged on the 8th, you keep access until the end of that month. On the first day of the next month, your access stops, and you will not be charged.

Any content you purchased or rented (rather than streamed) remains available for the duration of your purchase licence, even after your subscription ends. You can still download and re-watch it.

Protecting yourself from accidental re-subscription

Monitor your bank or credit card statement for the next three billing cycles after you cancel. Tocancel recommends setting a reminder on your phone for the date your subscription was set to end. If you see a charge from Amazon after your cancellation date, contact your bank immediately to dispute it and contact Amazon support with your cancellation confirmation email.

If you need to prove you cancelled, keep the confirmation email and screenshots of your account settings showing no active Prime Video subscription. These are your evidence if Amazon disputes a refund claim.

Common mistakes to avoid when cancelling Prime Video

Many people cancel their subscription only to find they've made a costly error that costs them time and money to fix. Here are the pitfalls Tocancel sees most often, and how to sidestep them.

Mistake one: confusing Prime Video with Prime membership

Amazon Prime (the full membership) and Prime Video (the streaming service alone) are two separate subscriptions with different cancellation methods. If you cancel one, the other continues, and you'll keep paying. Check your "Memberships and subscriptions" page carefully to see which one you actually have. If you have the full Prime membership and only want to cancel video streaming, you may need to contact Amazon support to remove just the video component while keeping fast delivery benefits.

Mistake two: not confirming the cancellation in writing

Cancelling through the Amazon app or website generates an email confirmation; do not rely on the on-screen message alone. Check your email (including spam folders) within 10 minutes of cancelling. If you don't receive a confirmation, your cancellation may not have gone through. Log back into your account and verify that Prime Video no longer shows as an active subscription.

Mistake three: cancelling without checking your free trial end date

If you're still in a free trial and cancel too late, you'll be charged before your cancellation takes effect. Free trials for Prime Video last 7 days; free trials for Amazon Prime membership last 30 days. Mark your calendar for day six or day 29, and cancel before the trial ends if you don't want to be charged.

Mistake four: forgetting to download or export your content

Prime Video does not allow you to download films and TV series to your device for offline viewing (unlike Netflix). Once you cancel, you lose streaming access immediately after your billing cycle ends. If there's content you want to keep, rent or purchase it before you cancel, or write down the titles so you can find them elsewhere.

How to get a refund after cancelling Amazon Prime Video

A refund is not automatic when you cancel, but you have legitimate grounds to claim one in specific situations, and Tocancel will help you understand exactly when and how to pursue it.

When Amazon must refund you

You can request a refund if you were charged after your cancellation date, if you cancelled within your free trial period and were still charged, or if you can prove you did not authorise the subscription in the first place. You can also claim a refund under the CGA if the service was unavailable for more than a few days during your billing cycle, or if Amazon made misleading claims about what Prime Video includes or how to cancel.

Steps to claim a refund

1. Gather your evidence: your cancellation confirmation email, screenshots of your account showing no active subscription, and your bank statement showing the charge you dispute.
2. Contact Amazon Customer Service through your account or by calling +64 9 959 5000 (Amazon's New Zealand support line).
   • Explain clearly why you believe you're owed a refund: "I cancelled my Prime Video subscription on [date], but I was charged on [date]. Here is my cancellation confirmation."
   • Attach or reference your evidence.
3. Allow Amazon 5-10 business days to respond. Most refund requests are approved within this timeframe if your evidence is clear.
4. If Amazon refuses, contact your bank or credit card company and file a chargeback or dispute, citing the cancellation date and your evidence.
5. If the refund is still refused and you believe Amazon has breached the CGA, lodge a complaint with the Commerce Commission at www.comcom.govt.nz.

Document every interaction with Amazon and your bank. Tocancel recommends keeping all emails and screenshots for at least six months after your refund is resolved.

Contacting Amazon for support or escalation

If you encounter problems cancelling, need to dispute a charge, or want to appeal Amazon's refusal to refund, you have multiple ways to reach support.

Amazon's customer service contact details

For subscription and cancellation issues in New Zealand, contact Amazon through the following channels:

• Online: www.amazon.com.au/contact-us (select your issue from the menu)
• Phone: +64 9 959 5000 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm NZST)
• Email: correspondence to Amazon Legal at [email protected] for formal disputes (allow 20-30 business days for response)
• Postal address: Amazon EU Sarl, 410 Terry Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109, USA (international address; include your Amazon account email and order number)

When to escalate to the commerce commission

If Amazon fails to respond within 10 business days, refuses a legitimate refund claim, or you believe the company has engaged in misleading or unfair trading practices (such as hiding the cancellation button or charging without clear consent), escalate to the Commerce Commission. Visit www.comcom.govt.nz or call 0800 943 600. The Commerce Commission has the power to investigate and issue corrective notices, and your complaint is free and confidential.

Checklist: cancelling Prime Video safely

Use this checklist to ensure you cancel correctly and protect yourself from future charges.

Comparing Prime Video to other streaming services in new zealand

If you're cancelling because you prefer another service, this comparison helps you choose what to switch to.

Each service has a different strength; your choice depends on which types of content you actually watch. Tocancel recommends trying free trials on at least two competing services before cancelling Prime Video, so you avoid cancelling only to re-subscribe later.

Summary: take control of your streaming costs today

Cancelling Amazon Prime Video in New Zealand is simple, fast, and entirely your right. You have strong protections under the Consumer Guarantees Act, clear steps to follow, and multiple ways to escalate if Amazon refuses to cooperate or charges you unfairly.

The key takeaways are these: check what you're actually subscribed to (Prime Video or Prime membership), cancel before your next billing cycle if you don't want to be charged, save your confirmation email as proof, monitor your bank statement for the next three months, and escalate to the Commerce Commission if Amazon fails to honour your cancellation or refuses a legitimate refund.

You don't have to tolerate unwanted charges or hidden cancellation processes. Tocancel has helped thousands of consumers cancel streaming services, reclaim refunds, and take back control of their subscriptions. Whether you're switching to Netflix, cutting costs, or simply moving on, you have the power to make this decision stick. Follow the steps in this guide, stay organised with your evidence, and if you hit resistance from Amazon, remember that the Commerce Commission is on your side.

Start your cancellation today at www.amazon.com.au, follow the five steps above, and keep that confirmation email safe. Your wallet will thank you, and so will your sanity when subscription creep stops.