How to Permanently Delete Your Amazon Account: A Step-by-Step Guide

While Amazon offers a convenient marketplace for millions of products and services, there might come a time when you decide you no longer need or want an Amazon account. Perhaps you’re consolidating your online shopping, concerned about privacy, or simply prefer not to use their services. Whatever your reason, permanently deleting your Amazon account is a serious step that requires careful consideration. It’s not as straightforward as deleting a social media profile, and it’s important to understand the implications and follow the correct process. This comprehensive guide will walk you through each step to ensure a smooth and complete account closure.

Before You Begin: Important Considerations

Deleting your Amazon account is a permanent action. It’s crucial to understand what you’re giving up before proceeding. Here’s a checklist of important factors to consider:

• Access to Orders and Purchase History: Once your account is deleted, you will lose access to your order history, tracking information, and digital content purchases. Make sure to download any receipts or information you need.
• Digital Content: You’ll lose access to all purchased digital content such as Kindle books, Amazon Music, Prime Video, and apps. This means you won’t be able to stream, download, or use these items again, and there’s no way to transfer them to another account.
• Amazon Prime Membership: Your Prime membership will be canceled. If you have time remaining on your subscription, you might be eligible for a partial refund. Be sure to review the terms and conditions of your membership.
• Third-Party Services: If you use your Amazon account to log in to other services or websites (e.g., using ‘Login with Amazon’), you will no longer be able to do so. You’ll need to update your login details with these services separately.
• AWS and Other Amazon Services: If you utilize other Amazon services, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon Associates, or Amazon Pay, these will also be affected, and access may be lost. Deletion may impact linked data and resources tied to your Amazon account, so make backups and transfer anything essential.
• Gift Cards and Balances: Any remaining gift card balances or promotional credits will be forfeited. Use them up before closing your account.
• Reviews and Ratings: Your product reviews, comments, and ratings on Amazon will be removed with your account, leaving your public profile essentially empty.
• Communication: You will no longer receive emails from Amazon related to marketing, promotions, and account updates.
• Family Profiles: If you have family profiles linked to your account, they will also lose access. Advise them and consider creating a separate profile if necessary.
• Irreversible Action: Once your account is deleted, there is no way to recover it or restore your data. This is a permanent deletion, so proceed with caution.

Recommendation: It’s strongly advised to download all crucial information before starting the deletion process. This includes order details, receipts, and any other data that might be useful later.

Step-by-Step Guide to Deleting Your Amazon Account

Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide on how to permanently delete your Amazon account:

1. Sign in to Your Amazon Account

   First, navigate to the Amazon website (https://www.amazon.com) and sign in to the account you wish to delete. Make sure you are logged in to the correct account if you have multiple Amazon accounts.

2. Access the Account Closure Page

   Amazon doesn’t make the account deletion process readily visible. Here’s how to find it:

   • Desktop/Laptop: Hover over ‘Account & Lists’ in the top right corner of the screen. A dropdown menu will appear. Click on ‘Account’. On the resulting page under ‘Account Settings’ section click on the link that says ‘Closing your Amazon account’. If you have trouble locating this, use the help system, or use a direct link, which is often https://www.amazon.com/gp/privacy/close-account.html. Note: the link and menu options might vary slightly by location.
   • Mobile App: Open the Amazon app on your mobile device. Tap on the menu icon (usually three horizontal lines) located at the bottom right on an iPhone or top left on an Android device. Scroll down and tap ‘Customer Service’, which might be under ‘Programs and Features’. Then, tap the ‘Your Account’ or ‘Help’ option. This will vary slightly based on mobile app versions. After that, navigate to the ‘Account Settings’ or ‘Privacy’ and locate the option for closing your account. If you can’t find it, use the help/search function, or try using a mobile browser and use the direct link.

   Note that these are general instructions and can slightly vary based on user interface and platform versions. You might need to search or browse through the help section if you have difficulty finding the account closure link directly.

3. Review the Account Closure Information

   Once you access the account closure page, Amazon will present you with a list of things you’ll lose access to by closing your account. Read this information carefully to be aware of the implications, and confirm that you have taken all the necessary steps to back up important information.

4. Select a Reason for Closing Your Account

   You’ll be prompted to select a reason for closing your account from a dropdown menu. This step is primarily for Amazon’s data collection and won’t impact the deletion process. Choose the option that best aligns with your situation or select ‘I have another reason.’ Amazon typically uses this data to analyze why people leave the service, even though it doesn’t affect the actual deletion of your account. There might be a textbox option, in that case, feel free to explain the reason if you wish.

5. Confirm Your Identity

   You will need to confirm your identity. This usually involves entering your password. If you’ve enabled two-factor authentication, you’ll also be prompted to enter the code from your authenticator app, SMS, or registered device to verify that it’s you making the request. Amazon does this for security to prevent unauthorized account deletion.

6. Acknowledge the Implications

   After providing verification, Amazon will present you with a final warning about the permanent nature of account deletion. You will likely be prompted to check a box or click a confirmation button acknowledging that you understand the consequences of closing your account, including the inability to recover data.

7. Submit Your Account Closure Request

   Once you’ve checked the confirmation box, you will usually find the button that submits your deletion request. This is usually an explicit text like ‘Close My Account’ or a similar phrase indicating that you wish to proceed with deletion. Be sure that you’re ready to proceed because the button will initiate the process.

8. Account Closure in Progress

   After you submit the request, Amazon will begin the process of closing your account. In general, your account will be closed within a few business days. You will likely receive an email confirming that your account closure process has started and potentially a second one after the account has been completely closed. While the process is in progress, you generally won’t be able to access your account, and you will no longer have access to Amazon products or services. The actual time it takes for deletion can vary.

9. Verification Email

   After a few days, verify that you have received an email from Amazon confirming the full closure of your account. Sometimes this email can land in spam, so be sure to check that folder too. This email is usually a final confirmation that your account has been successfully deleted.

Important Tips and Reminders

• Backup Important Information: Always download order history, receipts, and other data before deleting your account. Amazon provides an option to request a data report from the privacy center, you might want to use that before closing your account if you need a lot of data.
• Cancel Subscriptions: Check for subscriptions like Kindle Unlimited, Amazon Prime, or other services linked to your Amazon account and cancel them separately to avoid future charges.
• Use Up Gift Card Balances: Any remaining gift card balances will be lost, so use them or transfer them before initiating the deletion.
• Check Third-Party Services: If you used ‘Login with Amazon’ on other websites, change your login details there before account deletion.
• Contact Support if Needed: If you have difficulty deleting your account or have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to Amazon customer support before proceeding with the deletion.
• Wait for Confirmation Email: Always wait for the confirmation email from Amazon that your account is fully closed before considering your account permanently deleted.

Alternatives to Deleting Your Account

If you’re considering deleting your Amazon account but are unsure, there are a few alternatives you might consider instead:

• Opt Out of Marketing Emails: If you’re bothered by Amazon’s marketing emails, you can unsubscribe from promotional emails in your account settings rather than deleting your entire account.
• Remove Payment Methods: You can remove all credit cards and payment methods from your account to avoid any potential unauthorized purchases.
• Pause Amazon Prime: You can cancel Amazon Prime and switch to a pay-per-use model, and restart your membership later if desired.
• Manage Notification Settings: You can control the types of notifications you receive from Amazon to reduce the frequency and quantity of communication.

Conclusion

Deleting your Amazon account is a significant action that should be taken carefully. By following the detailed steps outlined in this guide, you can ensure that your account is closed correctly and that you’ve taken all the necessary precautions. Remember to back up your important information, use up gift card balances, and cancel any subscriptions linked to your account. If you have any lingering doubts or encounter issues, Amazon customer support is available to help. Ultimately, the decision to close your account is yours, so make an informed choice that aligns with your needs and preferences.

This is a detailed, step-by-step guide to deleting your Amazon account. If you have any questions, please comment below.