Manage Prime Video

How to cancel prime video in new zealand and stop paying nZ$10.99 monthly

Understanding prime video and when cancellation makes sense

Prime Video is Amazon's on-demand streaming service available to New Zealand subscribers, offering Amazon Originals, licensed films, TV series and occasional live sports events. You pay NZ$10.99 per month on a rolling subscription, and new members typically receive a 7-day free trial to explore the service before your first charge.

Before you cancel, it's worth asking yourself whether Prime Video still aligns with your viewing habits. Are you actively watching content, or has the service become background noise on your billing statement? Stopee understands that subscription drift is real-you signed up for a reason, but circumstances change. If you've decided Prime Video no longer serves you, this guide will walk you through every cancellation method, refund eligibility, and what happens to your account after you leave.

When you might want to cancel

You should consider cancelling Prime Video if you've stopped watching for several weeks, prefer other streaming platforms, or want to reduce your monthly outgoings. Equally, if you signed up during a free trial and realised the content library doesn't match your taste, cancelling before your first charge hits is the smart move. Stopee encourages you to take action within the first 3 business days of your initial charge-that window is your refund safety net.

Current pricing and trial details

At the time of writing, Prime Video costs NZ$10.99 per month in New Zealand. New customers typically enjoy a 7-day free trial, which means you have a week to explore the service risk-free. However, if you forget to cancel before day 7, your payment method will be charged automatically. Set a phone reminder now if you're testing the service on trial.

Your consumer rights in new zealand and how they protect you

The Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 (CGA) is your legal foundation when dealing with streaming services in New Zealand. This legislation requires suppliers-including Amazon-to provide services that are of acceptable quality and fit for purpose. Importantly, suppliers cannot contract out of these guarantees, even if their terms and conditions suggest otherwise.

What the consumer guarantees act means for you

Under the CGA, you have the right to a refund if Prime Video fails to deliver an acceptable service-for example, if you cannot access content you've paid for, or if the platform is persistently broken. However, the CGA does not grant you a right to cancel for change of mind alone. This is a crucial distinction. If you simply decide you don't want Prime Video anymore, you cannot force a refund from Amazon under consumer law.

That said, Amazon's own cancellation policy is more generous than the CGA minimum. If you cancel within 3 business days of your first charge (or conversion from a free trial), you are eligible for a full refund, provided you haven't accessed digital content since that charge. After 3 business days, refunds are only available if no content has been accessed since your last payment.

Your rights as a new zealand consumer

The CGA applies to all suppliers selling services to New Zealand consumers, including overseas companies like Amazon. If Amazon refuses to honour your cancellation or wrongfully charges you, you can escalate to Consumer NZ or the Commerce Commission. Stopee recommends keeping records of all communications-screenshots of your account, confirmation emails, and the date you requested cancellation. These documents become vital if you need to dispute a charge later.

How to cancel prime video: methods and step-by-step instructions

You have three main cancellation routes depending on how you're billed: directly through Amazon's website or app, or through your mobile device's app store if you subscribed via iTunes or Google Play. The direct Amazon method is fastest and most reliable.

Cancel via amazon website or app (recommended method)

This is the preferred route because cancellation is instantaneous and you receive immediate confirmation. Follow these steps carefully to avoid errors.

1. Open your web browser and visit primevideo.com or the main Amazon website at amazon.com.
2. Sign in using your Amazon account email address and password. If you've forgotten either, use the account recovery options before proceeding.
3. Navigate to "Your Account" or your profile menu (usually top-right corner).
4. Look for "Your Memberships & Subscriptions," "Manage Your Prime Video," or similar phrasing-this varies slightly between web and app.
5. Locate Prime Video in the subscription list and select "End Subscription," "Cancel Subscription," or "Manage."
6. Review the on-screen confirmation message, which will tell you when your access ends (usually the end of your current billing period).
7. Complete the cancellation by clicking the final confirmation button. Do not close the page until you see a success message.
8. Amazon will send a confirmation email to your registered address within minutes. Pro tip: take a screenshot of the final confirmation screen as backup evidence.

Warning: If you see a message offering you a discount to stay, ignore it unless you genuinely want to continue. These retention offers are designed to keep you subscribed-stay focused on your decision to cancel.

Cancel via apple app store (if billed through iTunes)

If your Prime Video subscription appears on your Apple bill rather than Amazon's, you subscribed through the App Store and must cancel there.

1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app.
2. Tap your name at the top of the screen.
3. Select "Subscriptions."
4. Find "Prime Video" in the list of active subscriptions.
5. Tap "Prime Video" and then select "Cancel Subscription."
6. Confirm the cancellation when prompted.
7. You will receive an email confirmation from Apple within moments. Stopee advises checking both your primary inbox and spam folder to ensure the confirmation arrived.

Pro tip: If Prime Video doesn't appear in your subscriptions list, you may have multiple Apple IDs. Check which email address is linked to your primary Apple ID and verify you're looking in the correct account. Contact Apple Support if you still cannot locate the subscription.

Cancel via google play (if billed through android)

Android users who subscribed through Google Play must cancel within the Google Play Store app or website.

1. Open the Google Play Store app on your Android device or visit play.google.com in a browser.
2. Sign in with the Google account linked to your Prime Video subscription.
3. Tap your profile icon (top-right) and navigate to "Payments and Subscriptions."
4. Select "Subscriptions" from the menu.
5. Find "Prime Video" and tap it.
6. Select "Cancel Subscription" and follow the prompts to confirm.
7. Google will send a cancellation confirmation to your registered email within one business day.

Warning: If you have multiple Google accounts linked to your device, double-check which account is associated with your Prime Video charges. Check your credit card or bank statement if you're unsure.

What happens to your account and access after cancellation

Cancelling Prime Video doesn't mean losing access immediately. Amazon lets you watch until the end of your current billing cycle, which is fair and consumer-friendly.

Your access period post-cancellation

After you cancel, you retain full viewing access to all Prime Video content until your billing period ends. For example, if you cancel on the 15th of the month but your payment date is the 30th, you can keep watching until the 30th at no extra cost. On the 30th, your access terminates and the auto-renewal is permanently disabled.

Your watch history, downloaded episodes, and account preferences remain stored in your Amazon account indefinitely, subject to Amazon's standard data retention policies. If you ever re-subscribe to Prime Video in the future, your viewing history and personalised recommendations will be waiting for you.

Auto-renewal and future charges

Once you cancel, auto-renewal is switched off completely. Amazon will not charge you again after your current period ends, even if you keep your account open. You will never wake up to a surprise charge post-cancellation-Stopee confirms this is one of Amazon's better consumer practices.

If you notice a charge appearing after cancellation, contact Amazon immediately. Keep your cancellation confirmation email as proof you took action.

Refund eligibility and how to claim money back

Your refund eligibility depends on when you cancel and whether you've accessed content since your last charge.

The 3-business-day refund window

If you cancel within 3 business days of your first charge or of converting from a free trial to a paid subscription, you qualify for a full refund. This window is crucial, so mark it in your calendar immediately after signing up.

The refund is calculated as follows: Amazon returns the full subscription fee minus any digital content you've accessed since the charge date. In practice, if you haven't watched anything, you receive 100% back. Stopee recommends using this window as a risk-free trial period-subscribe, explore the content library, and decide firmly by day 3.

Refunds after the 3-business-day window

If you cancel after 3 business days have passed, Amazon only issues a refund if you have accessed zero digital content since your last payment. This is a strict requirement. A single click on a film or episode-even if you don't finish watching-counts as access and disqualifies you from a refund.

If you believe you're entitled to a refund and Amazon has declined your request, contact Amazon Customer Service with evidence: screenshots of your access history (or lack thereof), your cancellation date, and your payment date. Most disputes are resolved within 5-10 business days.

Digital purchases and rentals: separate rules

If you've purchased or rented a film or episode rather than relying on the subscription library, you have a separate 48-hour window to request a refund, provided you haven't started watching or downloading the content. Pre-ordered content can be cancelled at any time before release. These rules sit outside the main subscription refund policy, so treat them independently.

Prime video pricing in new zealand at a glance

Here's a summary of current pricing and what you're paying for:

There is currently no annual option or premium tier for Prime Video in New Zealand, only the monthly subscription. If you're a frequent watcher, calculate your annual spend: NZ$10.99 multiplied by 12 months equals NZ$131.88 per year. This mental maths often triggers the cancellation decision.

Common mistakes people make when cancelling prime video

It's frustrating when a straightforward cancellation goes sideways-but most problems stem from easily avoidable mistakes. Here are the traps Stopee sees repeatedly.

Confusing prime video with amazon prime

Many New Zealand subscribers don't realise that Prime Video and the broader Amazon Prime membership are separate services. You may have Prime Video alone without Prime's free delivery benefits, or vice versa. When you cancel Prime Video, your Amazon Prime membership remains active unless you separately cancel that. Check your "Your Memberships & Subscriptions" page carefully to see which services you actually hold.

Cancelling through the wrong platform

If you subscribed via iTunes or Google Play, cancelling through the Amazon website will not work. Your subscription is tethered to the app store's billing system, so you must cancel there. Pro tip: check your bank or credit card statement to see whether charges say "Amazon" or "Apple/Google" to identify your billing source.

Failing to capture confirmation details

After you hit "confirm cancellation," screenshot the success page and wait for the confirmation email. If you lose both of these records and Amazon later charges you by mistake, proving you cancelled becomes needlessly difficult. Stopee recommends storing cancellation confirmations in a dedicated folder for 6 months.

Cancelling mid-month and losing paid access

Some subscribers mistakenly believe that cancelling immediately terminates access. In reality, you can watch until your next billing date. If you cancel on day 1 of your month, you still have access for 29 days. Don't panic and think your money is wasted-it isn't.

Assuming a discount offer means the service is essential

When you begin cancellation, Amazon often offers a discounted rate to keep you subscribed. This is a retention tactic, not a signal that the service is indispensable. If you've genuinely decided to cancel, stick with your decision. Stopee has seen people re-subscribe on impulse to discounts, only to forget about the service again within weeks.

Your cancellation checklist for prime video

Use this checklist to ensure you've covered all bases before you move on.

• Check your subscription source: Amazon website, iTunes, or Google Play?
• Verify you're cancelling the correct subscription (Prime Video, not Amazon Prime or another service).
• Note today's date and your next billing date; calculate how many days of access remain.
• Complete the cancellation using the correct platform.
• Take a screenshot of the final confirmation screen.
• Wait for the confirmation email (check spam folder if needed).
• Forward the confirmation email to yourself or save it in a secure folder.
• Mark your calendar 7 days after cancellation to verify no charge appeared.
• If a charge does appear, contact Amazon within 24 hours with your confirmation details.

When to escalate beyond amazon if they refuse to cancel or refund

Most Prime Video cancellations go smoothly, but occasionally Amazon may refuse your cancellation request or claim you're ineligible for a refund you believe you deserve.

Steps to take before escalating

First, contact Amazon Customer Service directly through the help section of your account. Explain your situation clearly and provide dates and screenshot evidence. Most issues resolve at this first level within 48 hours.

If Amazon declines your request without a satisfactory reason, or if you believe you've been wrongfully charged, escalate to Consumer NZ. This independent organisation handles consumer disputes and can pressure suppliers to act fairly. In serious cases, you can lodge a complaint with the Commerce Commission, New Zealand's competition and consumer protection authority.

Stopee advises keeping records throughout: cancellation confirmations, payment receipts, screenshots of your access history, and copies of all emails to and from Amazon. These materials are essential when escalating.

Summary: take control of your prime video subscription today

Cancelling Prime Video in New Zealand is straightforward if you follow the right steps for your billing method. You have multiple cancellation routes-via Amazon's website or app for direct subscribers, or through iTunes and Google Play for app store subscribers. Whichever route you choose, cancel within 3 business days of your first charge to lock in your refund eligibility, and always keep your confirmation email as proof.

Remember your rights: the Consumer Guarantees Act protects you from faulty services, and Amazon's own policy grants you a generous grace period for refunds. If the company refuses to honour your cancellation, Consumer NZ and the Commerce Commission have the authority and tools to step in on your behalf.

Stopee has helped thousands of consumers cancel unwanted subscriptions and reclaim control of their spending. Whether you're clearing out old streaming services or simply tightening your budget, cancelling Prime Video should feel straightforward, not stressful. Use this guide as your blueprint, follow the steps in order, and you'll have confirmation in hand within minutes. Your money, your choice-cancel with confidence.