Can I Keep My Movies If I Cancel Amazon Prime?

The short answer is yes – any movies or videos you‘ve purchased through Prime Video remain completely yours to watch even if you cancel your Prime membership.

I know Prime gives you access to so much great entertainment, especially original shows and movies. But there are times you might need to cut costs if your budget is tight. Rest assured you can cancel Prime anytime without losing the videos you‘ve bought.

In this detailed guide, I‘ll clearly explain everything that happens to your Prime video library and purchases if you cancel, so you can make the best decision for your situation.

What Happens to Your Prime Benefits If You Cancel?

First, let‘s quickly go over what you‘ll lose when you cancel your Prime membership:

• Free 1-2 day shipping – No more free expedited shipping on millions of Prime-eligible products. You‘ll pay regular rates.

• Prime Video library – Lose instant access to included TV, movies, and Amazon Originals. Major bummer!

• Other media perks – No more ad-free music, free Kindle books, free games, and more. The free ride is over.

• Whole Foods discounts – Say goodbye to those 10% off deals and other Prime member prices.

• Early access deals – Forfeit those 30-minute-early opportunities to snag Lightning Deals. Slowpokes will beat you to the bargains!

• Prime Day – No more exclusive access to one of the biggest sales of the year. FOMO alert!

Clearly, you‘re giving up a ton of benefits by canceling Prime – no question about it. But you gotta do what‘s right for your financial situation. Just know what you‘re getting into.

Now let‘s talk about the one big thing you don‘t lose by canceling: your purchased videos!

Prime Video Purchases Stay Yours Forever

Here’s a data table showing typical costs for buying and renting movies on Prime Video:

Video Type	Cost (HD)	Cost (SD)
Newer Movie Purchase	$5.99 – $12.99	$3.99 – $9.99
Older Movie Purchase	$2.99 – $9.99	$1.99 – $7.99
TV Season Purchase	$9.99 – $24.99 per season	$6.99 – $19.99 per season
Movie Rental (48 hours)	$3.99	$2.99
TV Episode Rental (30 days)	$1.99 – $2.99	$0.99 – $1.99

As this table shows, buying your favorite movies and shows on Prime Video allows you to watch them anytime without restrictions, even if you later cancel Prime. Rentals are more limited.

Over the years, you may have purchased countless videos through Prime that you cherish and watch over and over. The good news is all those purchases are yours to keep and enjoy even if you cancel your membership!

For example, let‘s say you bought classics like Caddyshack, Beetlejuice, and Ferris Bueller‘s Day Off to have an evergreen ‘80s movie collection. Maybe you purchased complete series of The Office and Parks and Recreation, because you just have to watch them once a year.

If so, rest easy friend. All those videos and anything else you‘ve bought will remain in your Prime Video library forever, which you can access anytime after cancellation. Amazon won‘t suddenly revoke the videos you paid good money for just because you left Prime.

Now let‘s dig into exactly how you can access purchased videos after ditching your membership.

How to Watch Purchased Videos After Cancellation

Did you know you can still watch your purchased Prime Video content even without an active membership? Here are three simple ways to access the movies and shows you own after cancellation:

1. Stream through the Prime Video Website

The Prime Video website will remain available to you even if you cancel Prime. Just head to primevideo.com and login with your Amazon credentials.

You‘ll then see a "My Videos" section with all the movies, shows, and other content you‘ve purchased over the years ready for unlimited streaming. It‘s all still there!

2. Use the Prime Video App

If you have the Prime Video app on your smartphone, Fire TV, smart TV, or other device, you can still use it to watch your purchased library after canceling Prime.

Just login with your Amazon account and the app will sync all your purchased videos. Without a membership, you‘ll only see your purchased content – not the full Prime library. But anything you own is good to go!

3. Watch on a Fire TV Device

If you have an Amazon Fire TV streaming box or stick, you‘re all set to access your purchases after Prime. Fire TV works seamlessly with your video purchases even without an active membership.

Once signed in, head to Your Videos on Fire TV. Or just tell Alexa to play any purchased movie or show by name, and it‘ll start streaming instantly!

By using any of these three options – website, app, or Fire TV – you‘ll get unlimited access to all your purchased movies, shows, and videos after canceling your Prime membership. It‘s all still yours, no membership required!

Now let‘s talk about another important Prime Video category: rentals.

What About Rented Videos from Prime?

Renting movies or TV episodes through Prime Video works differently than buying titles outright. Here are the key things you need to know about rentals if you cancel Prime:

• Unfinished rentals – You typically have 30 days after renting to finish watching a video. If your rental period overlaps with your Prime cancellation date, you can still watch for the remainder of the 30 days.

• Expired rentals – If your rental term has already ended, you lose access at cancellation. Should‘ve finished it sooner! Lesson learned.

• Upcoming rentals – Any videos you‘ve pre-ordered as rentals but haven’t started watching will be canceled when your Prime ends. Bye bye, future rentals!

The bottom line is you only have temporary access to rented videos. Unlike purchases, rentals expire and get cut off after cancellation unless you‘re mid-watch. So be sure to squeeze value from your active membership and finish any rentals ASAP.

I‘d hate for you to miss the dramatic conclusion of that 3-part docuseries you rented last week because you canceled Prime too soon! Clear those rental queues pronto.

Say Goodbye to the Full Prime Video Library

Apart from purchased videos, canceling Prime means losing access to the full Prime Video library of included movies, shows, and award-winning Amazon Originals.

This massive streamable catalog with over 20,000 titles is a major benefit of Prime. And once you cancel, all those movies and shows get locked for members only. It‘s like getting kicked out of the world‘s biggest all-you-can stream video buffet!

For example, say goodbye to endless comfort rewatches of The Office and Modern Family. Want to binge watch Season 2 of The Boys or catch up on The Rings of Power? Not anymore! Even classics like Airplane! and Paddington 2 get snatched away.

The only exceptions are any titles you‘ve purchased before cancellation. Those single videos stay yours. But the rest of the huge Prime streaming library goes bye bye.

Just imagine me sadly waving as you drift away from this ocean of streamable entertainment we once shared together as Prime buddies. A tear rolls down my cheek…So long, old friend!

Okay, dramatic example over. But seriously – only purchased videos remain after cancellation, so savvy streamers should stock up on digital buys beforehand. Otherwise, it‘s no more endless membership viewing.

Rejoining Prime Brings Back Full Access

Don‘t fret if you change your mind after canceling Prime. You can restart your membership anytime and regain full access to these benefits:

• Entire Prime Video on-demand library

• Exclusive discounts like Prime Day and Lightning Deals

• Free expedited shipping on eligible items

• All other Prime media perks and bonus features

When you sign back up for Prime, it‘s like the last cancellation never even happened! Well, except for the gap in membership fees you just paid. But let‘s focus on the positives!

Here are some quick tips if you‘re considering rejoining Prime after a break:

• Reactivation is instant – benefits unlock immediately after re-enrolling.

• You pay today‘s membership rate, which may have increased since cancellation. Budget accordingly!

• Your purchased video library will still be waiting for you when you return. Welcome back!

So if Prime cancellation gives you seller‘s remorse, just head back to Amazon and restart your membership. Your videos and benefits will welcome you back with open arms!

Now let‘s walk through how to officially cancel your account.

Step-by-Step Guide to Canceling Prime Membership

Ready to take the plunge? Here are the quick steps to cancel your Prime membership:

1. Log into your Amazon account and go to the Prime membership page.

2. Find the yellow "Manage membership" button and click it.

3. Follow the cancellation prompts and confirm you want to cancel.

4. Pick a cancellation reason – done! Your benefits will remain active until renewal date.

You can also call Amazon customer service to cancel over the phone if that‘s easier for you. The process only takes a few clicks or a quick call.

Once you confirm cancellation, your Prime membership will end when the current payment term is up. Make the most of those final free shipping and streaming perks!

And remember – your purchased videos are forever even after you say goodbye to Prime. So stock up on digital buys!

What About Other Purchased Digital Content?

Along with Prime Video, your membership also lets you access other digital content like music, books, and games. Here‘s what happens if you purchased any of that bonus content when you cancel Prime:

• Prime Music – Songs and albums you own stay in your library. Just lose access to the Prime Music catalog.

• Prime Reading – Kindle books you purchased remain on your device. Lose access to Prime Reading freebies.

• Prime Gaming – Keep any free games you‘ve downloaded already. Miss out on Prime member discounts going forward.

The rule stays the same – anything digital you paid for stays yours after cancellation. It‘s the included free content that disappears without Prime. So buy or download anything you love before it‘s too late!

This brings up an important point…

Can You Get a Prime Refund if Unused?

If you pre-paid for an entire year of Prime but ended up not using any benefits before canceling, you may qualify for a full refund of the membership fee.

You generally must meet these criteria for a full Prime refund after cancellation:

• Cancelled your membership before the year is up
• Did not stream any Prime Video titles
• Did not use free Prime shipping on any orders
• Did not utilize any other Prime benefits like music or gaming

If you meet the requirements, reach out to Amazon customer service after canceling and explain you didn‘t use any features. They will review your account activity and may issue a refund.

Just know refunds are extremely rare unless your membership was completely unused. Given all the entertainment and shopping perks Prime provides, most members get their money‘s worth!

But if you genuinely didn‘t take advantage before realizing Prime wasn‘t for you, it can‘t hurt to ask Amazon about an unused membership refund after canceling.

Now let‘s answer a common question about households…

What Happens to Shared Prime Benefits & Amazon Household?

Many Prime members set up an Amazon Household to share shipping and streaming benefits with family.

If this applies to you, here’s what happens if you cancel as the Household owner:

• Any shared benefits like free shipping and Prime Video immediately end for your whole Household. Bummer!

• You can still share purchased digital content across your Household after cancellation. Small consolation!

• If you rejoin Prime later, you can send new household invitations and share benefits again.

So when you cancel as the Prime account owner, your entire household loses those included perks. Make sure to give them a heads up!

But purchased videos and other digital content can still be shared among your family even without Prime. Just access will be limited by whoever purchased the content.

To Cancel or Not to Cancel? Key Questions to Ask Yourself

Clearly Prime comes with many membership benefits, so canceling is a big decision. Before you commit, ask yourself these key questions:

• How frequently do I stream Prime Video titles vs. purchased videos? If your viewing is mostly purchased, canceling won‘t impact your habits too much. But if you binge hours of included titles, you‘ll lose access to a lot of entertainment.

• How often do I use free 1-2 day Prime shipping? If you order multiple times a month with Prime shipping, canceling will significantly increase your costs. But if you rarely use the shipping perks, the impact is lower.

• How much do I value the other Prime features like music, books, and deals? Losing extras like ad-free tunes and Kindle freebies may sway your decision if you use them daily. But if you barely touch the bonus content, no big deal.

• Can I afford the membership right now? If the financial savings are necessary for your situation, canceling Prime is justified. Just rejoin later when funds are less tight.

Carefully weighing factors like these can help you decide if canceling is the right move. Be honest about how much you‘d miss those Prime perks!

The Bottom Line

Let‘s recap the key takeaways:

• You keep full access to any movies, shows, or videos purchased through Prime Video, even if you cancel your Prime membership. They are yours forever!

• Rented videos may have limited short-term access after cancellation depending on where you are in the rental period.

• Lose access to the entire Prime Video streaming library and Amazon Originals after canceling, apart from purchases.

• Can rejoin Prime membership anytime to regain full access. Your purchased video library will be waiting for you!

• Canceling Prime ends benefits for your entire household if you share an account.

While your free shipping and other Prime perks will disappear after cancellation, rest assured your purchased digital video library is safe for watching anytime. So if you must cancel your membership for now, at least you can continue enjoying those videos you own!

I hope this detailed cancellation guide helps you make the best decision for your personal situation. Stay savvy out there, and happy streaming!