Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers cloud computing services that work like utilities — you pay only for what you use, kind of like your water or electricity bill. They have a pay-as-you-go pricing model, so if you use computing power, storage, or other services, you get billed based on your actual usage without long-term contracts. You can also save money by committing to using certain services for a year or more, or by using more of certain services which lowers the cost per unit. AWS provides tools like a pricing calculator to help you estimate your costs.
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The cancellation process of AWS subscriptions requires the user to sign in as the root user and navigate through the AWS Management Console or AWS Marketplace console to cancel subscriptions and close accounts. While the steps are straightforward and well documented, requiring confirmation steps and termination of resources can add some complexity, but overall it is not very hard for a consumer familiar with the AWS console.
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How to Cancel Amazon Web Services: Step by Step
If you purchased through AWS Marketplace:
- Open the AWS Marketplace console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/marketplace.
- The Manage subscriptions page appears.
- Choose the specific subscription type you want to cancel (e.g., AMI, container, machine learning, SaaS).
- Under Agreement, choose Cancel subscription.
- In the Cancel subscription dialog box, enter confirm, then choose Yes, cancel subscription.
For specific subscription types:
- Canceling AMI Subscription:
- Terminate all running instances in the Amazon EC2 console to stop billing.
- Canceling Container Subscription:
- Follow the same steps as AMI.
- Canceling Machine Learning Subscription:
- Terminate any running jobs or endpoints in the Amazon SageMaker AI console before canceling.
- Canceling SaaS Subscription:
- This process may vary by subscription type, but similar initial steps apply.
If you purchased through AWS Support Plan:
- Sign in to your AWS account as the root user or use an IAM user with access permissions for AWS Support Plans.
- Open the AWS Support Center or go to the AWS Management Console and choose the question mark icon, then choose Support Center.
- In the navigation pane, choose Change next to your current AWS Support plan.
- Choose Review downgrade for the Basic Support plan.
- If you have an Enterprise On-Ramp or Enterprise Support plan, choose Contact us on the Change plan confirmation dialog box, fill in the form, and choose Submit.
- After accepting the changes, you will receive a prorated refund for the remainder of your current month's AWS Support charge.
Tips & Tricks for Canceling Amazon Web Services
- There is no single "cancel" button; users must manually delete every active AWS service and resource to stop charges.
- Identify all billed services and resources through the AWS console, expanding line items to find everything linked to your account.
- Use third-party tools like "AWS nuke" to bulk delete all resources quickly.
- Closing your AWS account completely is necessary to fully stop all payments, not just cancelling individual services.
- If you lack access to an old email linked to AWS, escalate by contacting AWS support and explain the situation; some users reported they must dispute charges with their credit card company if AWS won’t cancel without email access.
- As a last resort, cancel the credit card used for AWS billing to stop further charges, but beware this may lead to collections or further complications.
- In communications with AWS support, emphasize the unauthorized usage of your credit card or account to seek escalation and resolution.
- Try to regain access to old emails linked to the subscription by contacting former employers or email providers to facilitate cancellation.
- User escalation paths include opening support cases, requesting case ID reviews, and patience as responses usually take 12-24 hours.
- Timing is less documented, but closing and deleting active services as quickly as possible is emphasized to minimize accruing charges.
Amazon Web Services Customer Service Info
If you need assistance, here's how you can get in touch with Amazon Web Services's support team.
Cancel Amazon Web Services Script
Script
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Dear AWS Support,
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to request the cancellation of my AWS subscription. Due to recent changes in my business needs, I find that I am no longer utilizing the services as originally anticipated.
I appreciate the support and services provided by AWS, but at this time, I believe it is in my best interest to discontinue my subscription. Please let me know if there are any steps I need to follow to complete this process.
Thank you for your assistance.
Best regards,
Frequently Asked Questions
Amazon Web Services (AWS) account closure terminates the AWS Customer Agreement for the account, with users remaining responsible for all fees incurred up to the closure date. After closing, you will receive a final bill the following month, and some charges like Reserved Instances continue until their expiry. The account goes into a 90-day post-closure period during which it can be reopened, but after which the account and its data are permanently deleted and the account ID cannot be reused.
Yes, you need your password to cancel your AWS subscription because you must sign in to the AWS Console using the root user email and password associated with your account. After signing in, you can navigate to the account settings to close your account. If you don't remember your password, you can reset it at this URL: https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/reset-root-password/. This process ensures only the account owner can cancel the subscription securely.
- Unexpected charges or billing issues: Customers often cancel due to unexpected fees or charges that appear on their bills, sometimes despite not actively using services.
- Cost-related concerns: High or overwhelming monthly fees, especially for students or small users, lead to subscription cancellations.
- Switching to a competitor: Users may find better pricing, features, or service with other cloud providers and decide to leave AWS.
- No longer needing the services: Completion of projects or business downsizing can result in canceling AWS services.
- Technical difficulties: Problems with service usability or integration may make customers choose to cancel.
- Business closure or downsizing: When companies close or reduce operations, AWS services are often canceled.
- Confusion over free tier limits: Some users mistakenly incur charges thinking services are fully free under AWS Free Tier.
- Lack of transparency or difficulty understanding billing: Complex pricing and billing can frustrate users leading to cancellations.
- Inadequate support or dissatisfaction with AWS customer service: Difficulty resolving billing disputes or other issues may prompt cancellations.
While you can cancel many AWS subscriptions like SaaS or AMI subscriptions via the AWS Marketplace console at any time, be aware that stopping all billing requires terminating running instances or jobs. However, certain commitments like Savings Plans, EC2 Reserved Instances, EC2 Dedicated Host Reservations, and Reserved Nodes are noncancellable and nonrefundable for the duration of the agreed term, essentially locking you in with upfront fees and no option to exit early or get refunds except in rare cases of AWS termination. These are the main lock-ins and "gimmicks" that can prevent immediate cancellation or refunds.
Before cancelling an AWS subscription or closing your AWS account, know that you will lose access to all AWS services and any data associated with your account. Cancellation is generally irreversible, meaning you won't be able to use any previously available AWS services after closure. However, during a brief post-closure period, you can still sign in to view past billing information, access account settings, or contact AWS Support. Additionally, if you are cancelling a product subscription from AWS Marketplace, you must terminate all active instances, and you will lose access to the associated software immediately upon cancellation.
- AWS root user access credentials (username/email and password)
- Access to the root user’s email address
- Your AWS account ID (for confirmation during closure process)
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) device if enabled for the root user
- List and cancellation of any active AWS Marketplace subscriptions
- Termination of all running resources and services (EC2 instances, RDS, S3, etc.)
- Review and settlement of any outstanding invoices, Reserved Instances, or Savings Plans
- Backup of any resources or data you wish to keep
- For organizations: Member account IDs and permissions to close linked accounts
We've actually written a step by step guide on how to get a refund from Amazon Web Services. Check it out!
The Easiest Way to Cancel Amazon Web Services
If you’re frustrated trying to cancel your subscription, membership, or bill from Amazon Web Services—or if you didn’t even realize you were being charged—Chargeback can help. Chargeback is a personal subscription manager that automatically detects hidden, recurring charges like Netflix, Hulu, and hundreds of others. With one click, we can cancel unwanted subscriptions, flag suspicious billing, and even initiate refund requests on your behalf. No more waiting on hold or navigating confusing help pages. Just connect your bank or email account, and we’ll take care of the rest.
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Editorial Note: These articles reflect the opinions of Chargeback's writers. Everyone's situation is unique; therefore, it is important to conduct your own research and note that our self-help tools are not guaranteed to help with any specific problem.
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