Remove a card by going to Your Account, then Payment Options, then Delete
To remove a credit card from Amazon, sign in to your account, go to Account in the top right, select Your Account, then choose Login & security or Payment options depending on your device. Find the card you want to remove, click or tap the three dots next to it, and select Delete. Amazon will ask you to confirm — once you do, the card is removed when ready and cannot be charged.
You cannot delete your last payment method on file. If you only have one card saved, you must add a different card, bank account, or other payment method before you can remove the original one. This prevents your account from having no way to process charges if you make a purchase.
The card stays in your Amazon payment history for your records, but it will not appear in your active payment methods list and cannot be used for new purchases or subscriptions.
Key Takeaways
- Go to Account > Your Account > Payment options to see all your saved cards in one place.
- Click the three dots next to the card you want to remove and select Delete to remove it when ready.
- You must have at least one active payment method on file, so add a new card before deleting your only one.
- Removing a card does not cancel subscriptions or recurring charges — you must update those separately if they use that card.
- If a card is declined during checkout, you can remove it and use a different saved card without contacting Amazon.
Why you might need to remove a card
You may remove a card because it is expiring, you received a replacement card with a new number, the card was compromised, or you straightforward no longer want that payment method on file. Removing unused cards reduces the number of payment methods Amazon can attempt to charge if a transaction fails.
If you are closing a credit card account, removing it from Amazon prevents the card issuer from declining charges and Amazon from retrying the payment multiple times. This is especially important if you have active subscriptions like Prime or Kindle Unlimited — those will fail if the card is closed and you have not updated the payment method.
What happens to subscriptions and recurring charges
Removing a card does not automatically cancel subscriptions or stop recurring charges. If you have Amazon Prime, a Kindle subscription, or any other recurring service tied to that card, you must update the payment method for each subscription separately before removing the card.
To update a subscription's payment method, go to Account, select Your Subscriptions, find the subscription, and choose Edit payment method. Select a different card from your saved payment methods. Only after you have moved all subscriptions to another card can you safely remove the original one.
If you remove a card while a subscription is still using it, Amazon will attempt to charge your other saved payment methods in the order you have set them. If all methods fail, the subscription will be suspended until you update the payment method.
How to set a default payment method
Amazon uses your default payment method first when you make a purchase or when a subscription renews. To change which card is default, go to Account > Your Account > Payment options, find the card you want to make default, click the three dots, and select Set as default.
If you have multiple cards saved, Amazon will try to charge your default card first. If that card is declined, it will attempt your other saved methods in the order they appear on your account. Setting a default card does not prevent you from choosing a different card at checkout.
Removing a card that is linked to a Prime membership
If the card you want to remove is the payment method for your Amazon Prime membership, you must update Prime's payment method before deleting the card. Go to Account > Your Subscriptions, find Prime Membership, and select Edit payment method. Choose a different card, then you can remove the original card from your account.
Prime memberships renew automatically, so if you remove the card without updating the payment method, your membership will suspend when the renewal date arrives and the old card cannot be charged.
Removing a card saved for 1-Click purchases
If you have 1-Click ordering turned on and the card you want to remove is set as your 1-Click payment method, you can still delete it. However, 1-Click will be disabled until you set a different card as your 1-Click method. To change your 1-Click card, go to Account > Your Account > 1-Click settings and select a different saved card.
You can also turn off 1-Click ordering entirely from the same menu if you prefer to enter a payment method at checkout each time.
What to do if you cannot remove a card
If the Delete option does not appear next to a card, it is likely your only active payment method. Add a new card, bank account, or other payment method first, then try deleting the card again. If you still cannot remove it, sign out and sign back in, then try the process again from a different browser or device.
If a card shows as saved but you cannot interact with it, it may be in a pending state or linked to an active subscription or order. Check your subscriptions and recent orders to see if the card is still in use. Contact Amazon's customer service if the card remains stuck after you have confirmed no subscriptions are using it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does removing a card cancel my Amazon Prime membership?
No, but you must update Prime's payment method before removing the card. If you remove the card without updating Prime, your membership will suspend when it tries to renew and the old card cannot be charged. Update the payment method in Your Subscriptions first.
Can I remove a card if I have a pending order?
Yes. Pending orders are already charged or authorized, so removing the card will not affect them. However, if an order is still processing and the card is declined, Amazon may retry using your other saved payment methods.
What if I remove a card and then want to use it again?
You can add the card back to your account at any time by going to Payment options and selecting Add a payment method. You will need to enter the full card number, expiration date, and CVV again.
Will removing a card affect my Amazon credit score or history?
No. Removing a card from Amazon does not affect your credit score or credit history. It only removes the card from your Amazon account's payment methods.
Can I remove a card if it has a pending refund?
Yes, but the refund may fail if it is processed after you remove the card. If you are expecting a refund, it is safer to wait until the refund is complete before removing the card. You can check refund status in Your Orders.