You can delete a payment method from Amazon in your account settings in about one minute

Go to your Amazon account, open Your Account, then select Your payments or Manage payment methods. Find the card or bank account you want to remove, click the three-dot menu next to it, and choose Delete. Amazon will ask you to confirm. Once you confirm, the payment method is gone from your account and cannot be used for future purchases.

You can delete any payment method except the one set as your default. If the card or account you want to remove is currently your default, you must first set a different payment method as default, then delete the old one.

Key Takeaways

  • You must have at least one active payment method on your account at all times, so you cannot delete your last card or bank account.
  • If the payment method you want to delete is set as default, change your default payment method first, then delete the old one.
  • Deleting a payment method does not cancel any active subscriptions or recurring charges tied to that card.
  • Deleted payment methods cannot be recovered, so make sure you no longer need it before you confirm the deletion.

Why you might want to delete a payment method

You may want to remove a card or bank account from Amazon because you lost the card, it expired, or you simply no longer use it. Deleting unused payment methods reduces clutter in your account and lowers the risk if your Amazon account is ever compromised — a hacker would have fewer payment options to attempt.

If you are closing a bank account or canceling a credit card, removing it from Amazon prevents failed charges if Amazon tries to process a transaction after the account closes. This is especially important if you have subscriptions like Prime or Subscribe & Save orders that renew automatically.

Step-by-step: deleting a payment method on desktop

Open Amazon and sign into your account. Hover over Account & Lists in the top right corner and click Your Account. On the left side menu, select Your payments (or Manage payment methods depending on your region).

Find the card or bank account you want to delete in the list. Click the three vertical dots (the menu icon) to the right of that payment method. A dropdown menu will appear with options including Edit, Set as default, and Delete. Click Delete.

Amazon will show a confirmation message asking if you are sure you want to delete this payment method. Click Delete again to confirm. The payment method will be removed immediately and will no longer appear in your payment methods list.

Step-by-step: deleting a payment method on mobile

Open the Amazon app and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right corner. Tap Your Account, then scroll down and tap Your payments or Manage payment methods.

Find the payment method you want to remove and tap it. On the payment method details screen, look for a Delete button or a menu icon (three dots). Tap Delete and confirm when Amazon asks you to verify the deletion.

What happens if your deleted card is linked to active subscriptions

Deleting a payment method does not automatically cancel subscriptions or recurring orders tied to that card. If you have Prime, Subscribe & Save deliveries, or other recurring charges on the card you are deleting, Amazon will attempt to charge your new default payment method when the next billing date arrives.

If you do not want those charges to continue, you must cancel the subscription or recurring order separately before or immediately after deleting the card. Check your Memberships and subscriptions section and your Subscribe & Save orders to see what is set to renew and on what schedule.

If you cannot delete a payment method

The most common reason you cannot delete a payment method is that it is set as your default. Amazon requires at least one active payment method on your account at all times. To delete it, first set a different card or bank account as your default payment method, then return to delete the old one.

If you only have one payment method on your account, you cannot delete it. You must add a new payment method first, set it as default, and then delete the original one. If you are having trouble adding a new payment method, check that your card or bank account information is entered correctly and that your financial institution has not blocked the transaction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover a payment method after I delete it?

No. Once you delete a payment method, it is permanently removed from your account. You can add it again by entering the card or bank account information fresh, but Amazon does not store deleted payment methods for recovery.

Will deleting a card stop Amazon from charging it?

Deleting the card from your account will stop future charges. However, if you have active subscriptions or recurring orders, Amazon will charge your new default payment method instead. Cancel those subscriptions separately if you do not want them to continue.

What if I delete a card and then try to make a purchase?

Amazon will use your default payment method for the purchase. If you have no other payment methods on file, you will be prompted to add one before you can complete the order.

Do I need to delete old cards, or can I just leave them on my account?

You do not have to delete unused cards, but removing them reduces the number of payment methods a hacker could use if your account is compromised. It also makes your payment methods list easier to manage.