Kindle Unlimited is a program from Amazon that lets you read as many books or magazines as you want from the Kindle library for a monthly fee of $9,99. It's a bibliophile's dream, or so it might seem.
However, there are a few flies in the ointment. First of all, although it's called Kindle Unlimited, it's not actually unlimited. If you take the name at face value, you'd assume the entire Kindle catalog is available for reading.
Sorry but no. There are over a million titles on the schedule, but that's far from full access to everything Amazon has released. Second, while you can read as many of these millions of books (and magazines) as you want each month, you can only have ten "snippets" of them on your Kindle or Kindle software at a time. It's not an overwhelming limitation for most of us, but if you like having a hundred books open at once, then this isn't the program for you.
With few exceptions, few books on the Kindle Unlimited list are bestsellers. Most major publishing houses don't allow their titles to participate in the program, so most titles come from Amazon's own publishing ecosystem.
While Kindle Unlimited has the largest catalog of all "unlimited" reading programs, in the opinion of some, the catalog offered by Scribd and Oyster offers better books. Plus, if you're already an Amazon Prime member, most of the Kindle Unlimited catalog is already available for you to read freely, albeit only one book at a time.
There are three big positives to the Kindle Unlimited program. First, you can get a 30-day free trial, so you can try before you buy. You will need to cancel the service before the 30 days are up if you don't want to be charged.
Second, the Amazon ecosystem is home to many new and upcoming authors, so it's actually a great place to find new authors rather than the same old names. And third, the Kindle Unlimited program works on the Kindle mobile app, desktop Kindle software, and exceptional hardware Kindles.
However, assuming you decide that the Kindle Unlimited program isn't for you, how can you cancel your subscription?
How to Cancel Kindle Unlimited
Although Kindle Unlimited is the best e-book service available today, it's not for everyone. If you've decided to discontinue your Kindle Unlimited subscription, nothing could be simpler. Here's how.
If you're paying for the service, you'll need to cancel before the next billing period to avoid additional charges.
Go to your Amazon Kindle Unlimited page and sign in. You will now see an overview of your Kindle Unlimited subscription
Click it Cancel Kindle Unlimited Subscription button in the left corner.
Then click on Cancel membership button.
Clicking the Cancel Kindle Unlimited Subscription button will take you to a page with this title: "Are you sure you want to end your subscription?" »
Below this image, you will find books that you have in your Kindle library. Look below these books for two buttons that say Keep my membership and another button that says Cancel membership.
Since you want to cancel your members, click Cancel Membership, which will then load a confirmation page. Your Kindle Unlimited account will not be canceled until the end of your billing cycle, so you can continue to enjoy Kindle Unlimited until then.
You can also cancel your Kindle Unlimited subscription from your Amazon account page.
Select the Accounts and Lists drop-down menu and click Kindle Unlimited.
Now you can follow the same steps as above to cancel your Amazon Kindle subscription.
Again, your Kindle Unlimited account will not be canceled until the end of your billing cycle so you can still enjoy Kindle Unlimited until then.
How to Renew Amazon Kindle Unlimited
If you have set up cancellation on your account and new titles are starting to appear, you may wish to extend the service for an additional month. If you have decided to cancel the subscription, you can easily renew it. Follow the steps above to access your Kindle Unlimited account information and follow these steps:
Click on the button Continue Unlimited Kindle Subscription.
Clicking this button will automatically renew your membership. There is no confirmation box, so remember that once you click it, the subscription will automatically renew.
How to know if your subscription is canceled
Whenever working with auto-renewing subscriptions, it's a good idea to check that everything will cancel properly. There are several ways to check this:
Visit the Kindle Unlimited Account Page
You can follow the same steps as above to access the account page. Once there, look for an end date on your subscription. This end date means that you have already set up account cancellation.
If the account has already been canceled, this page will simply tell you that you do not have the Amazon Kindle Unlimited account page.
Check your email
Fortunately, Amazon will notify you of any changes to your account, subscriptions, orders, etc. All you need to do to make sure your cancellation is set is visit your email client and look for confirmation from Amazon.
This e-mail will inform you of the date of cancellation of your unlimited subscription, a Continue Membership button if you change your mind, and even some headlines you should read at the bottom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cancel my subscription at any time?
Absolutely, but you will not be reimbursed. With Amazon Kindle Unlimited and so many other services, you pay in advance for the next month. This means that when you press the cancel button, you have already paid for the service until the end of your billing cycle.
Thus, you will not be reimbursed for the current month, but you will not be rebilled on the renewal date either.
Can I keep the books I downloaded?
No. Once your account is cancelled, the books you have downloaded or checked out are no longer accessible. If this is a title you're really interested in, you can check out the Amazon shopping portion of the website and purchase a digital copy.
If you're reading a book right now, it's best to check your renewal date before canceling and plan accordingly.
Does Amazon refund subscriptions?
Refunds really depend on the circumstances, but official Amazon policy only allows refunds for a select few. For example, if you sign up for a paid subscription with a renewal date of 30 days or more (you will be charged within 30 days), you can cancel within the first 7 days and get a refund.
This policy is more of a trial before you commit to this policy. On the other hand, if you have already set up your subscription to be canceled, but it is still renewing, you can contact Amazon's support team for a refund. Assuming you canceled your subscription on the last day of your billing period, you might see another month billed. If this happens, it's probably a good idea to contact the support team.
