How to Cancel Audible
Audible is easy to sign up for. Canceling is almost as easy — but the steps aren’t always obvious, and there are a few traps that can cost you credits or money if you rush. Here’s exactly how to cancel Audible on any device, plus what to do before you pull the trigger.
Two Ways Out: Cancel vs. Pause
Before you click anything, know that Audible offers two different exits — and they’re not the same thing.
Cancel membership means you lose access to member-only pricing, the monthly credit, and the Plus Catalog. You keep every audiobook you’ve purchased with credits or cash, and you can still listen to them anytime. Your account stays active for purchases at non-member prices.
Pause membership is the option most people don’t know about. You can hit pause for up to three months per calendar year. During that time, you’re not charged, you don’t accrue credits, but you keep access to your existing library. If you’re on the fence because you’re worried about losing momentum on a series or a favorite narrator’s new release, pausing is the smarter move.
If you’re sure you want out, here’s the step-by-step.
Canceling from a Desktop Browser
This is the fastest route. No app needed.
1. Go to audible.com and sign in.
2. Click Account in the top-right corner (or hover over your name).
3. Select Membership Details from the dropdown.
4. Click Cancel Membership — it’s near the bottom, in gray text, easy to miss.
5. Audible will show you a “save” offer. This might be a discounted rate, free credits, or a free month. If you’re canceling because of cost, this is worth a look — but if you’re canceling because you’re not listening enough, a discount won’t fix that.
6. Confirm the cancellation. You’ll get an email confirmation within a few minutes.
The whole process takes under two minutes. The save offer is the only real friction point.
Verification step: After you confirm, check your email for Audible’s cancellation confirmation within 10 minutes. If it doesn’t arrive, check your spam folder — and if it’s still missing, log back into Membership Details to confirm the status shows “Canceled” rather than “Active.”
Canceling from the Mobile App (iOS and Android)
You can’t actually cancel inside the Audible app itself — the option is deliberately buried. Here’s the workaround:
1. Open the Audible app and tap Profile (bottom-right).
2. Tap the gear icon (Settings) in the top-right.
3. Tap Account Details. This opens a browser page.
4. Log in if prompted, then tap Membership Details.
5. Tap Cancel Membership and follow the same flow as desktop.
The app redirects you to the mobile browser because Amazon routes all subscription management through the web. It’s an extra step, but it works fine on a phone.
What Happens to Your Credits When You Cancel?
This is the part that trips up most people. If you have unused credits when you cancel, you lose them — unless you act first.
Before canceling, spend your credits. But don’t just grab the first thing you see. If you’re a Time-Pressed Multitasker, you want books that reward your listening time. A poorly narrated book is a wasted credit and a wasted commute.
If you’re stuck on what to spend credits on, look for titles with strong single-narrator performances — they’re usually more consistent than multi-cast productions. For example, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, narrated by Ray Porter, is a common recommendation for people who want a story that pulls you in from the first chapter. Porter’s performance carries the book’s scientific exposition in a way that works well at 1.5x speed.
Listen to this on Audible — Start your free trial and get two free audiobooks.
Alternatively, if you’re canceling because you’re overwhelmed by your backlog, don’t buy more. Just let the credits go — it’s a sunk cost either way.
Before You Cancel: Protect Your Library
Your purchased audiobooks stay in your library forever, even after cancellation. But if you’re an iOS user, there’s a catch: if you delete the Audible app and reinstall it later, you’ll need to re-download your titles. That’s fine — they’re still tied to your account.
The real risk is if you cancel and then forget your Amazon credentials. Since Audible is an Amazon company, your audiobooks are tied to your Amazon account. Make sure you know your login before you cancel, or you could lock yourself out of your own library.
Also, if you have any Audible Originals from the monthly member benefit, those are yours to keep too. They don’t disappear when you cancel.
One more thing: If you use a shared Amazon household account, confirm which profile owns the Audible subscription. Canceling the wrong profile could cut off a family member’s access while leaving yours active — a confusing situation that’s much easier to prevent than untangle.
Canceling After a Free Trial (Without Getting Charged)
If you’re still in your 30-day free trial, the process is the same — but the timing matters. Audible charges on your trial end date, and they don’t send a warning email the day before. If you cancel even one day late, you’ll be charged for the first month.
Set a reminder for day 25 of your trial. Cancel then, and you’ll keep access until the trial period actually ends. You won’t lose any listening time, and you won’t get charged.
Stop and escalate: If you cancel before the trial ends but still see a charge on your credit card within 48 hours of the trial end date, don’t keep troubleshooting on your own. Contact Audible customer service via live chat immediately — they’ll reverse the charge, but they need to hear from you within the billing cycle to process it quickly.
When the Cancel Button Is Missing
Audible sometimes changes its interface. If the steps above don’t match what you see, there are two fallback options:
1. Contact customer service via live chat at audible.com. They can cancel for you directly. It takes about five minutes.
2. Call Amazon customer service — since Audible is an Amazon subsidiary, Amazon reps can process Audible cancellations too.
Both options are available 24/7. If you’re on a deadline (like the last day of a free trial), the live chat is faster than email.
Pause Instead: When It Makes Sense
If your reason for canceling is “I’m too busy right now” rather than “I hate this service,” pause your membership instead. You can pause for 1, 2, or 3 months. No charge, no credits, no loss of access to your library.
This is especially useful if you’re mid-series. Say you’re three books into a long-running fantasy series and the next installment drops in two months. Pausing keeps your membership intact so you can pick up right where you left off — and you’ll still get member pricing on the new release when it arrives.
You can pause once per calendar year, and the pause period counts toward your membership time. So if you’re on a monthly plan, a 3-month pause effectively extends your membership by three months.
FAQ
Can I cancel Audible and keep my audiobooks?
Yes. Every audiobook you purchased with credits or money stays in your library permanently, even after cancellation. You can re-download and listen to them anytime.
Will I lose my credits if I cancel?
Yes. Unused credits are forfeited when you cancel. Spend them before canceling, or you lose that value.
Can I cancel Audible through the Amazon app?
No. You need to go through Audible’s website or the Audible app’s account settings. The Amazon app doesn’t have a direct Audible cancellation path.
Does canceling Audible affect my Amazon Prime membership?
No. Audible and Amazon Prime are separate subscriptions. Canceling one has no effect on the other.
Can I rejoin Audible after canceling?
Yes. Your account and library remain intact. If you rejoin later, you’ll have access to your old purchases, and you may be eligible for another free trial offer depending on current promotions.
Canceling Audible is a straightforward process once you know where to look. Spend your credits, download what you need, and decide between canceling and pausing based on whether you’ll be back in a few months. Your library stays with you either way — that’s the part that matters.