What is Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a large cloud platform providing computing, storage, networking, machine learning, and many other on-demand services to businesses and individuals. It also sells training and subscription products (for example, AWS Digital Training and Skill Builder) and acts as a marketplace where third-party sellers offer AMIs, containers, software-as-a-service (SaaS) products and other items.

AWS billing and subscriptions can come from AWS-managed products, third-party Marketplace sellers, or in-app purchases through app stores; each follows different cancellation and refund rules.

How to cancel Amazon Web Services

Digital Training (web subscription): Sign in to your AWS account and go to Account Settings or the Digital Training subscription area to cancel; the service will remain active until the end of the current billing period and fees already charged are generally non-refundable.
Skill Builder (web): Log into Skill Builder → My Account → Purchases and Subscriptions → Go to your subscriptions → Cancel Subscription. Note: some users report the cancellation button may not appear; if so open a support case or use the written-notice method below.
AWS Marketplace products (AMI, container, ML, SaaS): Sign in to the AWS Marketplace console and cancel the subscription there, and then terminate or delete any running resources (for example EC2 instances, endpoints, or SaaS service connections) to stop usage-based billing.
In-app subscriptions (Apple App Store, Google Play, Amazon Appstore): Cancel directly in the respective app store account - AWS cannot cancel app-store in-app subscriptions for you.
Written notice (formal route): If a formal cancellation notice is required (for account termination or where the customer agreement requires it), send a signed notice by registered/certified mail to Amazon Web Services Canada, Inc. at the address in the Address section below and keep proof of delivery.

What happens when you cancel

When you cancel a subscription that is managed by AWS, access to the service typically continues until the end of the paid period; recurring billing stops for that subscription after the cancellation takes effect. For AWS Marketplace products or services that create resources in your account, canceling the subscription does not automatically terminate those resources - you must stop or delete instances, endpoints, or connections yourself to halt usage charges.

For subscriptions purchased through app stores, cancellation stops future renewals from the store but may leave the active period in place until the store’s billing cycle ends. For formal account termination, AWS may require written notice and will follow the Customer Agreement's procedures for processing the request.

Will I get a refund?

Refund eligibility varies by product and seller. For AWS Digital Training and most AWS-managed paid training subscriptions, fees already paid are generally non-refundable except as expressly provided in the applicable terms. For AWS Marketplace products, refund policies are set by the seller; AWS automatically issues refunds only in limited situations such as certain free-trial conversions within a specified window, cancellations within 48 hours for non-private offers, or metering errors. For services like AWS IQ, once you approve payment to an expert the payment is generally final and any refund is at the expert’s discretion.

If you believe a charge is incorrect, collect documentation (invoices, screenshots, timestamps) and contact AWS Support and the seller (for Marketplace items). Where consumer-protection laws apply (see next section) there may be additional remedies, and in some provincial situations marketplaces or sellers have been required to refund customers who were not properly refunded in a timely manner.

Amazon Web Services plans and pricing

Plan	Price	Period	Features
Amazon WorkSpaces applications - RDS SAL fee (Windows, per user)	C$4.19 per user	Monthly	Microsoft RDS Subscriber Access License fee charged per user monthly for Windows Server streaming sessions.
AWS VPC Encryption Controls (Canada Central)	C$0.16 per non-empty VPC	Hourly	Hourly price for enabling Encryption Controls on each non-empty VPC in Canada (Central).
AWS VPC Encryption Controls (Canada West)	C$0.17 per non-empty VPC	Hourly	Hourly price for enabling Encryption Controls on each non-empty VPC in Western Canada.
AWS EC2 instance (average per-hour cost) - Canada West (Calgary)	Approx. C$0.252 per hour	Hourly	Average compute instance per-hour cost in the Canada West region (example estimate).

Your consumer rights in Canada

Canadian provincial consumer-protection laws can provide additional remedies. For example, British Columbia’s Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act requires suppliers to refund customers within 15 days after cancellation for non-delivery; enforcement actions have been taken where refunds were not timely. Keep in mind that provincial rules, not AWS policy, may create enforceable refund obligations in specific circumstances.

Separately, changes in taxation and regulatory fees can affect billing. For instance, when the federal digital services tax (DST) rules were repealed in Canada, Amazon stopped charging the 3% DST and stated it would refund amounts collected once the repeal process was finalized. If you believe a statutory fee was charged in error, keep records and contact AWS Billing and, where appropriate, provincial consumer authorities.

Customer experiences

User reports show a mix of views: many recognize AWS as a powerful and feature-rich platform, while others report frustration with billing complexity, unexpected charges, and challenges getting timely support. Common complaints include confusing pricing, charges after attempted cancellations or trials, and cases where UI elements for cancellation (for example in Skill Builder) are missing.

Positive feedback often highlights the platform’s capabilities and breadth of services. When cancelations and billing work smoothly, users find AWS effective; when problems occur, resolving them can require careful documentation and escalation through support channels or formal written notices.

Documentation checklist

Account email and account ID; subscription or order ID and product name
Invoice(s) and transaction receipts (dates, amounts)
Screenshots of subscription pages, billing statements, and any cancellation buttons or errors
List of running resources (instance IDs, endpoints) and timestamps showing termination actions
Support case numbers, correspondence, and receipt/tracking for any registered/certified mail sent
Payment method details (last 4 digits) and billing address

Common mistakes

Customers frequently assume that canceling a subscription in the Marketplace console automatically stops all related usage charges; in many cases it does not - you must also terminate compute instances, endpoints, or integrations that continue to generate usage-based fees. Another common error is attempting to cancel in-app subscriptions through AWS; those must be cancelled through Apple, Google Play, or the Amazon Appstore. Some users expect automatic refunds after cancelling a subscription - for most AWS-managed training products fees already paid are non-refundable, so refunds should not be assumed. Finally, relying only on a missing UI button without opening a support case or sending a written notice can delay cancellation.

Comparative recap

Method	Refund	Difficulty
AWS Digital Training (web subscription)	Generally no - fees already paid are non-refundable except as stated in terms	Low - Medium
AWS Skill Builder (web)	No general refund; cancellation stops renewals. Some users report UI issues - refunds rare	Medium (UI inconsistencies reported)
AWS Marketplace subscriptions (AMI, container, SaaS)	Depends - seller refund policy applies; AWS refunds in limited cases (trial windows, metering errors)	Medium - High (must cancel subscription and terminate resources)
In-app subscriptions (Apple, Google Play, Amazon Appstore)	Handled by the app store; store policies determine refund eligibility	Low (procedural, but outside AWS control)
AWS IQ (experts)	Generally final - refunds are at the expert’s discretion after payment approval	High (dispute resolution with individual expert)

After cancelling

After you cancel, verify that recurring charges have stopped by checking your next billing statements and AWS Billing & Cost Management. For Marketplace items, confirm that you have terminated any running resources to avoid continued usage charges. If you do not see the expected cancellation or refund, open a support case with AWS Billing and the seller (for Marketplace purchases), and keep all documentation from the Documentation checklist to support your claim.

Helpful links: AWS Billing and Cost Management (console.aws.amazon.com/billing), AWS Marketplace help (aws.amazon.com/marketplace/help), AWS Skill Builder account (skillbuilder.aws), Apple subscriptions support (support.apple.com/billing), Google Play subscriptions support (support.google.com/googleplay), AWS Support center (console.aws.amazon.com/support).

Address

For formal written notices or where your Customer Agreement requires a mailed notice, send a signed cancellation/termination letter by registered or certified mail (keep proof of delivery) to:

Amazon Web Services Canada, Inc.
120 Bremner Blvd, 26th Floor
Toronto, Ontario, M5J 0A8
Canada

Note: The AWS Customer Agreement may require written notice for certain account or service terminations; using registered/certified mail (raccomandata A/R) and retaining tracking/receipt is recommended.

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