Amazon Prime refunds expand under FTC’s $2.5B settlement—more customers now qualify

Amazon Prime customers may get more money from the company’s $2.5 billion settlement after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said Amazon will “accelerate and expand payments” to eligible consumers, according to the FTC website. The revised order follows a federal court approval this week and broadens who can receive refunds.

Under the original settlement, Amazon had to provide up to $1.5 billion in redress to customers and pay a $1 billion civil penalty. The FTC confirmed that Amazon enrolled millions of consumers in Prime without consent and made cancellation difficult, accusations the company resolved in the 2025 deal.

Amazon has issued more than $845 million in redress payments through September 2026, according to the FTC.

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How the new payments work

The updated order raises the maximum payment from $51 to $200 for some customers and removes the need to file claims. Customers who used between 11 and 20 Prime benefits during a one-year period will now be eligible for automatic refunds starting Oct. 1, the FTC confirmed.

Payments will be sent automatically by electronic methods such as Venmo or PayPal, or by mailed check. Customers do not need to sign up, submit forms, or respond to notices.

According to the FTC, if consumer-accepted payments do not reach the required $1.5 billion by February 2027, Amazon must make another round of automatic payments by April 2027. Customers who already received refunds could get an additional $149, bringing their total to $200.

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“The revised order will ensure more consumers who were harmed by Amazon’s deceptive enrollment and cancellation practices benefit from the FTC’s historic settlement,” said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, per the FTC. The agency said it is not contacting people directly about refunds, and warned that anyone claiming to be with the FTC about the payment process could be a scam.

The FTC said Amazon is responsible for administering the redress program. It also said no one from Amazon will ask customers for money to get a refund.