Amazon begins sending automatic Prime settlement refunds: See full details

Amazon has started distributing a new round of automatic refunds to millions of Prime customers under its $2.5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, with payments beginning October 1, 2026.

Eligible customers are those who were charged for Prime between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025, without clear consent or who struggled to cancel. Payments must be redeemed within 60 days.

The settlement resolved FTC allegations that Amazon enrolled millions of consumers in Prime subscriptions without their consent and deliberately made cancellation difficult.

Under this agreement, Amazon is mandated to pay $1.5 billion in consumer redress plus a $1 billion civil penalty. So far, more than $845 million has been paid out.

The federal court recently approved an expanded order that widens eligibility and raises the maximum payout from $51 to $200. Earlier, only customers who used fewer than 10 Prime benefits in a year qualified. Now, those who used between 11 and 20 benefits, such as Prime Video streams or Prime Music, are also eligible for automatic refunds.

There’s no need for claim forms or paperwork. Payments will be issued via Venmo, PayPal, or a mailed check to the address linked to the customer’s Amazon account. Those who already received the original $51 payment will automatically receive a supplemental payment of up to $149 to reach the new $200 cap, starting in April 2027 if needed.