The Federal Trade Commission announced today that Amazon will accelerate and expand payments to eligible consumers under last year’s $2.5 billion settlement, which resolved FTC allegations that the online retailer enrolled millions of consumers in Prime subscriptions without their consent and knowingly made it difficult for consumers to cancel.
Under the historic September 2025 settlement of the FTC’s allegations, Amazon was required to pay up to $1.5 billion in redress to consumers harmed by the company’s deceptive Prime enrollment practices in addition to a $1 billion civil penalty. As of September 2026, Amazon has issued more than $845 million in redress payments to consumers.
This week, a federal court approved a joint motion filed by the FTC and Amazon, approving measures to accelerate and expand future redress payments to consumers. Under the revised order, more consumers will now qualify for refunds from Amazon, the maximum payment cap has been raised from $51 to $200 total, and all future payments will be distributed automatically, eliminating the need for consumers to submit claims or additional paperwork to Amazon.
“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. “This action underscores the FTC’s commitment to ensuring companies return money to consumers harmed by unlawful and deceptive business practices.”
Expanded Redress: More Consumers Will Benefit
The original order required Amazon to provide refunds of up to $51 to consumers who used fewer than 10 Prime benefits during a one-year period. Under the revised order, Amazon will begin issuing automatic redress payments to millions of additional consumers who used between 11 and 20 Prime benefits during a one-year period.
These consumers were not included in the earlier redress payment phases but will now be eligible for automatic refunds starting on October 1, 2026. The payments will be made via electronic payment (Venmo or PayPal) or mailed check without requiring consumers to submit claims, respond to notices or complete any forms.
Additional Automatic Payments Up to $149
If consumer-accepted payments do not reach the required threshold by February 2027, Amazon will provide additional automatic payments to consumers who previously received refunds under the settlement. As part of the revised order, consumers who have accepted payments will be eligible to receive an additional $149, for a total of $200. This last round of supplemental payments will start by April 2027 and will also be distributed automatically.
Additional information about the refund process can be found on the FTC’s Amazon refund page. Please note that Amazon is responsible for administering the redress program. The FTC is not contacting people about refunds in the Amazon matter. If someone contacts you and claims to be with the FTC, it is likely a scam. No one from Amazon will ever ask you for money to get a refund.
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