New details on the $2.5 billion Amazon Prime settlement: Find out who can claim $200 and manage their subscriptions

Amazon Prime customers may have another reason to check their membership history. The Federal Trade Commission has updated the terms of a major $2.5 billion settlement involving allegations that Amazon enrolled customers in Prime without their consent and made cancellation difficult, as per a report by CNBC.

The revised agreement expands the number of consumers who may qualify for payments and raises the possible maximum from $51 to $200. But eligibility depends on when a customer joined Prime, how often they used its benefits and whether they were affected by the enrollment or cancellation practices challenged by the FTC.

The update also changes how some consumers will receive their money, with future payments being sent automatically instead of requiring another claim.

Who could qualify for an Amazon Prime settlement payment?

The original settlement focused on Amazon Prime members who used fewer than 10 Prime benefits during a 12-month period.

Under the revised order, Amazon will begin issuing automatic payments from Oct. 1, 2026, to eligible consumers who used between 11 and 20 Prime benefits during a 12-month period.

According to the FTC, the change could bring millions of additional consumers into the payment process.

To qualify, consumers must meet the following conditions:

• They must be U.S. consumers who signed up for Amazon Prime between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025.
• They must have used no more than 20 Prime benefits during a 12-month period.
• They must have unintentionally enrolled through a challenged enrollment process or attempted to cancel through one of those processes.

The enrollment and cancellation flows identified by the FTC include the universal Prime decision page, shipping selection page, single-page checkout and Prime Video enrollment flow.

The settlement follows allegations that Amazon made it difficult for customers to avoid unwanted Prime enrollment and cancel their memberships. Amazon denied wrongdoing but agreed to the settlement.

Do customers need to file another claim?

For the newly expanded payment phase, consumers do not need to submit another claim form or respond to a notice from Amazon.

The FTC said future payments will be distributed automatically, “eliminating the need for consumers to submit claims or additional paperwork to Amazon.”

Payments may be sent through Venmo, PayPal or by mailed check.

Earlier payment rules were different. Customers who used Prime between three and 10 times during any 12-month period between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025, had to submit a valid claim by July 27, 2026.

Those earlier claims were handled through the official Amazon Prime settlement process. The original maximum payment was $51 per approved claimant.

The revised order changes the payment structure and expands eligibility, but consumers should not assume that every Amazon Prime member will receive money.

How much could eligible consumers receive?

The settlement is worth $2.5 billion in total.

Of that amount, $1 billion was designated as an FTC fine. The remaining $1.5 billion is being distributed among eligible claimants based on the Amazon Prime membership fees they paid during their subscriptions.

The original individual payment limit was $51. Under the revised agreement, the maximum possible payment has increased to $200.

The FTC said that if payments do not reach the required threshold by February 2027, Amazon will make additional automatic payments of $149 to consumers who previously received $51 refunds and qualify for the extra amount.

That would bring their total payment to $200.

The payment schedule is being carried out in stages. The first group of consumers eligible for automatic payments should have received money between Nov. 12 and Dec. 24, 2025.

The next automatic payment phase is scheduled to begin Oct. 1, 2026. Payments to consumers who already received $51 and qualify for an additional $149 are expected to begin by April 2027.

As of September 2026, Amazon had already issued more than $845 million in settlement payments.

What should consumers know about settlement scams?

The FTC has warned that scammers often use major public settlements to target consumers.

The agency said:

“The FTC will never contact you about this refund,”

It also warned:

“No one from the FTC or Amazon will ask you for money to get a refund.”

Consumers should be cautious if someone promises special access to the settlement or guarantees a payment. According to the FTC, such offers are likely to be scams.

Unwanted calls, emails or text messages connected to the settlement can be reported to the FTC’s Fraud Prevention Division.

How can you keep track of unwanted subscriptions?

The Amazon Prime settlement has also drawn attention to the problem of forgotten or unwanted recurring memberships.

Subscription trackers can help consumers identify services that charge them regularly and review which memberships they still want.

One option mentioned in the supplied material is Rocket Money. The service automatically detects recurring subscriptions and can cancel eligible unwanted subscriptions on a customer’s behalf.

Its bill negotiation feature may also help reduce the cost of recurring bills such as internet, phone, cable and home security services.

The settlement is a reminder for consumers to review their membership accounts, watch recurring charges and understand how cancellation works before another payment is taken.

For Amazon Prime customers, the most important step is to check whether their membership history and usage meet the settlement’s eligibility requirements. The revised agreement may expand payments, but the maximum $200 amount is not guaranteed for everyone.

FAQs

Who may qualify for the payment?
Eligible U.S. consumers who joined Prime during the specified period and used no more than 20 benefits in 12 months.

Is everyone getting $200?
No. The $200 amount is the possible maximum, not a guaranteed payment.