Amazon Begins Issuing Refunds in $2.5 Billion Prime Settlement

Amazon has commenced issuing refunds to eligible U.S. Prime members following a $2.5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The settlement addresses allegations that Amazon enrolled consumers into Prime subscriptions without their consent and made cancellation difficult.

The settlement includes a $1 billion civil penalty and $1.5 billion allocated for consumer refunds. Eligible customers may receive refunds of up to $51, depending on their Prime membership fees paid during the subscription period.

Automatic refunds began on November 12, 2025, and will continue through December 24, 2025. To qualify for an automatic refund, customers must have:

• Signed up for Amazon Prime in the U.S. between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025.
• Enrolled through a "challenged enrollment flow," such as the universal Prime decision page, shipping selection page, single-page checkout, or the Prime Video enrollment flow.
• Used no more than three Prime benefits in any 12-month period following enrollment.

Eligible customers will receive refunds via PayPal or Venmo and must accept the payment within 15 days. Those preferring a check should ignore the refund email; Amazon will then mail a check to the default shipping address associated with the Prime account, which should be cashed within 60 days.

Customers who do not receive an automatic refund by December 24, 2025, may be eligible to submit a claim starting December 24, 2025. Amazon will provide instructions on how to file a claim, with a submission deadline of July 23, 2026.

The FTC advises consumers to be cautious of potential scams and emphasizes that it will not contact individuals about this refund. Consumers should not pay anyone who promises a refund in exchange for a fee or requests personal information.