Amazon Prime $2.5 Billion Settlement Deadline Draws Near: Are You Eligible for Payment?

Those who qualify for compensation may receive up to $51 as a refund payment.

Published: 7/22/2026, 4:31:23 PM EDT

Amazon Prime $2.5 Billion Settlement Deadline Draws Near: Are You Eligible for Payment? — Illustration picture shows the Amazon prime logo on a truck, in Antwerp, on Thursday 30 October 2025. BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS (Photo by JONAS ROOSENS / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP)

The deadline to file a claim in Amazon Prime’s $2.5 billion settlement is fast approaching, with millions of customers potentially eligible for compensation.

Eligible customers must submit a claim by July 27 to be considered for payment.

The settlement stems from allegations by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that Amazon enrolled customers in Prime subscriptions without proper consent and used deceptive practices that made it difficult for them to cancel their memberships.

The company, under the settlement, is required to pay a $1 billion civil penalty and provide $1.5 billion in refunds to consumers affected by its alleged enrollment practices. The company must also stop enrollment and cancellation practices deemed unlawful.

Eligibility and Payments

Those who qualify for compensation may receive up to $51 as a refund payment.

Payments are distributed through two groups: consumers who qualify for automatic payments and those who must submit a claim to receive compensation.

Some eligible customers will receive automatic payments without being required to take any action. To qualify, consumers must be U.S. residents who signed up for Amazon Prime between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025, enrolled through one of the Prime signup methods covered by the settlement, and used no more than three Prime benefits during any 12-month period while enrolled.

Eligible customers received a notice by email or mail with instructions on how to submit a claim. The claims process is available to U.S. Prime customers who enrolled during the covered period and either unintentionally signed up through a challenged enrollment method or attempted to cancel their membership through Amazon’s online cancellation process but were unable to complete the cancellation. Additionally, eligible customers must have used fewer than 10 Prime benefits during any 12-month period of enrollment and must not have already received an automatic settlement payment.

After a claim is submitted, it will be reviewed for eligibility.

Background

FTC secured the historic $2.5 billion settlement against Amazon in September 2025.

FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said the settlement puts billions of dollars back into Americans’ pockets.

“The evidence showed that Amazon used sophisticated subscription traps designed to manipulate consumers into enrolling in Prime, and then made it exceedingly hard for consumers to end their subscription,” Ferguson said in a statement.

According to the complaint, the FTC said that Amazon knowingly duped millions of consumers into enrolling in Amazon Prime. Specifically, Amazon used manipulative, coercive, or deceptive user-interface designs known as “dark patterns” to trick consumers into enrolling in automatically renewing Prime subscriptions.

The FTC alleged that Amazon obtained consumers’ billing information before clearly and conspicuously disclosing material terms for Amazon Prime. It also charged that Amazon failed to obtain consumers’ express informed consent for Amazon Prime and failed to provide simple mechanisms for consumers to cancel Amazon Prime.

Amazon defended the case and did not admit liability in the settlement.