If you paid for Amazon Prime but barely used it (or struggled to cancel), you could be owed money. Amazon started issuing refunds as part of a $2.5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, and the window to claim your share is now open for eligible customers. Some refunds already went out automatically, but many people will need to take action to get paid. Here’s what to know about the Amazon settlement before the deadline passes.
Why Amazon Is Issuing Refunds
The FTC sued Amazon in 2023, alleging the company nudged shoppers into Prime memberships and made cancellations unnecessarily difficult. In September, Amazon agreed to settle the case, though it denied wrongdoing. As part of the settlement, Amazon set aside billions to refund customers who paid for Prime without fully using it — or who were enrolled through what regulators called a “challenged enrollment flow.”
Who Is Eligible for a Refund?
You may qualify if both of the following apply:
- You signed up for Amazon Prime between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025.
- You either tried and failed to cancel your Prime membership, or signed up through certain Prime enrollment pages tied to the FTC lawsuit.
There are two groups of eligible customers, and how you get paid depends on how often you used Prime during the eligibility window. If you used Prime three or fewer times in a 12-month period, you may have already received an automatic refund between Nov. 12 and Dec. 24. Those payments were sent via PayPal or Venmo, or by check if they weren’t claimed within 15 days.
Many Customers Have to File a Claim to Get Paid
If you used Prime 10 or fewer times over 12 months and didn’t get an automatic refund, you may still be eligible, but you’ll need to submit a claim. Amazon began accepting claims on January 5, and the deadline to file is July 23 (180 days from the notice date). Eligible customers should receive a notice by email or mail with instructions on how to file. Amazon has 30 days to review each claim once it’s submitted.
Refunds are capped at $51 per customer. The exact amount depends on how much you paid in Prime membership fees during the eligible period.
What to Do Now
If you had Prime anytime in the last several years and didn’t get an automatic refund, it’s worth:
- Checking your email (including spam folders) for a settlement notice.
- Watching your mail for claim instructions.
- Filing a claim as soon as possible if you’re eligible.
Even if the payout isn’t huge, it’s money that many customers didn’t realize they could get back. Kinda like finding money in the pocket of the coat you haven’t worn in a few months, but this time the coat is a major corporation.
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