Sunita Somvanshi
If you had an Amazon Prime membership and barely used it, you may be owed more money than you thought. You won’t need to fill in a form to get it. The Federal Trade Commission says Amazon Prime refunds from its 2025 settlement can now reach $200 per person, up from $51. More customers now qualify, and payments are automatic.
The FTC announced the change on September 17, 2026. It comes from a revised court order in the agency’s case over Amazon’s Prime sign-up and cancellation practices.
The original settlement, reached in September 2025, was worth $2.5 billion. It included a $1 billion civil penalty and up to $1.5 billion in refunds to consumers. Amazon had paid out more than $845 million by September 2026, according to court records.
The revised order does three things. It raises the maximum total payment from $51 to $200. It adds a new group of eligible customers. It makes all future payments automatic.
“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.
If you used between 11 and 20 Prime benefits in a single 12-month period, you are newly eligible, with automatic payments starting October 1. If you already received a refund and used fewer than 10 benefits, a supplemental payment of up to $149 may bring your total to $200. The FTC says those payments are conditional on total consumer claims reaching a required threshold by February 2027, with distribution expected from April 2027 if the threshold is met. In all cases, you do not need to apply. The money arrives by PayPal, Venmo or a mailed check.
Who qualifies for the Amazon Prime $200 refund
The settlement covers US customers the FTC says were enrolled in Prime or struggled to cancel it. Earlier payments went to members who used few Prime benefits. The new order extends payments to people who used 11 to 20 benefits in a year. The FTC says this adds millions of consumers.
Prime benefits are the perks that come with membership, such as free delivery, Prime Video or Prime Music. Heavier use pushed people outside the original eligible groups. The new tier brings in moderate users.
Do you need to apply? No. The FTC says eligible customers do not need to submit a new claim, and future payments are automatic. Payments go out electronically through PayPal or Venmo, or as a paper check. The maximum total per person is $200, including anything already received.
Watch for scams. Refunds tied to settlements like this one often draw fake messages. The FTC does not ask consumers to pay a fee or share bank passwords to receive redress. Anyone unsure can check the FTC’s official Amazon refunds page at ftc.gov/enforcement/refunds/amazon-refunds. This is standard FTC refund guidance, not specific to this order.
The payments apply to US customers only. UK and Australian Prime members are not covered by this FTC order. For more consumer-money stories, see our consumer protection and Amazon coverage, plus our consumer alerts.
Amazon Prime refunds from the FTC settlement can now reach $200, up from $51. Customers who used 11 to 20 Prime benefits in a year become eligible, with automatic payments from October 1. Prior recipients may receive a supplemental payment of up to $149 if claims reach the required threshold by February 2027, with distribution expected from April 2027. Nobody needs to file a claim. Check back for updates as each round goes out.
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