Amazon Prime customers could potentially receive a cash payout following a lawsuit settlement regarding claims that the company misled users into subscribing to Prime and made it challenging to cancel.
The Federal Trade Commission initiated the lawsuit against Amazon, accusing the company of deceptively enrolling people into its Prime service.
Amazon, while denying any misconduct, agreed to settle the lawsuit by paying $2.5 billion. They maintained that they did not violate any laws and emphasized their commitment to customer convenience.
In a statement from September last year, Amazon noted: “Amazon and our executives have always followed the law and this settlement allows us to move forward and focus on innovating for customers.
“We work incredibly hard to make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up or cancel their Prime membership.”
Approximately 35 million customers are eligible to receive a share of the settlement, with some already receiving automatic payments before the holiday season.
Those who subscribed to Prime between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025, and used Prime benefits three times or fewer annually, were among the first to receive payments via Paypal or Venmo last year.
If automatic payments were not possible, Amazon sent checks to the customer’s associated address.
For those who didn’t receive automatic payments but might still qualify, submitting a claim is straightforward.
To qualify for the second round of disbursements, you must have signed up for Amazon Prime within the specified period and used your Prime benefits 10 times or less in a year.
Amazon will reach out to eligible customers, providing guidance on completing a simple form that requires an ID and pin code.
Amazon spokesperson Mark Blafkin informed NBC News: “If consumers are eligible to submit a claim but were not eligible for automatic payments, they will be notified between December 24th and January 23, 2026.”
The deadline for submitting a claim is July 23, 2026.
While the total settlement amount is a staggering $2.5 billion, individual payouts to customers can reach up to $51 each.