A court-approved update to Amazon's FTC settlement could put more money in the hands of some Prime subscribers.
The change makes automatic refunds available to an expanded group of consumers, and people who already got paid may later receive additional compensation.
Here's what to know
On Sept. 17, the Federal Trade Commission said Amazon would "accelerate and expand payments" in the $2.5 billion case over allegations that the company signed up millions of consumers for Prime without their permission and deliberately made cancellation hard. As USA Today reported, the revised order raises the maximum consumer payout from $51 to $200.
Under the September 2025 agreement, Amazon had to provide up to $1.5 billion in refunds to consumers and pay a separate $1 billion civil penalty. The FTC said that, as of September 2026, more than $845 million had already been sent out, per USA Today.
The newly expanded order adds millions of consumers who used 11 to 20 Prime benefits in a one-year period. Previously, the refund cap of up to $51 applied only to people who used fewer than 10 Prime benefits during that time.
Payments for those newly covered consumers are scheduled to start Oct. 1, 2026, and will be sent through Venmo, PayPal, or mailed checks.
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More background
The FTC's case centered on claims that Amazon's Prime enrollment and cancellation processes were misleading. As a result, some consumers allegedly paid for benefits they did not intend to start or keep.
Consumers who already accepted settlement money could also end up receiving more. If the total amount of accepted payments does not meet the required threshold by February 2027, Amazon will have to issue another round of automatic payments to people who were already paid under the settlement.
That follow-up round is expected to begin by April 2027, and eligible consumers could get up to $149 more, for a total payout of $200.
What's being done?
According to the FTC, upcoming refunds will be sent automatically, so consumers will not have to file claims, monitor deadlines, or fill out extra paperwork.
In practice, that means people newly included in the 11-to-20-benefit group do not need to reply to notices or submit forms to get paid. Consumers who already received compensation would also get any additional payment automatically if the revised order's conditions are satisfied.
Where can I learn more?
Amazon's Prime settlement is one example of the scrutiny over how the company markets memberships and products to shoppers. These articles look at lawsuits and allegations involving Prime Day discounts, product promotion, and other potentially misleading Amazon practices.
• Amazon has faced with a Prime Day lawsuit alleging shoppers paid inflated prices for supposed discounts.
• A journalist called Prime Day discount tactics a scam after tracking pricing shifts.
• In the U.K., customers and sellers sued Amazon over product promotion and delivery practices.
• Amazon Basics now faces allegations of deceptive environmental claims over toilet paper and paper towels.
• In Spain, investigators said Amazon's solar farm claims masked projects the company did not own.
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