Amazon Prime Refunds: Why Millions Might Get Up to $200 Soon

Updated 16:33 26 Sep 2026 GMT+1Published 13:04 26 Sep 2026 GMT+1

Millions more Prime members are being swept into a revised FTC settlement worth $2.5 billion.

Amazon is about to start paying out to millions more Prime members - and if you've had a subscription any time in the last six years, you might be one of them.

From Thursday, October 1, the retail giant will begin sending fresh refunds tied to its settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), according to WAFB.

The payout could be worth as much as $200, and eligible customers won't need to lift a finger to claim it.

The cash forms part of a $2.5 billion settlement Amazon struck in 2025, after the FTC accused the company of signing customers up to Prime without clear consent, and making it needlessly difficult for others to cancel once they were in. As part of the deal, Amazon agreed to hand back up to $1.5 billion to consumers, on top of a separate $1 billion civil penalty.

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Amazon reached a $2.5 billion settlement with the FTC in 2025 over its Prime enrollment and cancellation practices. (Getty Stock Image)

To qualify, customers need to tick three boxes. They must be a Prime member based in the US, have signed up through one of the enrollment processes the FTC took issue with (or tried and failed to cancel via Amazon's online system) between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025, and have used no more than 20 Prime perks - think Prime Video or Prime Music - in any single 12-month stretch since joining.

That last condition is key to why the pool of eligible customers is expanding now.

A federal court has approved changes to the settlement that widen who qualifies and lift the maximum payout from $51 to $200. The October 1 rollout specifically targets people who used between 11 and 20 Prime benefits in a 12-month period - a group that missed out on the earlier rounds of payments.

Amazon has already paid out more than $845 million in refunds as of September, per the FTC, but this next wave is expected to reach far more subscribers than previous phases combined.

The maximum refund per eligible Amazon Prime customer has been raised from $51 to $200. (Getty Stock Image)

The FTC has confirmed that qualifying payments will be issued automatically, so there's no form to fill in and no notice to respond to. Money will land via PayPal, Venmo, or a mailed check, and anyone who receives one is advised to accept or cash it within 60 days.

It's also worth noting the $200 figure isn't necessarily what everyone will see land in their account straight away. Refunds issued in earlier phases were capped at $51, and Amazon may top those up by a further $149 later on to bring them in line with the new maximum. Those supplemental payments, where owed, are due to go out by April 2027.

The FTC has used the announcement to flag a warning too: anyone claiming to represent Amazon or the FTC and asking for payment or personal details in order to 'release' a refund is running a scam. Neither organisation will contact customers directly about this settlement, and no legitimate refund will ever require a fee upfront.

All being well, eligible customers should have their payments in hand by April 2027 at the latest.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Image

Topics: Amazon, Money