Amazon Expands Prime Refunds to $200 Through April 2027

Amazon is expanding automatic refunds for eligible US Prime customers under a $2.5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), increasing the maximum total payment to $200. The revised program, expanded in September 2026, addresses allegations that Amazon enrolled customers in Prime subscriptions through deceptive practices and made cancellations difficult. Payments are expected to continue through April 2027, according to the FTC and reports published by USA Today and Newsday.

Amazon must distribute $1.5 billion to eligible consumers and pay a separate $1 billion civil penalty under the September 2025 settlement. The FTC reported in September 2026 that Amazon had already issued more than $845 million in customer refunds. Payments began in November 2025, with additional distributions following revisions approved by a federal court.

The revised order raises the maximum total refund from $51 to $200 and extends eligibility to customers who used between 11 and 20 Prime benefits during a 12-month period. Previously, the refund program primarily covered qualifying customers who used fewer than 10 benefits during the relevant period.

Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, described the purpose of the revised settlement in a statement released by the agency.

"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," Mufarrige said.

The FTC's eligibility rules cover US Prime customers who enrolled through specified subscription prompts or attempted to cancel online but could not complete the process between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025. Customers must also have used no more than 20 Prime benefits in any 12-month period after enrollment.

The enrollment methods identified in the settlement include the universal Prime decision page, shipping selection page, single-page checkout and Prime Video enrollment flow. These are the processes the FTC challenged in its enforcement action.

Eligible customers do not need to submit a new claim for the Prime refund program. According to the settlement information cited by Newsday and USA Today, Amazon distributes payments through mailed checks, Venmo or PayPal. Recipients must accept their electronic payments or cash their checks within 60 days of issuance to avoid expiration.

The revised settlement also allows some customers who previously received payments to qualify for additional money, potentially bringing their total refunds to $200. The amount each person receives depends on eligibility and payments already issued; the maximum is not a guaranteed payment for every Prime subscriber.

The FTC has warned consumers that it will not contact Prime customers directly about these refunds. Newsday reported that communications from people claiming to represent the agency and offering information about the payments may be fraudulent.

A separate Amazon consumer settlement concerns alleged problems with refunds for physical products rather than Prime subscriptions. The $309.5 million agreement covers qualifying refund issues involving transactions from September 5, 2017, through February 12, 2026, according to the Asheville Citizen Times.

That separate case divides eligible consumers into two subclasses. Members of Subclass A are scheduled to receive payments automatically after final court approval, although they must select a payment method. Members of Subclass B must submit claims by December 1, 2026, to seek compensation for qualifying unpaid, incorrect or delayed refunds.

The physical-product refund settlement has a final approval hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. on March 16, 2027. Individual payments will depend on the applicable subclass, qualifying transaction amounts, potential prejudgment interest and the final settlement distribution.