WASHINGTON, United States – U.S. consumers have until July 27, 2026, to submit claims for cash refunds under a $2.5 billion settlement between Amazon and the Federal Trade Commission over the company’s handling of Amazon Prime subscriptions. The enforcement action resolves federal allegations that Amazon used deceptive “dark pattern” online interfaces to steer millions of people into recurring Prime memberships without their explicit consent and then imposed overly complex, multi-step procedures to cancel. Under the settlement, Amazon will devote $1.5 billion to direct consumer restitution and pay a separate $1 billion civil penalty to the U.S. Treasury, making it one of the largest FTC recoveries in a digital consumer protection case. The FTC said the company has also been required to simplify its checkout and account management systems and provide clearer disclosures about fees and cancellation options across its platforms. WASHINGTON, United States – According to FTC guidance, eligible U.S. residents may receive up to $51 each for unauthorized Prime membership charges or deceptive subscription renewals during the period covered by the lawsuit, with millions of account holders already receiving automatic payments in late 2025. Consumers who did not receive an automatic refund but obtained a formal notice containing a Claim ID and PIN must file a claim through SubscriptionMembershipSettlement.com or via the FTC’s official refund portal before the July deadline. Those who lack or cannot locate their notice can instead verify eligibility by entering the email address, phone number and mailing address linked to their Amazon account. Approved claimants can choose to receive funds by direct deposit, PayPal, Venmo or paper check, with remaining payments scheduled for disbursement in late 2026, while any unclaimed funds will be handled under federal judicial procedures and the public restitution process will formally close after the deadline.

Prepared by Christopher Adams and reviewed by editorial team.