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Check please!
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced on Sept. 17, Amazon must “accelerate and expand” payments to eligible consumers as the company is still sitting on cash from last year’s $2.5 billion settlement.
The historic settlement resolved FTC allegations that the e-commerce giant enrolled millions of consumers in Prime subscriptions without their consent — and knowingly making it difficult for them to cancel.
In the 2025 settlement, the online retailer was forced to fork over up to $1.5 billion in payments to consumers after the FTC found the enrollment scheme “deceptive.” The company was also required to pay an additional $1 billion civil penalty.
As of September 2026, Amazon has already issued over $845 million in refunds to consumers, according to the FTC.
But just last week, a federal court approved a motion to accelerate and expand future payments to consumers. Under the revised order, even more shoppers will now qualify for refunds with the maximum payment cap increasing from $51 to $200 total.
All future payments will be handed out automatically — which means consumers no longer need to submit claims or any additional paperwork to Amazon.
“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,” said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
So who gets the cold hard cash?
Amazon was originally told to provide up to $51 to those who used fewer than 10 Prime benefits during a one-year period. However, the revised order now requires the retail powerhouse to begin issuing automatic payments to additional consumers.
So, if you have used between 11 and 20 Prime benefits during a one-year period, you’re in luck, and will be issued some cash.
In fact, the revision means millions of new shoppers are now eligible for the green.
The new customers — who were not included in the earlier refund phases — are now eligible for checks starting on Oct. 1, 2026. The payments will be sent via electronic payment — like Venmo or PayPal — or a mailed check.
Once again, any new consumer is not required to submit a claim, respond to notices or complete any forms. The cash is yours for the taking.
And, if the payments don’t reach the required threshold by Feb. 2027, Amazon must then shell out even more cash to consumers who previously received refunds under the settlement.
Under the revised order, those who have accepted payments can score an additional $149, for a total of $200 — the first wave of cash was $51. This last round of supplemental dough will start by April 2027 and also distributed automatically.
