A class action settlement related to deceptive Amazon Prime practices began paying out to eligible customers in fall 2026.
Eligible Amazon Prime customers do not need to do anything to receive their payment. The FTC is also warning people that some scammers are exploiting the legitimate class action lawsuit to steal people’s personal information. The FTC said it will not call any eligible customers, nor will they demand money or promise a special prize.
Rumors are spreading online about supposed payouts from a class action lawsuit benefiting Amazon Prime subscribers.
Social media users on platforms like Reddit and Facebook shared screenshots of notifications about the lawsuit or receiving payment (screenshotted). Some online posters claimed they received payment, whereas others asked if the settlement was real.
Snopes readers also searched the website for information on the Amazon Prime lawsuit.
This is a legitimate settlement involving payouts to eligible Amazon Prime customers.
The Federal Trade Commission reached a $2.5 billion settlement with Amazon over allegations that the company “enrolled tens of millions of customers in Amazon Prime subscriptions without their knowledge or consent” and “made it difficult for customers to cancel their Amazon Prime subscriptions.” As part of the settlement, Amazon did not admit fault.
An official notice on the Federal Trade Commission website states that Amazon began sending payments in November 2025 and “will continue to send automatic refunds to eligible Prime customers through April 2027.”
Customers who received a previous payment of up to $51 may receive additional payments due to a revised settlement order. Eligible customers may receive up to $200 in total (so up to $149 if you received a $51 payment previously).
It is worth noting, however, that the FTC is also warning people that scammers are calling people and claiming to be part of the Amazon class action lawsuit payouts.
“The FTC will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize. And no one from Amazon will ever ask you for money to get a refund,” the FTC website said. “Only scammers say they can get you special access or a guaranteed refund.”
Eligibility and payment process
According to the FTC, eligible claimants do not need to take any actions to receive a refund. Amazon will send automatic refund payments by mailed check, PayPal or Venmo, and all you need to do is accept the payment.
Here’s how to know if you’re eligible, per the FTC’s news release (emphasis theirs):
Who is eligible for a refund?
Under the revised settlement order, you are eligible for a refund if you meet all three requirements:
- You are an Amazon Prime customer in the United States.
- You signed up for an Amazon Prime subscription through a “challenged enrollment flow” or tried to cancel through the online cancellation flow but were unable to do so between June 23, 2019 and June 23, 2025.
- You used no more than 20 Amazon Prime Benefits (including Prime Music or Prime Video products offered for free to Prime subscribers) in any 12-month period following Amazon Prime enrollment.
The “challenged enrollment flows” are universal Prime decision page, shipping selection page, single page checkout, or the Prime Video enrollment flow.
No action is needed to receive a refund. You do not have to file a claim, respond to a notice, or complete any forms. Amazon will send automatic payments to eligible customers.
Customers who have issues receiving payments or questions can reach out to admin@SubscriptionMembershipSettlement.com or call 1-888-999-8094. The official website for notifications about this class action lawsuit is at www.SubscriptionMembershipSettlement.com, per the FTC.
How to check if a class action lawsuit is legitimate
In the case of the Amazon settlement, the FTC’s news release on the federal agency’s official website — with a “.gov” domain — lends it legitimacy.
However, Snopes has previously verified class action lawsuits that are not brought by the government. In those cases, it’s worth checking the lawsuit’s case number in PACER, a public database for federal electronic court records, or CourtListener, a more user-friendly nonprofit repository that pulls information from PACER documents and other court records.
Even if the FTC did not make an announcement, for example, the screenshots of payments shared on social media include a case number for the Amazon settlement: 2:23-cv-01372.
Searching that case number in CourtListener returned two pages of results. On the second page, there’s a case called “In re: Amazon Return Policy Litigation.” That’s proof that a real lawsuit has been filed. The case page includes links to all the documents in the court docket for that particular case. A document titled, “Exhibit A – Amazon Settlement Agreement” states that a settlement was reached.
