Amazon Prime Users Eligible for $51 in Historic $2.5B Settlement – Check Your Qualifications

Amazon Prime users, listen up! You may be eligible for some cash as part of a whopping $2.5 billion settlement between Amazon and the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC claimed that Amazon misled millions of consumers into signing up for Prime without their consent.

Here’s the scoop on what you need to know about this settlement:

Why the lawsuit? Well, the FTC accused Amazon of enrolling folks in Prime subscriptions without their okay and making it tough to cancel. Amazon didn’t admit fault but agreed to the settlement.

So, how is this money being divvied up? A nice chunk of $1.5 billion will go to an estimated 35 million affected consumers, while the other $1 billion is a hefty civil penalty, the largest ever for an FTC rule violation.

Who can get a payment? If you signed up for Prime between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025, you might be in luck. There are two groups eligible for payments. The first group will get up to $51 automatically if they signed up through specific methods and didn’t use more than three Prime benefits. The second group will need to file a claim, showing they signed up in a similar way or had trouble canceling, and didn’t use more than 10 benefits in a year.

What’s the next step? The settlement still needs the court’s seal of approval. Amazon has agreed to amp up its practices to protect customers. They’ll now make sure you know what you’re signing up for and how much the service costs you. They’ll add a clear “no thanks” button and a simple way to cancel Prime.

Stay tuned for more details on how to claim your cash if you qualify. And remember, Amazon has committed to making things right for its Prime users moving forward.