August M
Subscriptions can quietly drain bank accounts. When companies make those recurring monthly charges tricky to spot or cancel, getting your cash back feels nearly impossible.
Now, a massive payout fund offers online shoppers a chance to claim money back, reports UNILAD.
Unwanted recurring fees
Those who joined Prime between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025, may be eligible for a $51 payout. As CNBC reported, the e-commerce giant reached an agreement to settle claims that shoppers were enrolled without giving explicit permission.
Regulators also accused the retail giant of making cancellations needlessly difficult. An annual subscription normally runs $139, though younger users can access reduced rates.
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson highlighted the outcome. He said via a press release: “Today, we are putting billions of dollars back into Americans’ pockets, and making sure Amazon never does this again.”
Financial expert Alex Beene told Newsweek that subscription growth cannot come at the cost of transparency. “The money is being distributed due to the FTC alleging Amazon used confusing enrolment screens to sign people up for Prime without any form of meaningful consent and then made cancellation difficult,” Beene explained.
How to collect
Customers who qualify should check their inbox or spam folder for emails sent in January. According to the FTC, eligible users must have used no more than three Prime benefits in any 12-month period after enrolling.
Filing a claim requires visiting the official settlement portal before the deadline passes. Company representatives will take up to a month to assess every application, and approved checks should arrive around September 2026.
Amazon continues to deny any wrongdoing. In a statement released last September, the company noted: “Amazon and our executives have always followed the law and this settlement allows us to move forward and focus on innovating for customers.” It added: “We work incredibly hard to make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up or cancel their Prime membership.”
Meanwhile, federal officials warn consumers to stay alert for scams. The agency’s website states: “The FTC is not contacting people about refunds in the Amazon matter.” It cautions: “If you get a call from someone who claims to be from the FTC, it’s a scam.”
Sources: UNILAD, CNBC, Newsweek, FTC
