Amazon Class Action Lawsuit: Prime, Returns, and Antitrust Claims

If you shopped on Amazon in recent years, three active matters may put money in your pocket: the Federal Trade Commission’s $2.5 billion Prime settlement, a $309.5 million class action over botched refunds on returns, and a massive consumer antitrust case covering roughly 288 million shoppers. This guide to the Amazon class action lawsuits explains how to join each one and how to claim what you’re owed, with the deadlines that matter most in 2026.

Two of these cases require action from you. The Prime settlement has a claim deadline of July 27, 2026. The returns case is paying most people automatically but requires a claim from a smaller subclass. The antitrust class action, called De Coster, includes you automatically if you qualify, but you must decide by August 31, 2026 whether to stay in.

The $2.5 Billion Amazon Prime Settlement

The FTC’s settlement, announced September 25, 2025, resolved allegations that Amazon used manipulative checkout designs to sign consumers up for Prime and made cancellation deliberately difficult. Of the $2.5 billion, $1.5 billion is set aside for consumer refunds, with individual payments capped at $51 per person. The FTC estimates 35 million people are affected.¹

Who Qualifies

You may be eligible if all of the following apply:

You enrolled in Prime between June 23, 2019 and June 23, 2025 through one of Amazon’s “challenged enrollment flows,” which include the checkout page, shipping selection page, single-page checkout, or Prime Video enrollment page — or you attempted to cancel Prime during that period and encountered the disputed cancellation process.
You used no more than three Prime benefits in any 12-month period after enrolling.

Amazon, not you, determines whether your specific enrollment counts as a “challenged flow.” You do not need to figure that out yourself.²

The Automatic Payment Wave

The first wave of refunds was paid automatically between November 12 and December 24, 2025, through PayPal or Venmo. If a digital payment was not accepted within 15 days, a check was mailed. This wave covered consumers who used three or fewer Prime benefits in a 12-month period.³ If you received a payment in that window, no further action is needed.

How to File a Claim in 2026

Starting in January 2026, Amazon began sending claim notices by mail or email to a second, broader group: people who used ten or fewer Prime benefits during any 12-month enrollment period and did not receive an automatic payment.⁴

If you received one of these notices, keep it. It contains a unique Claim ID and PIN, both of which you need to file. To submit a claim:

Go to SubscriptionMembershipSettlement.com or veritaconnect.com/subscriptionmembershipsettlement.
Enter your Claim ID and PIN from the notice.
Choose your payment method: check, PayPal, or Venmo.
Submit before July 27, 2026.⁵

Payments from this claims process are expected in late 2026.² For questions, email admin@SubscriptionMembershipSettlement.com or visit ftc.gov/Amazon.

Watch for Scams

The FTC has warned that scammers are exploiting the settlement. Legitimate refunds never require a payment or fee to receive. Ignore anyone who threatens you or demands money in exchange for helping you get a Prime refund.⁶

The $309 Million Returns Settlement

In January 2026, Amazon agreed to pay $309.5 million to settle a class action alleging the company routinely failed to refund customers who sent products back, or recharged them for items already returned. The case, In re: Amazon Return Policy Litigation, is pending before U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead in the Western District of Washington and awaits final court approval.⁷

The settlement covers U.S. consumers who initiated a return or refund request for a physical product purchased on Amazon on or after September 5, 2017, and either did not receive a proper refund or were incorrectly recharged. It is split into two subclasses, and what you have to do depends on which one you fall into.⁸

Subclass A: Automatic Payment

Subclass A receives roughly 92.7% of the net settlement fund. It covers customers whose returns never completed Amazon’s review process, for example items that were lost in transit. Payments to this group will be issued automatically. No claim form is needed.⁸

Subclass B: Claim With Proof of Purchase

Subclass B, receiving about 7.3% of the fund, covers customers whose refunds failed because of grading or handling errors. If you fall in this group, you must file a claim and include proof of purchase.⁸ Class members are expected to recover the full amount of any incorrectly denied refund plus interest.⁷

Once the court approves the settlement, an official notice and claim portal will be set up. Save any Amazon return confirmations, order details, or bank statements showing missing refunds; those documents are what a Subclass B claim will rest on.

The De Coster Antitrust Class Action

The largest consumer case against Amazon by class size is De Coster et al. v. Amazon.com, Inc. On August 6, 2025, Judge John H. Chun certified a class of roughly 288 million consumers who bought five or more new, physical goods from third-party sellers on Amazon since May 26, 2017.⁹

The suit alleges Amazon uses anti-discounting policies to punish third-party sellers who list lower prices elsewhere, driving up prices for shoppers. No settlement is in place; the Ninth Circuit denied Amazon’s request for an immediate appeal of class certification in September 2025.¹⁰

You Are Already In — Unless You Opt Out

If you meet the class definition, you are automatically a member. There is nothing to file at this stage. If you want to preserve your right to sue Amazon separately on the same claims, you must opt out. The exclusion deadline is August 31, 2026.¹¹ The trial has been rescheduled to June 2027, so any recovery, if there is one, is still years away.¹⁰

Other Amazon Cases That May Cover You

Several other active cases could involve consumers, but most are still in early stages with no claims process open yet.

Import Tariff Overcharges

Filed in May 2026, Markland et al. v. Amazon.com Inc. alleges Amazon inflated prices to pass along tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and then declined to seek government refunds after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated those tariffs on February 20, 2026. The proposed class covers consumers who bought imported products sold directly by Amazon between February 4, 2025 and February 22, 2026. The case is in its early stages in the Western District of Washington, and no claim procedure exists yet.¹²

COVID-19 Price Gouging

Steinberg et al v. Amazon.com Inc. alleges Amazon allowed third-party sellers to charge markups reaching as high as 1,800% on essential goods during the pandemic. On January 5, 2026, U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik denied Amazon’s motion to dismiss.¹³ The case is proceeding but has not reached a class certification or settlement stage where consumer claims can be filed.

Audible Authors and Publishers

Reiss v. Audible Inc. is an antitrust case brought on behalf of independent authors, and, following an amended complaint filed in February 2026, publishers and content owners who paid Audible distribution fees since June 2020.¹⁴ This is not a case for audiobook listeners; the class is rights holders.

Ring Camera Privacy

Ortega v. Amazon.com Inc. and Ring LLC, filed in June 2026, alleges Ring’s “Familiar Faces” feature, launched in December 2025, captures biometric faceprints of passersby without consent and retains them for up to six months.¹⁵ The case is new and no claims process has been established.

Separately, a 2023 FTC enforcement action against Ring produced over $5.4 million in refunds for customers whose accounts and video footage were not adequately protected. That refund program is administered through the FTC’s Ring refunds page.¹⁶

Washington Wage Settlement

If you worked hourly at Amazon Retail in Washington state between October 2021 and October 2025, you may be covered by Garner v. Amazon Retail LLC, a $2 million settlement over allegedly missed meal and rest breaks. Class members receive a minimum of $50 with no claim form required, and final approval was scheduled for May 22, 2026.¹⁷

Protecting Yourself Through the Claim Process

A few habits will keep you out of trouble as you file:

Use only the official settlement websites named in your notice. For the Prime case, that is SubscriptionMembershipSettlement.com or veritaconnect.com/subscriptionmembershipsettlement. For the FTC-administered Ring refunds, that is ftc.gov.
Never pay a fee to receive a class action refund. Legitimate settlements do not charge you.
Keep the Claim ID and PIN from any notice you receive. Without them you cannot file the Prime claim.
Save proof of purchase for the returns case, especially if you had a refund denied or were recharged after sending an item back.
Mark the two hard deadlines: July 27, 2026 for the Prime claim, and August 31, 2026 if you want to opt out of the De Coster antitrust class.

Most people who qualify for the Prime and returns settlements will either be paid automatically or receive a notice telling them how to file. If you believe you are eligible for the Prime settlement and have not heard anything by mid-2026, check ftc.gov/Amazon or contact the settlement administrator directly before the July deadline passes.

1
Federal Trade Commission. FTC Secures Historic $2.5 Billion Settlement Against Amazon
2
Federal Trade Commission. Amazon Refunds
3
Clarion-Ledger. Amazon FTC Settlement Payments
4
Axios. Amazon Prime Settlement Refund Eligibility
5
Top Class Actions. $2.5B Amazon Prime Membership FTC Settlement
6
ABC7 New York. How to Claim Amazon Refund for Prime Membership
7
Reuters. Amazon to Pay $309 Million to US Shoppers in Settlement Over Returns
8
ClassAction.org. Amazon to Pay $309.5M to End Class Action Lawsuit Over Return Policies
9
Hagens Berman. Amazon.com Antitrust (De Coster)
10
Law360. De Coster et al v. Amazon.com Inc
11
Amazon Antitrust Litigation. De Coster et al. v. Amazon.com, Inc.
12
Hagens Berman. Consumers Sue Amazon Alleging Unlawful Price Hikes to Cover Tariff Costs
13
Legal Newsline. Amazon Again Fails to Beat COVID Price Gouging Claims
14
Hagens Berman. Amazon Audible Audiobook Antitrust
15
Hagens Berman. Amazon.com Ring Camera Data Privacy Class Action
16
Federal Trade Commission. Ring Refunds
17
Top Class Actions. $2M Amazon Unpaid Wages Class Action Settlement