Fri Nov 21 18:00:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article based on the provided text, summarizing the Amazon Prime settlement payments:

Amazon Starts Paying Out to Customers in $2.5 Billion Prime Enrollment Settlement

[City, State] – Amazon has begun issuing payments to eligible customers as part of its $2.5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over allegations of deceptive Prime enrollment practices. The payments, which started on November 12th, represent the first of two planned waves of payouts to consumers who were allegedly coerced into signing up for Prime and then faced difficulties canceling their subscriptions.

The FTC’s 2023 lawsuit accused Amazon of using manipulative “dark patterns” to push customers into Prime memberships. While Amazon denies any wrongdoing, stating that it has always been clear and simple for customers to manage their Prime memberships and that they have always followed the law.

According to the settlement agreement, customers are eligible for payment if their Prime membership originated through specific pages on Amazon’s website, including the Universal Prime Decision Page, the Shipping Option Select Page, Prime Video enrollment flow, or the Single Page Checkout.

The first wave of payments is going to customers who used their Prime benefits three or fewer times over any 12-month period of enrollment. Automatic payments are being issued through Venmo or PayPal. Customers have 15 days to accept the payment electronically; otherwise, a check will be mailed to the shipping address listed on their Prime subscription.

The second wave of payments is for Amazon customers who used their Prime benefits 10 or fewer times over any 12-month period of enrollment.

Each eligible customer could receive up to $51, with the exact amount based on the total Prime membership fees they paid during their subscription period.

Rewritten Summary:

Amazon is now paying customers as part of a $2.5 billion settlement with the FTC regarding Prime subscription enrollments. The payments are automatic and are sent via Venmo or PayPal to customers who did not use their Prime benefits very often. Customers must have signed up for Prime via specific pages on Amazon’s website. The maximum payout is $51, based on the Prime fees paid.

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