Amazon has agreed to pay $2.5 billion to resolve claims from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that it tricked customers into signing up for its Prime membership and made cancellations difficult. This settlement, announced after a trial began in Seattle, marks the largest civil penalty ever secured by the FTC.

• $1.5 billion of the settlement will go to refunds for affected customers.
• The FTC alleged Amazon used "sophisticated subscription traps" and unclear terms for Prime sign-ups and trials.
• Approximately 35 million people in the US could be eligible for refunds, potentially up to $51 each.
• Amazon will now be prohibited from using deceptive buttons like “No, I don’t want free shipping” and must provide an easy cancellation method for Prime.