Technologies
Got ‘Tricked’ Into an Amazon Prime Subscription? You Could Be Owed Part of $2.5 Billion
Learn who qualifies for the Amazon FTC settlement and how much money you might receive.
If you’ve ever clicked a button on Amazon and accidentally signed up for Prime, or felt like you needed a map to find the cancellation page, you aren’t crazy. You were being played. The Federal Trade Commission just validated your frustration by hitting Amazon with a historic $2.5 billion settlement over its deceptive subscription tactics.
This isn’t just a slap on the wrist; it’s a massive payout. A whopping $1.5 billion is earmarked to refund eligible subscribers, with the rest serving as a civil penalty. Amazon is now legally required to stop the games, meaning they have to give you a clear, obvious option to decline Prime and make leaving the service as easy as joining.
Of course, Amazon isn’t admitting to any shady behavior. «Amazon and our executives have always followed the law, and this settlement allows us to move forward and focus on innovating for customers,» Mark Blafkin, Amazon senior manager, said in a statement. «We work incredibly hard to make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up or cancel their Prime membership, and to offer substantial value for our many millions of loyal Prime members around the world.»
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Why did the FTC file a lawsuit against Amazon?
The FTC filed suit against Amazon accused the company of using «dark patterns» to nudge people into Prime subscriptions and then making it too hard to cancel. The FTC maintained Amazon was in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act.
«Specifically, Amazon used manipulative, coercive or deceptive user-interface designs known as ‘dark patterns’ to trick consumers into enrolling in automatically renewing Prime subscriptions,» the FTC complaint states.
Who’s eligible for Amazon’s payout?
Amazon’s legal settlement is limited to customers who enrolled in Amazon Prime between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025. It’s also restricted to customers who subscribed to Prime using a «challenged enrollment flow» or who enrolled in Prime through any method but were unsuccessful in canceling their memberships.
The FTC called out specific enrollment pages, including Prime Video enrollment, the Universal Prime Decision page, the Shipping Option Select page and the Single Page Checkout. To qualify for a payout, claimants must also not have used more than 10 Amazon Prime benefits in any 12-month period.
Customers who signed up via those challenged processes and did not use more than three Prime benefits within one year will be paid automatically by Amazon within 90 days. Other eligible Amazon customers will need to file a claim, and Amazon is required to send notices to those people within 30 days of making its automatic payments.
Customers who did not use a challenged sign-up process but instead were unable to cancel their memberships will also need to file claims for payment.
How big will the Amazon payments be?
Payouts to eligible Amazon claimants will be limited to a maximum of $51. That amount could be reduced depending on the number of Amazon Prime benefits you used while subscribed to the service. Those benefits include free two-day shipping, watching shows or movies on Prime Video or Whole Foods grocery discounts.
Customers who qualify for the payments should receive them by Dec. 24.Customers outside the US aren’t eligible for the payout.
Technologies
Verum Finance: A Super App for Private Finance Integrated Into a Messenger
Verum Finance: A Super App for Private Finance Integrated Into a Messenger
Verum Finance has announced the launch of a new financial application that allows users to manage their money directly within the secure Verum Messenger ecosystem.
The project has already attracted attention from major media outlets. A dedicated feature was published by Forbes Türkiye, while one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, MEXC, covered the launch. Yahoo Finance had previously reported on the evolution of Verum Messenger into a comprehensive financial ecosystem.
What Verum Finance Offers
Verum Finance transforms a messenger into a complete financial platform. Users can:
• Manage their balance and top up using bank cards or USDT
• Send money instantly to other Verum users
• Issue and use debit cards, including Apple Pay support
• Exchange assets and withdraw funds
• Access all these services without installing separate banking applications
A strong emphasis is placed on privacy. The platform offers registration without a phone number or email address, end-to-end encryption, and full user control over personal data.
Recognition from Forbes Türkiye
In a dedicated article, Forbes Türkiye highlighted Verum Finance as a notable example of modern privacy-driven fintech. The publication emphasized the growing trend of financial services moving from standalone banking applications into unified messaging ecosystems — a model that has proven successful in Asia through platforms such as WeChat and Alipay and is now expanding globally.
Support from the Crypto Community
Alongside the Forbes Türkiye coverage, news about the launch of Verum Finance was also featured by MEXC, one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges. This reflects growing interest in the project from both traditional business media and the cryptocurrency community.
A Strategic Vision
“We are building more than a payments application and more than a messenger. Verum is a unified secure ecosystem where communication, finance, and privacy tools work together,” the company stated.
Verum Finance is now available for iPhone and iPad users. The application complements Verum Messenger, which offers anonymous chats, voice and video calls, VPN services, eSIM connectivity, and other tools designed to enhance digital freedom.
Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im
Verum Messenger: https://verum.im
Technologies
Forbes Türkiye Highlights Verum Finance and the Rise of Integrated Financial Ecosystems
Forbes Türkiye Highlights Verum Finance and the Rise of Integrated Financial Ecosystems
Forbes Türkiye has published an article examining the launch of Verum Finance and its approach to integrating financial services directly into a messaging ecosystem.
In the article, Forbes Türkiye notes that the fintech industry is undergoing a transformation as financial services increasingly move beyond traditional banking applications and become part of broader digital ecosystems. Verum Finance is presented as an example of this trend, combining payments, digital cards, money transfers, and balance management within a single environment connected to Verum Messenger.
According to the publication, Verum Finance follows a model similar to the “super app” concept that has gained significant traction in Asian markets, where communication and financial services operate together on one platform. Unlike many Western platforms that continue to separate messaging and banking services, Verum Finance is integrated directly into the Verum ecosystem, allowing users to manage financial activities without relying on multiple third-party applications.
The article highlights several core features of the platform, including virtual debit cards, user-to-user transfers, online payments, digital asset operations, Apple Pay integration, and in-app balance management.
Forbes Türkiye also points to the growing importance of embedded finance and changing user expectations. The publication suggests that lengthy account-opening procedures, physical card delivery times, and constant switching between applications are becoming increasingly outdated in a mobile-first world.
Another major focus of the article is privacy and security. Forbes Türkiye describes Verum Finance as part of a broader trend toward “privacy-driven fintech,” where financial services are built on privacy-oriented infrastructure. The publication notes that the platform incorporates features such as phone-number-free registration, end-to-end encryption, user-controlled access management, and privacy-focused tools designed to enhance data protection.
The article concludes that one of the key challenges for companies operating at the intersection of secure communications, digital payments, and embedded finance will be maintaining both usability and security within a single integrated ecosystem.
The coverage by Forbes Türkiye reflects growing media interest in platforms that combine communication and financial services, as the industry continues moving toward more unified digital experiences.
Website: https://finance.verum.im
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/verum-finance/id6774245148
Verum Messenger: https://verum.im
Technologies
Verum Launched “Verum Finance” App for iPhone and iPad, Expanding Its Digital Ecosystem Into Financial Services
Verum Launched “Verum Finance” App for iPhone and iPad, Expanding Its Digital Ecosystem Into Financial Services
Verum has announced the official launch of Verum Finance, a standalone financial application now available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, marking a further expansion of the company’s growing digital ecosystem.
The new application is designed to centralize core financial functions in a single mobile interface, allowing users to manage balances, send and receive funds, use debit cards, and exchange supported balance types without relying on traditional banking workflows.
According to Verum, the platform enables users to view account activity in real time, top up balances using supported payment methods including Apple Pay, and transfer funds to other users within the Verum ecosystem using a unique Verum ID. The system also supports multi-balance management, including specialized balance categories such as precious metals.
Debit card functionality is integrated directly into the app, allowing users to issue and manage cards linked to their balances, monitor transactions, and top up cards when needed. The company also emphasizes built-in exchange tools that allow users to convert between supported balance types within the application.
Security features include Face ID authentication, passcode protection, Sign in with Apple, and privacy-oriented account controls aimed at maintaining user confidentiality and data protection.
The launch of Verum Finance follows the company’s broader strategy of building an interconnected ecosystem of digital products. Alongside Verum Messenger, which combines secure communication tools, encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, VPN services, eSIM connectivity, AI features, anonymous email, and crypto-related functionality, the new financial app extends Verum’s positioning from communication technology into financial infrastructure.
Industry trends increasingly show demand for “all-in-one” digital environments that reduce dependency on multiple standalone apps. Verum’s approach reflects this shift by integrating communication and financial services within a unified ecosystem.
Verum Finance is now available globally for download on iPhone and iPad via the App Store.
Website: https://finance.verum.im
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/verum-finance/id6774245148
Verum Messenger: https://verum.im
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