Amazon is splitting its $600 million tariff refund with customers - here's who's eligible

picture alliance / Contributor/ picture alliance via Getty ImagesFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET's key takeawaysAmazon has received $600 million in tariff refunds.It will be passing those refunds directly to customers.Refunds will be automatic, so you don't need to do anything.Amazon is getting a $600 million refund, and some shoppers will receive a portion of it.Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled that sweeping tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump were, in fact, illegal. As a result, US Customs and Border Protection established a system to process billions of dollars in duty refunds for importers. In a recent company earnings call, Brian Olsavsky, Amazon's finance chief, explained that the company was participating in that program and getting a "limited" refund of $600 million. That amount was smaller, he explained, because the company had purchased a lot of inventory before the tariffs took effect and because most tariffs applied to third-party sellers rather than Amazon itself.Also: You can order 1-hour Amazon deliveries across 2,000 cities - is yours on the list?Third-party merchants often use Fulfillment by Amazon -- in those sales, you buy an item on Amazon.com, and the item is shipped by Amazon, but you didn't buy it from Amazon. Roughly 60% of sales on Amazon are third-party, so the company isn't legally responsible for importing most products sold on its site. "We've identified a limited set of circumstances where we can trace that we passed specific import charges on to customers," said Olsavsky. "When we receive those refunds, we will proactively contact affected customers and automatically issue refunds to them."How is Amazon refunding tariff charges to customers?You don't need to do anything to get a refund. Amazon says it will identify specific items where tariffs were charged or passed on to the buyer. The company will proactively contact buyers directly and automatically issue reimbursements.To tell whether you purchased from a third party or from Amazon, check your order history. Open "View order details," and you'll see the seller listed as Amazon or as someone else. Look for ones that you bought directly from Amazon.Also: Does Amazon price match other retailers? What to knowThe company hasn't announced an official window, but since President Trump enacted tariffs in late April 2025 and the Supreme Court overturned that decision in February 2026, it seems likely that purchases made during that window are most likely to qualify. Tariffs were generally a percentage of an item's import value, so how much you might get back depends on how expensive your purchase was.There's no timeframe as to when these refunds might start showing up.Amazon seems to be a rarity in passing refunds directly back to shoppers. Several shipping companies, including UPS, DHL, and FedEx, have also committed to processing refunds directly to customers, but most companies are promising things like lower prices to offset inflation, logistics expenses, or internal infrastructure upgrades. Featured