
Germany’s highest civil court ruled on Thursday that Amazon’s 2022 price increase for its Prime membership in Germany was invalid, ordering the company to revert to previous rates for long-standing customers.
The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) in Karlsruhe found that the price adjustment clauses in Amazon’s terms and conditions violated transparency requirements, as they failed to clearly outline customer rights in the event of a price hike. The ruling affects customers whose memberships began before Sept. 15, 2022, and have remained unchanged since. Amazon said it would temporarily adjust fees for these users and notify them before their next payment date .
The case was brought by the Consumer Advocacy Center of North Rhine-Westphalia, which argued the 2022 increase—from €69 to €89.90 annually, or from €7.99 to €8.99 monthly—was unlawful because Amazon did not explicitly seek customer consent. Lower courts in Düsseldorf had previously ruled against Amazon, and the BGH upheld those decisions .
Amazon stated it disagreed with the ruling but would comply, while a separate legal proceeding will address potential refunds for overpaid fees. The company had justified the 2022 increase by citing rising costs .
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