Businesses and other buyers that purchased boxed or case-ready chuck, loin, rib or round beef directly from Tyson, JBS, Cargill or National Beef between January 1, 2015 and February 29, 2020 may qualify to claim a pro rata cash payment from the $82.5 million Tyson beef direct purchaser antitrust settlement. Claims close November 30, 2026, and claimants from the earlier JBS settlement are included without filing again.
Current Status
Claims are open. The settlement is only for buyers that purchased beef directly from the meatpackers, not shoppers who bought beef at a store. Direct purchasers who did not file in the earlier JBS settlement must submit a claim online or by mail, postmarked by November 30, 2026. The Court granted preliminary approval of the $82.5 million Tyson settlement on May 14, 2026, and the final approval hearing is scheduled for November 12, 2026. Anyone who filed a claim in the earlier JBS settlement is eligible automatically and is being sent a new pre-populated claim amount. No Tyson payment date had been announced as of October 3, 2026.Free settlement alerts
Get notified when new class actions open to claims
Join thousands of readers who get the latest class action settlements you may qualify for — delivered straight to your inbox.
What Changed Recently?
Tyson Foods, Inc. and Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc. agreed to pay $82.5 million to resolve the direct purchaser class's claims against them: $80 million for the class plus $2.5 million earmarked for notice and claims administration. Tyson also agreed to cooperate with the direct purchasers in their case against Cargill and National Beef, which continues. Judge John R. Tunheim granted preliminary approval on May 14, 2026, then adjusted the notice schedule on August 18 and again on September 14, 2026. Under the current schedule, the deadline to opt out or object was extended to October 23, 2026, and claims are due November 30, 2026.This is the second direct purchaser settlement in the case. JBS paid $52.5 million under a settlement the Court finally approved on August 31, 2022. On April 3, 2026, the Court authorized distribution of the JBS net settlement fund, including a $250 minimum payment for eligible claimants whose pro rata share came to less than that, and the settlement website reports the JBS funds were distributed in July 2026. Together the two settlements total $135 million.
The direct purchasers allege that the defendant meatpackers conspired to fix, raise, maintain and stabilize beef prices beginning at least as early as 2015, in violation of federal antitrust law. Tyson denies any wrongdoing, and the Court has not decided whether Tyson did anything wrong.
Who Qualifies?
The Tyson settlement class covers people and entities that bought beef directly from Tyson, JBS, Cargill or National Beef, or from their subsidiaries or affiliates, for use or delivery in the United States between January 1, 2015 and February 29, 2020. The beef must be boxed or case-ready (cut into subprimals and packaged for resale), made from fed cattle, sold fresh or frozen, and come from one of four primal cuts: chuck, loin, rib or round.Several products are carved out of the definition: anything marketed as organic, grass-fed, kosher, halal, certified humane, Wagyu or American-Style Kobe Beef, and any beef that is cooked, marinated, seasoned, flavored or breaded. Ground beef and other products further processed at another plant are out, as are byproducts such as trim, fats, hides and offal. The defendants, their officers, directors and employees, entities they control, their affiliates, federal, state and local government entities, and the judges and jurors assigned to the case are also excluded.
The Tyson class period ends about two years earlier than the JBS class period, which ran through February 10, 2022. Anyone who opts out of the Tyson settlement cannot share in it. A business that opted out of the JBS settlement is still in the Tyson class and can file a claim, unless it opts out of Tyson too.
Only buyers that purchased straight from the packers are in this class. Shoppers who bought beef at a grocery store or restaurant are indirect purchasers; their separate $87.5 million consumer beef price-fixing settlement with Tyson and Cargill stopped taking claims on June 30, 2026.
How Much Can You Get?
No per-claimant estimate has been published. After the Court approves deductions, the remaining net settlement fund is divided pro rata: each participating class member's qualifying beef purchases are compared with the combined qualifying purchases of every participating class member, and payments follow that share.The settlement proceeds will first cover notice and claims administration costs; attorneys' fees of up to one-third of the settlement proceeds; incurred litigation costs of up to $1.5 million; service awards of up to $25,000 for each of the three class representatives; and $5 million set aside for future litigation costs. All of those amounts are subject to Court approval. The JBS round's $250 minimum payment was approved for that distribution only; no minimum has been announced for Tyson.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
Class members whose purchases appear in the defendants' records are being sent a pre-populated claim form with a Unique ID. Logging in with that ID on the settlement website shows the purchase figures, which can be accepted online or by mail. JBS claimants who do nothing are processed at the pre-populated amount, and anyone who has already submitted a Tyson claim form does not need to resubmit it. One claim form is needed for each Unique ID, even if an organization received more than one notice.Anyone who disagrees with the pre-populated figures can file an audit request with supporting records by November 30, 2026. JBS claimants who supplemented their JBS claim with their own documentation may be contacted for records that fit the Tyson class definition.
Buyers with no purchases on file use the blank claim form. It requires a table of every purchase being claimed from the defendants during the class period, listing the defendant, the year, the beef product and the total amount, plus legible copies of invoices or receipts showing the product name, the defendant that made it, the purchase date and the net amount paid. Originals should be kept, not sent.
What Is the Deadline?
Claims must be submitted online or postmarked by November 30, 2026. The official materials give a date only, with no time of day or timezone. JBS claimants do not need to meet this deadline to stay eligible, but anyone who wants to change a pre-populated amount should file before it.Requests for exclusion and objections must be postmarked or received by October 23, 2026.
How Do You Take Action?
Claims are filed through the Beef Direct Purchaser Settlement website. Class members with a notice log in with their Unique ID to review and accept their purchase amounts or to request an audit. Buyers without a notice can complete the blank claim form online and upload their documentation. A paper claim form can be requested through the website's contact page.What Happens Next?
The Court has scheduled the final approval hearing for November 12, 2026, at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis. Co-Lead Counsel have asked the Court to approve attorneys' fees, litigation costs and service awards from the settlement proceeds, and class members can object to that request by the same October 23, 2026 deadline. Payments will be made only after the Court grants final approval, any appeals are resolved and claims are processed; no payment date had been announced as of October 3, 2026.Other Beef and Pork Settlements
Several related settlements cover different buyers and workers, and filing in one does not cover the others. Consumers who bought pork at a grocery store in one of 24 states can still claim from the $117 million pork price-fixing settlement, while an earlier $75 million pork consumer settlement has closed. People who worked at a beef or pork processing plant are covered by the $202.7 million meatpacking wage-fixing settlements, which name several of the same companies.Sources and Verification
• Beef Direct Purchaser Settlement — official settlement website, notice, claim forms and court documents• Amended Long-Form Notice for the Tyson settlement (approved September 14, 2026)
• Settlement Agreement between Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs and Tyson (Doc. 1568-1)
• Order granting the motion to modify the notice plan and schedule (Doc. 1663, September 14, 2026)
• In re Cattle and Beef Antitrust Litigation docket (D. Minn.), including the April 3, 2026 order distributing the JBS fund (Doc. 1562)
Questions
I filed a claim in the JBS beef settlement. Do I need to file again for Tyson?
No. A direct purchaser that filed a claim in the JBS settlement is automatically eligible in the Tyson settlement. A new pre-populated claim form is being sent to class members whose purchase data is available. You can accept the new figure online or by mail, or do nothing and the claim will be processed at the pre-populated amount. Claimants who added their own documentation in the JBS round may be asked for records that match the Tyson class definition.
Why is my Tyson claim amount different from my JBS claim?
Mainly because the class definition changed. The Tyson settlement covers only boxed and case-ready beef from the chuck, loin, rib and round cuts, and it excludes further-processed products such as ground beef and byproducts such as trim and offal. Some of those purchases were counted in the JBS settlement but are not recognized for Tyson. The Tyson class period also ends February 29, 2020 instead of February 10, 2022, and organic, grass-fed, kosher, halal, certified humane, Wagyu, American-Style Kobe and cooked, marinated, seasoned, flavored or breaded products are excluded.
Can a shopper who bought beef at a grocery store file in this settlement?
No. This settlement is limited to buyers that purchased beef directly from the meatpackers. Consumers who bought beef at a store were covered by a separate $87.5 million indirect-purchaser settlement with Tyson and Cargill, whose claim deadline was June 30, 2026.
What if the purchase amounts on my pre-populated claim form look wrong?
The settlement website posts an audit request form for claimants who disagree with or want to add to the pre-populated figures. Any revised amount has to be backed by invoices or receipts showing the product, the defendant that sold it, the purchase date and the net amount paid, and it is reviewed by the claims administrator and Co-Lead Counsel.
Does the Tyson settlement end the beef antitrust case?
No. The settlement resolves direct purchasers' claims against Tyson only. The direct purchasers' case continues against Cargill and National Beef, and Tyson has agreed to provide cooperation in that litigation. Class members who stay in are not releasing claims against any other defendant.
