People who paid Aramark’s 3% venue fee on food, drinks or other purchases at Capital One Arena between October 1, 2024 and December 31, 2025 may qualify to claim an equal share of the $4.5 million Aramark Capital One Arena venue fee class action settlement, with no receipt required. Claims are open through December 4, 2026, and the final approval hearing is set for January 15, 2027.
Current Status
Claims are open. Claim forms must be submitted online or postmarked by December 4, 2026; the official sources do not give a time of day or time zone. A D.C. Superior Court judge granted preliminary approval on September 14, 2026, and the final approval hearing is set for January 15, 2027. No payments have been made, and none will be until the court grants final approval.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?
On September 14, 2026, Judge Shana Frost Matini of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia granted preliminary approval of the settlement in Garner v. Aramark Management Services Limited Partnership, No. 2025-CAB-007444, which opened the claim period. Aramark had until September 21 to give the administrator its list of known customer email addresses, and email notice was due by October 5, 2026.The lawsuit, filed in 2025, alleged that Aramark, which runs food and beverage concessions at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., added a 3% “venue fee” to purchases without adequately disclosing it, in violation of the District of Columbia Consumer Protection Procedures Act. Aramark denies any wrongdoing, fault or liability, and the court has not ruled for either side. The parties agreed to settle in 2026 to avoid the risk and expense of further litigation.
Who Qualifies?
The settlement class includes all individuals in the United States who made a purchase from Aramark at Capital One Arena and paid a venue fee between October 1, 2024 and December 31, 2025. That covers food, beverages and other items bought from the arena’s Aramark-operated concessions, regardless of the event, whether a Wizards or Capitals game, a concert or anything else held there.Purchases at other arenas or stadiums are not part of this settlement, and neither are purchases at Capital One Arena outside the October 2024 to December 2025 window.
How Much Can You Get?
Aramark is paying $4,500,000 into a non-reversionary fund, so none of the money goes back to the company. Before class members are paid, the fund covers court-approved costs: administration (estimated at about $74,985), attorneys’ fees of up to one-third of the fund ($1.5 million) plus expenses, and a service award of up to $5,000 for the class representative. What remains is the net settlement fund.The net fund is split equally among everyone who files a valid claim. There is no fixed per-person figure, and the amount does not depend on how much a claimant spent or how many times they paid the fee: the more valid claims filed, the smaller each payment. If money is left over after uncashed payments expire, it can go to a second distribution to claimants, and any final remainder goes to the nonprofit Public Justice.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
No receipts or credit card statements are required. The claim form asks for a name, mailing address and email address, and for initials confirming the claimant bought food, drinks or other items from Aramark concessions at Capital One Arena and paid the venue fee during the class period. The claimant signs under penalty of perjury, and the form warns that claims may be verified, audited and reviewed by the court.The form has a field for a Claimant ID from an emailed notice, but it is not marked as required, so a person who did not receive a notice can still file.
What Is the Deadline?
Claims must be submitted online or postmarked by December 4, 2026. The same date is the deadline to opt out of the settlement or to object to it. The official documents give a date only, with no time of day or time zone.How Do You Take Action?
Claims are filed through the official Venue Fee Settlement website, which also has a printable claim form for anyone filing by mail. Payment options include PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, direct deposit and a paper check. The claim form lists direct deposit, PayPal and Venmo as the fastest options and says they are available only to people who file online; anyone who does not choose a method is paid by check.Under the settlement, people who file a claim keep the option to object as well. People who opt out receive no payment but keep the right to bring their own claim about the fee; people who do nothing receive no payment and give up that right.
What Happens Next?
Class counsel’s request for attorneys’ fees, expenses and the service award is due November 5, 2026, and the motion for final approval is due December 31, 2026. The final approval hearing is set for 10:00 a.m. ET on January 15, 2027 in D.C. Superior Court. If the judge approves the settlement, payments are due no later than 14 days after the settlement’s Effective Date, which follows final approval and the end of any appeal.Sources and Verification
- Official settlement website — Frequently Asked Questions (class definition, fund, fees, payment methods, deadlines and hearing date)
- Court documents, including the complaint, the fully executed settlement agreement, the claim form, the long form notice and the September 14, 2026 order granting preliminary approval
OpenClassActions.com is a consumer news site and is not the settlement administrator or a law firm.
Questions
Do I need a receipt to claim from the Aramark venue fee settlement?
No. The claim form asks for a name, mailing address and email, plus initials confirming the claimant bought food, drinks or other items from Aramark concessions at Capital One Arena and paid the venue fee between October 1, 2024 and December 31, 2025. The form is signed under penalty of perjury, and claims may be verified or audited. A Claimant ID from an emailed notice can be entered if the claimant has one, but the form does not mark it as required.
Does it matter how much I spent at Capital One Arena?
No. The claim form says each class member who files a valid claim receives an equal share of the net settlement fund. A person who paid the fee once and a season ticket holder who paid it at every game receive the same amount, and the size of that amount depends on how many valid claims are filed.
Do Wizards, Capitals and concert fans all qualify?
The class definition does not depend on the event. It covers anyone in the United States who made a purchase from Aramark at Capital One Arena and paid the venue fee between October 1, 2024 and December 31, 2025, whether at a game, a concert or another event.
When will Aramark settlement payments be sent?
Not before the court decides whether to grant final approval at the hearing on January 15, 2027. The settlement agreement says payments go out no later than 14 days after the settlement's Effective Date, which comes after final approval and the end of any appeals. Claimants can choose PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, direct deposit or a paper check.
Did Aramark admit it did anything wrong?
No. Aramark denies any wrongdoing, fault or liability, and the court has not decided the case in favor of either side. The parties settled to avoid the risk and expense of further litigation.
