Consumers whose Equifax credit score or credit attribute was reported to a lender or other third party with an error from the March 17 – April 8, 2022 coding issue may qualify for an estimated $95 to $280 from the Equifax $100 million class action settlement. Claims are open through December 28, 2026.
Current Status
Claims are open. The Claim Form must be submitted online or postmarked by December 28, 2026. Judge Leigh Martin May has preliminarily approved the settlement, and the final approval hearing is set for January 22, 2027. No payment date has been announced as of September 29, 2026; payments can go out only after final approval and any appeals.
Class members were identified from Equifax’s records and notified by email or mail. Filing requires the Claim ID and PIN printed on that notice.
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What Changed Recently?
The settlement administrator, Verita, has launched the official settlement website and begun sending the court-approved notice. That notice set the three deadlines this page had been waiting on: November 27, 2026 to opt out or object, December 28, 2026 to file a claim, and the January 22, 2027 final approval hearing. It also published the plaintiffs’ first per-person payment estimate.
Equifax denies that it violated the law or did anything wrong. The settlement is a compromise, and the court has not decided which side is right.
Who Qualifies?
The settlement class covers individuals in the United States for whom Equifax reported a credit score or credit attribute to a third party that was different from what it would have been without the “OMS Issue,” a computer coding issue Equifax experienced between March 17 and April 8, 2022. Only reports Equifax itself flagged in its internal post-incident review (the “OMS Analysis”) count.
In practice, anyone who received the email or mailed notice is, according to Equifax’s records, a class member. Class counsel has estimated the class at roughly four million people. Having an Equifax credit file, or applying for credit in spring 2022, is not enough on its own. Equifax, its affiliates, employees, officers and directors, and the judges assigned to the case are excluded.
How Much Can You Get?
Equifax will pay $100 million into a non-reversionary fund, so no unclaimed money goes back to the company. Court-approved attorneys’ fees, litigation expenses, and notice and administration costs come out first. Class counsel will ask for fees of up to one-third of the fund ($33,333,333) plus up to $500,000 in expenses.
Everything left is split equally among class members who file valid claims. There are no tiers and no documented-loss option. Based on typical claims rates in similar cases, the plaintiffs estimate each payment at roughly $95 to $280. That is an estimate, not a promise: the more people file, the smaller each share.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
No receipts or credit reports are required, but the claim is gated on the Claim ID and PIN printed on the email or mailed notice. The online form asks for those two codes. The paper Claim Form that came with mailed notices carries the Claim ID already and must be completed in full and signed.
What Is the Deadline?
Claims must be submitted online or postmarked by December 28, 2026. The notice does not name a time zone. Opt-out requests and objections are due November 27, 2026.
How Do You Take Action?
File on the official Equifax FCRA settlement website, using the “File Your Claim” link and the Claim ID and PIN from the notice. Electronic payment is available only to claimants who file online. Paper forms mailed to the administrator are paid by check.
To opt out, a class member must personally mail a signed exclusion request to the settlement administrator, postmarked by November 27, 2026. No third party or company can opt someone out. Objections must be filed with the court or postmarked by the same date. The official website and notice list what each request must include and where to send it.
What Happens Next?
The court will hold the final approval hearing on January 22, 2027, when it will also consider the fee request. The hearing can be moved or held remotely, so the official website is the place to check for changes. Under the settlement agreement, payments go out after the settlement becomes final, meaning after final approval and after any appeal is resolved.
Sources and Verification
- Official Equifax FCRA settlement website (notice, deadlines and claim filing)
- Court-approved class notice (PDF)
- DiCello Levitt — August 19 settlement announcement
- Equifax — second-quarter 2026 litigation disclosure
- Caplan Cobb — motion seeking settlement approval
Questions
What if I never received an email or letter about the Equifax settlement?
Class membership comes from Equifax’s own analysis of the 2022 coding issue, and claims are filed with the Claim ID and PIN printed on the notice. Someone who believes they were affected but has no notice can ask the settlement administrator through the official settlement website before December 28, 2026.
Is the $95 to $280 estimate guaranteed?
No. It is the plaintiffs’ estimate based on typical claims rates. Every valid claimant receives an equal share of what remains after court-approved fees, expenses and administration costs, so the final amount depends on how many people file.
Can I object to the settlement and still get paid?
Yes. An objector can still file a Claim Form. Opting out is different: a class member who opts out receives no payment and cannot object, but keeps the right to bring an individual lawsuit about the coding issue.
Is this the same as the Equifax hard inquiry dispute settlement?
No. The $30 million Equifax hard inquiry settlement covers how Equifax handled consumers’ disputes of hard inquiries on their credit reports, not the 2022 score-coding issue. It has its own class, notice and November 29, 2026 claim deadline, so someone who received notices for both files a separate claim in each.
Is this the same as the Equifax data breach settlement?
No. This settlement covers credit scores and attributes affected by a coding issue in spring 2022. The 2017 Equifax data breach was resolved in a separate settlement, and a claim or payment there does not make anyone part of this one. OCA also covers a separate Equifax duplicate-reporting settlement.
