If Equifax mailed you a Duplicate Reporting Letter in 2022, you may be able to claim up to $600 and six months of free credit monitoring before the September 1, 2026 deadline.
What Is the Equifax Duplicate Reporting Settlement About?
Equifax Information Services, LLC has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that it violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by reporting the same collection account more than once on certain Equifax consumer reports. The named plaintiff alleges this duplicate reporting violated FCRA section 1681e(b), which requires a credit bureau to follow reasonable procedures to assure the maximum possible accuracy of the information in a consumer report. Equifax denies all of the allegations and any wrongdoing, and the Court has not decided who is right.The lawsuit is captioned Bradberry v. Equifax Information Services, LLC, Case No. 1:22-cv-04754-MLB, and is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia before Judge Michael L. Brown. Under the settlement, every Settlement Class Member automatically receives six months of free credit monitoring, and members who affirm they were harmed can claim a cash payment expected to be up to $600. The claim deadline is September 1, 2026.
Who Qualifies for the Equifax Settlement?
You are a Settlement Class Member if Equifax identified you as someone it mailed a Duplicate Reporting Letter — the letter informing you that a duplicate collection account may have been reflected in your Equifax file at the same time there was an inquiry on your file. According to Equifax's records, it sent this letter to 37,651 people in August and September 2022. If you received a postcard or email notice about this settlement, Equifax's records place you in the class.Excluded from the class are Equifax, any entity it controls, and its officers, directors, legal representatives, successors, subsidiaries, and assigns; any judge or judicial officer presiding over the case, together with their immediate family and judicial staff; and anyone who timely and validly opts out of the Settlement.
What Are the Settlement Benefits?
The settlement provides three things:- Free credit monitoring (automatic): Every Settlement Class Member who does not opt out receives an access code for six months of Equifax Complete credit monitoring — valued at about $59.70 — which includes report and score monitoring, alerts for key changes, and up to $500,000 in coverage for certain out-of-pocket identity-theft expenses. You do not have to file a claim to get this.
- Cash payment (claim required): If you affirm that you were harmed by the duplicate reporting, you can claim a cash payment from a $2.2 million Settlement Fund, expected to be up to $600.
- Practice changes: Equifax has agreed to continue changes to its procedures to avoid reporting the same collection account more than once, and to remove the duplicate collection accounts identified in the Duplicate Reporting Letters from class members' files.
The Settlement Fund also covers the costs of notice and administration, Court-approved attorneys' fees of $733,333.33 (one-third of the fund), and litigation costs of up to $75,000. Separately, Equifax agreed to pay an additional $425,000 in attorneys' fees tied to the practice changes. Class Counsel's fee request is scheduled to be posted on the official settlement website on July 28, 2026.
How Much Is the Cash Payment?
The cash payment is expected to be up to $600, but the exact amount depends on how many Settlement Class Members submit valid claims for a payment — the $2.2 million fund is divided among approved claims after costs and fees. Everyone in the class receives the credit monitoring benefit regardless of whether they file for cash.If the Court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved, payments are sent automatically. You can choose an electronic payment method — PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or a virtual prepaid card — through the settlement website; otherwise payment is mailed as a paper check.
How to File an Equifax Claim
To claim the cash payment, file by the September 1, 2026 deadline:- Online: Go to the official settlement website and log in with the Notice ID and PIN printed on your mailed or emailed notice. Confirm your information, check the box describing the harm you experienced, choose a payment method, and submit under penalty of perjury by September 1, 2026.
- By mail: Complete the paper Claim Form, check at least one harm box, sign the attestation, and mail it to the Settlement Administrator so it is received by September 1, 2026. Mailed claims can be paid by check.
You do not need to do anything to receive the credit monitoring benefit — it goes to every class member who does not opt out. You can update or confirm your mailing or email address through the official settlement website.
Key Deadlines
- Submit a cash-payment claim (online or postmarked): September 1, 2026
- Exclude yourself (opt out): September 1, 2026
- Object to the settlement: September 1, 2026
- Class Counsel's fee request posted: July 28, 2026
- Final Approval Hearing: October 6, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., Courtroom 1906, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta (may be held virtually)
If you do nothing, you still receive the credit monitoring benefit, but you will not get a cash payment and — unless you opt out — you give up the right to sue Equifax over the duplicate-reporting claims this settlement resolves.
FCRA and Credit-Report Accuracy
The case turns on the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the federal law that governs how credit bureaus like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion collect and report consumer information. Among other things, the FCRA requires bureaus to follow reasonable procedures to assure the maximum possible accuracy of what appears on a consumer report — the requirement the plaintiff says a duplicated collection account violated. You can read more in our glossary entry on the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). OCA is tracking several credit-reporting cases, including the TransUnion credit dispute settlement and the Capital One deceased-account credit reporting settlement. The defendants in these cases, including Equifax here, deny wrongdoing, and courts have not ruled that the conduct violated any law.Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for the Equifax duplicate reporting settlement?
You are a Settlement Class Member if Equifax identified you as someone it mailed a Duplicate Reporting Letter. According to Equifax's records, it sent this letter to 37,651 people in August and September 2022. If you received a postcard or email notice about this settlement, you are on the class list. Excluded are Equifax and its affiliates, officers, and directors; the judge and the judge's immediate family and staff; and anyone who validly opts out.
How much can I get from the Equifax settlement?
Every Settlement Class Member automatically receives six months of free Equifax Complete credit monitoring (valued at about $59.70) without filing a claim. If you affirm that you were harmed by the duplicate reporting, you can also claim a cash payment from the $2.2 million Settlement Fund, expected to be up to $600. The exact amount depends on how many valid claims are submitted.
What is the Equifax settlement claim deadline?
The deadline to submit a cash-payment claim, exclude yourself, or object is September 1, 2026. The Court's Final Approval Hearing is scheduled for October 6, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta.
Do I need proof to file an Equifax claim?
Yes. To file the cash claim you log in with the Notice ID and PIN printed on the notice the Settlement Administrator sent you, and you must attest under penalty of perjury that you experienced a specific harm — that Equifax sent a report with the duplicate collection account to a third party, or that you were denied credit partly because of it. No receipts are required, but the credit monitoring benefit is automatic even if you do not file a claim.
What is this lawsuit about?
The lawsuit, Bradberry v. Equifax Information Services, LLC, No. 1:22-cv-04754-MLB in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, alleges that Equifax violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act by reporting the same collection account more than once on certain consumer reports, in violation of FCRA section 1681e(b)'s accuracy requirement. Equifax denies all allegations and any wrongdoing, and the Court has not decided who is right.
Sources
• Official Settlement Website: Duplicate Account FCRA Settlement.com• Bradberry v. Equifax Information Services, LLC, Case No. 1:22-cv-04754-MLB, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia
• Court-Authorized Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement
• Class Counsel: James A. Francis and John Soumilas, Francis Mailman Soumilas, P.C.; Ari Marcus and Yitzchak Zelman, Marcus & Zelman, LLC
• Settlement Administrator: Angeion Group
