Used a No-Rewards Card? The $17.5M American Express Settlement Could Owe You Cash
If you live in this state and used a non-rewards card, you could have a check waiting
Did you use a credit card without a rewards program between 2016 and 2022? You’ll want to hear this! American Express has agreed to a massive $17.5 million payout to consumers with competing credit cards due to the company’s violations of antitrust laws. The caveat to this good news is that only Americans in one state can receive money. Keep reading to learn more about the American Express settlement, including who is eligible, how to file a claim and when you can expect payment.
What is the American Express settlement?
American Express (Amex) is a popular payment processing company. And unlike some of its competitors, the company is known for charging merchants (like restaurants and stores) higher processing fees—which has proven to be a problem in several states.
A recent class action lawsuit claims that Amex had anti-steering rules, which are meant to hurt the company’s competitors and boost its own profits. According to TopClassActions.com, the allegations claim that Amex kept its merchants from:
- Encouraging customers to use a different credit card
- Offering discounts for using a lower-fee card
- Telling customers another card would cost the store less in fees
There was yet another issue: Merchants felt they had no choice but to raise the overall prices to cover the higher Amex fees. This means that all customers–even those who didn’t pay with an Amex card—had to pay more for their purchases.
The plaintiffs in the case say these practices violated antitrust laws, so it’s only fair for Amex to provide compensation to impacted consumers.
While the company has not admitted to any wrongdoing, it has agreed to a $17.5 million class action settlement to resolve these allegations. Wondering if you may be entitled to a payout? Find out below.
Am I eligible for the Amex class action payout?
Here’s the good news: The new settlement will be compensating customers in Illinois who used other credit cards for more than five years. Since this lawsuit is focused on Amex pushing its competitors out of retailers, it makes sense that individuals using other forms of payment would be eligible.
Check if you meet these simple criteria—you might be closer to a payout than you think:
- You had a Visa, Mastercard or Discover credit card that did not offer rewards or charge an annual fee.
- You used that card at a qualifying merchant in Illinois between January 29, 2016 and June 1, 2022.
- Your billing address for the card during that time was for a residence in the state of Illinois.
- You were not an Amex cardholder during that time period.
Not sure what counts as a qualifying merchant? If you shopped at any of these popular Illinois stores, you’re likely covered. The settlement includes 38 major retailers, from grocery stores like Kroger and Walmart to department stores like Target and Kohl’s. Here’s the complete list:
- Academy Sports + Outdoors
- Advance Auto Parts
- Albertsons (including Safeway, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs, Acme, Shaw’s, Star Market, United Supermarkets, Market Street, Haggen, Kings Food Markets, Balducci’s)
- American Eagle Outfitters (including Aerie)
- Bed Bath & Beyond (including buybuy BABY)
- Best Buy (including Geek Squad, Magnolia)
- Big Lots
- BI-LO
- BJ’s Wholesale Club
- Burlington (including Baby Depot, Burlington Coat Factory)
- Camping World (including Good Sam Club)
- Circle K
- CVS Pharmacy
- Dick’s Sporting Goods (including Golf Galaxy)
- Foot Locker
- GameStop
- Gap (including Old Navy, Banana Republic, Athleta)
- H&M (including COS)
- Home Depot
- Hy-Vee
- IKEA
- Kohl’s
- Kroger
- Lowe’s
- Meijer
- Michaels
- Publix
- Rite Aid
- Ross Dress for Less
- Sprouts Farmers Market
- Target
- TJ Maxx (including Marshalls, HomeGoods)
- Tractor Supply Company
- Ulta Beauty
- SuperValu (United Natural Foods)
- Walgreens
- Walmart (including Sam’s Club)
- Williams-Sonoma (including Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm)
If you made purchases at any of these popular stores in the state of Illinois during that time, you could receive compensation if you meet the other criteria.
How much money will I receive from the settlement?
Though American Express has agreed to a $17.5 million payout, no further information has been provided as to the potential award for each class member. In most settlements, the amount of money each person receives is based on how many other people file a claim.
If there aren’t a lot of current and former Illinois residents who ask for a payment, the reward will be much higher!
How to file an American Express settlement claim
Filing your claim is simple! You have two easy options:
- File online: Visit the settlement website and complete the online claim form. It takes just a few minutes!
- File by mail: Print the claim form and mail it to: Amex Antitrust c/o A.B. Data, Ltd. P.O. Box 173092 Milwaukee, WI 53217
No proof or purchase is necessary at this time, but be aware that you may need to provide additional documents with your claim if requested in order to receive payment.
You have until May 19, 2026, to submit your claim online or postmark the form if mailing. If you don’t do so by then, you won’t be entitled to any compensation—so don’t pass up the opportunity! If you would rather object to the terms of the settlement, you must submit it in writing to the above address by April 29, 2026.
When will I receive my American Express settlement money?
The final hearing for the settlement is June 17, 2026. If the judge upholds the terms of the case, payments will be sent out after that. You can expect to receive yours digitally via email or text message, so it’s important to provide a current email address and phone number on your claim form.
Once you are notified, you can choose if you want to get your payment via methods like PayPal, Amazon or a virtual debit card. The good news? The money will be sent immediately, so you can enjoy the extra cash right away!
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