What is a class action claim?

A class action claim is a request submitted by a class member for a share of a court-approved settlement fund. Class membership is defined by the court, usually by a date range and a type of transaction. Filing a claim, before the deadline, is what turns membership into money.

Who is a class member. The court's class definition controls. It is typically written as a period and an activity — for example, businesses that accepted certain payment cards between January 1, 2004 and January 25, 2019. If your business falls inside that definition, you are a class member whether or not you were ever notified.

What a claim is. A claim is a submission to the court-appointed administrator identifying you, establishing that you fall inside the class, and documenting the transactions that determine your share. Many settlements are built on the defendants' own records, so the administrator may already hold data for you.

What a claim is worth. Settlements pay pro rata: the fund is divided by each valid claimant's share of the total harm. Your amount depends on the size of the fund, the number of valid claims, and how well your records support your share. Thin documentation gets reduced.

What ends a claim. The filing deadline. Windows close on a fixed date and do not reopen; the payment card window closed February 4, 2025. Doing nothing usually means staying in the class, giving up the right to sue separately, and receiving nothing.

Related terms: a class member is anyone inside the court's definition; an administrator is the court-appointed firm that validates claims and issues payment; a distribution is the court-approved payment of the fund to valid claimants.