Class Action Settlements for Small Businesses
Class actions aren't only for consumers. Businesses that pay card fees, buy advertising, receive junk faxes or took out merchant financing are regularly part of settlement classes.
Yes, small businesses can be class members and collect settlement money. Many of the largest settlements in US history were paid mainly to businesses, especially in antitrust cases, where a company that overpaid for a product or service because of price-fixing can recover a share of the overcharge. Businesses also turn up in settlements over payment processing, advertising, unwanted faxes and lending practices.
The settlements businesses qualify for most
- ✓Antitrust and price-fixing. If your business bought a product directly from a manufacturer accused of fixing prices, you may be a direct purchaser, which often means a larger share per dollar spent. See how price-fixing settlements work.
- ✓Card and payment processing. Merchants who accept credit and debit cards have been part of long-running cases over interchange fees and processing contracts.
- ✓Advertising. Companies that bought online ads through certain platforms have been class members in cases about how auctions and fees were run.
- ✓Junk faxes and calls. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act covers unsolicited fax advertisements, and many TCPA fax classes are made up entirely of businesses.
- ✓Merchant financing. Merchant cash advance providers and payment processors have faced government actions that return money to the businesses they charged.
Open settlements and refunds that include businesses
Equifax - Inquiry Disputes Class Action Settlement
You may be included in this settlement if you sent Equifax a mailed letter disputing one or more hard inquiries between October 4, 2016 and March 27, 2026.
Indegene - Unwanted Faxes Class Action Settlement
Equifax $100M Credit Reporting Error Class Action Settlement
Individuals who had a credit score or attribute reported by Equifax between March 17 and April 8, 2022, may qualify to claim $95 to $280 from a settlement.
Google Ad Tech Antitrust Advertisers
Google controlled every layer of the digital advertising system: the tools advertisers use to buy ads, the tools publishers use to sell ad space, and the auction exchange connecting them. By locking this system together and blocking outside competition, Google forced businesses to pay inflated prices with no meaningful alternative.
First American Payment Systems Settlement
The FTC is currently reviewing claims. We will update this page when we have more information.
Yellowstone Capital Refunds
The FTC is sending a third round of payments to small businesses who were harmed by Yellowstone Capital, a merchant cash advance company that withdrew money from customer bank accounts without permission.
Updated daily from the SettleScout catalogue. See every open settlement.
How a business claim differs from a personal one
The steps are the same, but the details aren't. Business claim forms usually ask for the legal name of the business, its taxpayer identification number, and someone authorized to sign for it. Antitrust settlements often pay in proportion to how much you bought, so the form may ask for purchase totals by year, supported by invoices or account statements.
- 1Confirm the business, not you personally, is the class member. A sole proprietor may file under their own name; a corporation or LLC files as itself.
- 2Gather purchase records for the class period: invoices, processor statements, ad account billing histories.
- 3File on the administrator's site and keep the confirmation.
- 4Watch for deficiency letters asking for more documents, and answer them before the stated deadline.
Large business settlements attract third-party firms that offer to file for you in exchange for a percentage of the recovery. Some are legitimate, but you rarely need one. The court-appointed administrator processes claims for free, and the settlement notice explains every step.
Records that make business claims easier
Businesses lose claims most often because the records are gone. Payment processor statements, vendor invoices and ad platform billing reports are easy to download today and hard to reconstruct years later, when a case finally settles. A good habit is to export them once a year to a shared drive. Our guide on keeping records for future class actions covers what to save.
Business settlement money may be taxable income, depending on what the payment replaces and how you deducted the original expense. Your accountant is the right person to ask; this overview of settlement taxes explains the general rules.
Owners can be class members twice
If you run a small business, you're also a consumer. The same person can claim as a business in an antitrust case and as an individual in a data breach settlement. Keep the two separate: file business claims with business records and personal claims with your own.
Direct and indirect purchasers
Antitrust settlements often split the class in two. Direct purchasers bought straight from the companies accused of fixing prices. Indirect purchasers bought through a distributor, wholesaler or retailer. Federal antitrust law generally lets only direct purchasers recover damages, while many states allow indirect purchasers to sue under their own laws. As a result, a business can be a direct purchaser in one case and an indirect purchaser in another, with different claim forms and payout formulas.
The notice will tell you which group you belong to. If you bought both directly and through a distributor, you may be able to claim in both settlements for different purchases. Don't count the same purchase twice.
When a settlement asks for your purchase totals
Large business settlements often pre-fill your claim using the defendants' sales records and ask you to confirm or correct the numbers. Check those figures carefully against your own books. If the defendant's data shows less than you actually bought, the claim form will explain how to dispute it and what documents to send.
SettleScout can track both. Add your suppliers, payment processor, ad platforms and bank to the app, and it will flag new settlements that mention them and remind you before claim deadlines close.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an LLC file a class action claim?
Yes, if the LLC is a class member. It files under its own legal name and tax ID, and the form is signed by someone authorized to act for the company.
Is a class action settlement taxable for a business?
Often, but it depends on what the payment compensates. Money that refunds a deducted expense is generally income. Ask your accountant how to report it.
Do I need a lawyer to file a business settlement claim?
Usually not. The administrator processes claims at no cost. Larger businesses with complex purchase histories sometimes hire help, but it isn't required.
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