Equifax settlement 2026: $30M fund, $100–$400 claims, due Nov 29

What the Equifax settlement is about

A hard inquiry is a note on your credit report that a company pulled your file. If you didn't authorize one, you can dispute it. This settlement resolves four lawsuits saying Equifax mishandled those disputes. The plaintiffs say that after they told Equifax their reports were pulled without a permissible purpose, Equifax didn't contact the companies that pulled them and didn't remove the inquiries. Some people got a letter saying inquiries are a factual record of file access. The claims rest on the Fair Credit Reporting Act and similar New York and New Jersey laws.

Equifax denies doing anything wrong, and no court has decided who is right. The lead case is Hines v. Equifax Information Services LLC, No. 1:19-cv-06701, in the federal court in Brooklyn, with Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo overseeing. It also covers three similar cases: Rivera, Oblack and Neubauer. The judge preliminarily approved the deal on August 5, 2026. Because it concerns only disputed hard inquiries, it is separate from Equifax's other class actions, including its data breach cases.

Who qualifies for the Equifax settlement

You have to appear in Equifax's records. The class is people in the U.S. and its territories for whom those records show one of two things:

• Certified Group: you mailed Equifax a dispute of a hard inquiry between October 4, 2016 and March 27, 2026, Equifax coded it "not mine" or "unauthorized," and Equifax sent back a letter saying inquiries are a factual record of file access.
• General Dispute Group: Equifax received a dispute of a hard inquiry from you between August 31, 2021 and March 27, 2026.

New Yorkers in the Certified Group who got that letter between November 27, 2017 and September 10, 2024 also form the New York Subclass, which gets the biggest share. The official FAQ puts the class at about three million people, roughly one million of them in the Certified Group, so most members are in the General Dispute Group. If you received a notice, Equifax's records place you in the class. Our guide to who is eligible for a class action settlement explains the basics.

How much you could get

The $30,000,000 fund pays everyone who files a valid claim, after costs. Class counsel plans to ask the court for $10 million in attorneys' fees, which is a third of the fund and in line with what class action lawyers typically make. They will also seek up to $260,000 in expenses and up to $60,000 in service awards for the four plaintiffs, all subject to the judge's approval. None of the money goes back to Equifax.

What is left is split by points. Certified Group claimants get 3 points, New York Subclass members get 4 and everyone else gets 1. Your payment is your points divided by all claimants' points, so it shrinks if more people file. The estimates below come from class counsel's guess at typical claim rates, and real checks could land above or below them.

How to file the Equifax settlement claim

Filing costs nothing, and you submit the claim yourself on the settlement site run by the administrator, Continental DataLogix. You upload no documents. The form is a sworn statement, so only check what is true for you.

1. Find your notice, mailed or emailed. It carries your unique Claim Number and PIN.
2. Go to EquifaxDisputeClassAction.com and open File A Claim. Type the Claim Number and PIN exactly as printed, complete the "I'm not a robot" check, and follow the three steps.
3. Confirm your contact details and check at least one box: you suffered an economic loss, a loss of privacy or other negative consequences from how Equifax handled your dispute, or you were denied credit and one reason was the disputed inquiry. Then sign under penalty of perjury.
4. Choose how to be paid: electronic payment on the website, or a paper check mailed to the address on your claim.
5. No notice or PIN? Email questions@EquifaxDisputeClassAction.com or call (833) 244-4150 before the deadline; the site says to contact the administrator if you believe you're a class member but got no notice. You can also use the paper claim form, a PDF on the site's Important Documents page: sign it and mail it to Hines v. Equifax, c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 16, West Point, PA 19486, or email it, by November 29, 2026.
6. Keep a copy of what you submit.

Equifax settlement 2026: key dates and deadlines

If you do nothing, you get no money and give up the right to sue Equifax over the claims this settlement resolves. To keep that right you must exclude yourself in writing by November 20, 2026, and your request has to include the unique identifier from your notice. Read how to opt out of a class action settlement first, because excluded people get no payment.

Is the Equifax settlement legit?

Yes. It is a court case with a judge's preliminary approval, and the official site is EquifaxDisputeClassAction.com, run by Continental DataLogix at (833) 244-4150. The class lawyers, Francis Mailman Soumilas, Robert S. Sola, The Adkins Firm and Skaar & Feagle, are paid from the fund if the judge allows it, and you aren't charged for them. The FAQ also says not to contact Equifax or the court with questions; ask the administrator instead.

Look-alike sites and texts tend to appear whenever a settlement makes news. A real class claim never charges a fee to file, and nobody legitimate asks you to pay to receive settlement money. Our guide to spotting settlement scams lists more warning signs.

What happens after you file

Nothing is paid until the judge grants final approval and any appeals end. The hearing is set for December 10, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. before Magistrate Judge Marutollo; the court's order says by Zoom, and the date can move, so watch the site. The settlement agreement then gives the administrator 14 days after the Effective Date to send payments, by check or by the electronic option you chose. For typical waits, see how long a settlement check takes.

Owed can keep the dates straight: it finds settlements you may qualify for, explains each one in plain English, opens the official claim form, reminds you before deadlines and tracks your claim to payout, while you submit the claim yourself. Owed Pro is $2 for the first week, then $49 per year — one flat membership. Owed never takes a percentage of any payout. You can check what you qualify for or browse the open settlements directory.

This is general information, not legal advice. Owed isn't a law firm or a settlement administrator; the court and the administrator decide who qualifies and what each person gets.

Glossary

Hard inquiry

A note on your credit report that a company pulled your file, usually when you applied for credit.

Certified Group

People whose mailed "not mine" or "unauthorized" dispute got the "factual record of file access" reply. Judges had already let their cases proceed as class actions, so they get bigger shares.

Pro rata points

The way the fund is divided: 1 point for the General Dispute Group, 3 for the Certified Group and 4 for the New York Subclass. Your share is your points divided by everyone's.

Effective Date

The date the settlement becomes final: 7 days after the time to appeal passes, or after appeals are decided. Payments follow within 14 days.

Exclusion

A written request to leave the class. You'd get no payment but keep the right to sue Equifax on your own.

FAQ