Panda Express lawsuit: what it claims and who could get paid

What the Panda Express lawsuit claims

The lawsuit is Greer v. Panda Restaurant Group, Inc., a proposed class action filed in Riverside County Superior Court in California on May 6, 2026. Panda Restaurant Group is the California company behind Panda Express. Greer lives in Arizona. She says that on or about March 1, 2026, she paid with her debit card at the Panda Express in Coachella, California, and her electronically printed receipt showed the first six and last four digits of her card number.

Her lawyers argue that ten digits is far more than the law permits and that Panda acted willfully or recklessly. Those are allegations. Panda has not been found to have done anything wrong, no court has ruled on the merits, and the company hasn't answered the complaint in any filing we could review. Its deadline to respond was put on hold while the court decided where the case belongs.

The receipt law behind the Panda Express lawsuit

The claim rests on the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, usually shortened to FACTA. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(g), a business that takes credit or debit cards can't print more than the last five digits of the card number, or the expiration date, on a receipt it gives you. The rule covers electronically printed receipts only; handwritten or imprinted ones are outside it.

For a willful violation, the statute lets a consumer recover actual damages or statutory damages of $100 to $1,000, plus punitive damages and attorney's fees. That per-person range is why receipt cases are filed as class actions. It doesn't mean anyone is owed that amount: nothing has been awarded or agreed here, and class settlements usually pay a fraction of the statutory maximum because the money is shared among many people.

Why the lawsuit says ten digits matters

The complaint spends several pages on why extra digits matter. It notes that FACTA gave merchants until December 4, 2006 at the latest to comply, nearly twenty years ago, and says card networks including Visa and Mastercard separately require receipts to show only the last four digits. On that view, a company of Panda's size can't claim it didn't know the rule.

It also argues that printing ten of 16 digits, about 62.5% of the number, makes it much easier for a thief who finds the receipt to guess the rest and commit fraud. Panda hasn't responded to those arguments in any filing we could review, and no judge has weighed them. They are the plaintiff's side of the story, which is why this article calls them allegations throughout.

Who could be in the proposed class

Greer wants to represent everyone in the United States who used a credit or debit card at any Panda restaurant at a time when its payment systems printed more than the last five digits on the receipt, within two years before the complaint was filed. That is a proposal, not a ruling. A judge has not certified any class, so nobody is officially "in" it yet, and there is nothing to sign up for.

If the case settles or a class is certified, the court would order notice to people who fit the definition, usually by email or mail. Until then, ignore any website or message offering to file a "Panda Express lawsuit claim" for a fee. Our guide to spotting settlement scams explains why.

Where the Panda Express case stands

The case took a detour. Panda moved it from state court to federal court, and Greer asked the federal judge to send it back. The judge agreed. Greer's request for attorneys' fees and costs was denied.

What could happen next, and how long it takes

From here, Panda has to respond in state court. It could answer the complaint, ask the judge to dismiss it, or negotiate. If the case survives, the plaintiff would then have to persuade the judge to certify a class. Defendants in receipt cases often argue that showing extra digits didn't actually harm the customer, and courts haven't all agreed on that, so a dismissal is a real possibility.

If the case does settle, it usually takes one to several years from filing, and many never get that far. Our explainers on how a class action lawsuit works and what happens after a class action is certified walk through the stages.

What you can do now

Right now, nothing needs filing, and Owed's Panda Express page will show any update. If you've paid with a card at Panda Express in the last couple of years and kept your receipts, hold on to them, because a settlement could ask which restaurant and date. Check one: if a receipt shows more than the last five digits of your card number, that's the kind of receipt the lawsuit is about.

To avoid missing a settlement, get alerts on cases you could be part of. Our guide on how to get notified of class action settlements lists the options, and you can browse open cases in the settlements directory. Owed tracks open cases, explains them in plain English and reminds you before deadlines. Owed Pro is $2 for the first week, then $49 per year — one flat membership. Owed never takes a percentage of any payout. See which settlements match you.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Only a court can decide whether anyone is owed money in this case.

Glossary

FACTA

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, a federal law that limits how much of a card number can appear on a receipt.

Remand

A federal court sending a case back to the state court where it started.

Proposed class

The group of people a plaintiff wants to represent. It becomes a real class only if a judge certifies it.

Statutory damages

A set amount the law allows per person, here $100 to $1,000 for a willful violation, without proving a specific dollar loss.

Willful violation

Breaking the law knowingly or with reckless disregard of what it requires. The FACTA damages range applies to willful violations.

FAQ