The Equifax $100 million settlement has preliminary approval since Aug. 17, 2026. The court set the final fairness hearing for Jan.
22, 2027, with claims due Dec. 28, 2026. The deal would resolve claims that a 2022 coding error sent wrong Equifax scores to lenders. Preliminary approval is an early court step that allows notice and claims while the judge still weighs final approval.
Official resources:
- Read the original report from Creditandcollectionnews — Use this primary source to review the complete report.
- Read the official notice from Ginsburglawgroup — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
Table of Contents
- What does preliminary approval do?
- Are you in the covered group?
- How and when do you file?
- How much could you receive?
- What happens at the final hearing?
What does preliminary approval do?
Gibbs Mura via Business Wire reported that U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May granted preliminary approval on Aug. 17, 2026 in the Northern District of Georgia court approval announcement. The case is In re: Equifax Fair Credit Reporting Act Litigation, No. 1:22-cv-03072.
Plaintiffs had moved for approval on Aug. 12, 2026. Equifax denies wrongdoing and any Fair Credit Reporting Act violation. The Fair Credit Reporting Act is the federal law that sets accuracy duties for credit bureaus. Preliminary approval therefore starts notice and claims but does not rule on liability.
Are you in the covered group?
The error lasted about three weeks, March 17 to April 8, 2022. Some scores sent to lenders during that window differed from corrected calculations. About 4 million U.S.
consumers fall in the estimated group. Coverage turns on what was sent, not whether you noticed a problem. Equifax's internal OMS analysis identifies accounts where the furnished value differed.
- U.S. consumer with an Equifax credit file
- Score or attribute sent to a lender or other third party March 17 to April 8, 2022
- OMS analysis shows the sent value differed from the corrected value
How and when do you file?
Fast Company reported that class members must submit a valid claim online or postmarked by Dec. 28, 2026 through the official settlement site payment claim deadline report.
A late or invalid form will not qualify. The court will not pay anyone before final approval.
- Confirm a third-party pull of your Equifax file in the March-April 2022 window
- File one valid claim through the official site
- File online or mail early enough for a Dec. 28, 2026 postmark
How much could you receive?
NewsNation reporting carried by WCIA puts current estimates at roughly $95 to $280 per claimant national payment estimate coverage. The final amount varies with the number of valid claims. A higher claim count lowers each share, while a lower count raises it.
No money is guaranteed until final approval. An approved claimant with a valid form still waits for the judge's final decision and any appeals. Do not count the payment as certain income.
What happens at the final hearing?
Credit and Collection News reported that the court set the final fairness hearing for Jan. 22, 2027 after the Aug. 12, 2026 motion settlement timeline report. The judge will then decide whether the $100 million terms are fair and final.
That decision controls whether checks go out. Calendar Dec. 28, 2026 to file and Jan. 22, 2027 for the court's decision. File before the deadline if the OMS test fits your account.