About 3,505 people who applied for Washington jobs at Mercurys Coffee Co. through postings that left out pay or benefits will be sent an estimated $73.31 each, with no claim form — and October 21, 2026 is the one date that matters if you want that money by PayPal or Venmo instead of a paper check. The same date is the deadline to opt out or object. The payment itself still depends on the court granting final approval in January.
Status: Preliminarily approved August 10, 2026; pending final approval | No claim form — payment is automatic | Opt out, object or choose PayPal/Venmo by October 21, 2026 | Estimated $73.31 each
The Job Postings Behind the Case
Since January 1, 2023, Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act has required employers with 15 or more employees to include a wage scale or salary range and a general description of benefits in their job postings. The plaintiff in Mitchell v. Mercurys Madness Inc., No. 25-2-18461-7 SEA, filed in King County Superior Court in June 2025, alleged that Mercurys Madness Inc., the company behind the Eastside coffee chain Mercurys Coffee Co., posted Washington openings without that information.
Mercurys denies it did anything wrong or can be held liable, and the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing. The court has not decided the merits. Judge Janet Helson preliminarily approved the settlement on August 10, 2026, and the administrator, Simpluris, has sent notices and opened the official website.
Are You in the Class?
The class is everyone who, from January 1, 2023 through August 10, 2026, applied for a job opening in Washington with Mercurys Madness Inc. where the posting did not disclose a wage scale or salary range, a general description of benefits and other compensation, or both. Mercurys represented in the settlement agreement that 3,505 people fit that definition.
Class members were identified from Mercurys’ application records and should have received a notice. If you believe you were left off, raise it with the administrator. Mercurys’ records control unless you can show documentation that you should have been included.
Check or PayPal/Venmo: The October 21 Choice
Payments go out as paper checks by default. To switch to PayPal or Venmo, or to update a mailing address, use the Address Update/Payment Selection form on the official Mercurys Madness settlement website with the Login ID and PIN printed on your notice. The digital-payment choice must be made by October 21, 2026; the notice gives no time of day or time zone for that online deadline. If you cannot find your Login ID and PIN, you can request them from the administrator through the website.
If a check is fine, no deadline applies to you at all, as long as the administrator has a mailing address that will reach you. The Login ID and PIN are not needed to be paid by check.
There is one catch with PayPal. Under the settlement agreement, PayPal payments that go unclaimed expire after 30 days. A class member can ask the administrator to resend the money electronically or by check at any time during the 180-day cashing period. Money still unclaimed after that is sent to the State of Washington’s unclaimed property program in the class member’s name.
Why the Estimate Is $73, Not $5,000
The complaint sought $5,000 in statutory damages per applicant. The settlement fund is $450,000, paid by Mercurys’ insurer, Hartford Underwriters Insurance Company. According to the settlement agreement, that figure is based on the company’s $500,000 employment practices liability policy limit minus estimated defense costs — the insurance, in effect, set the size of the deal.
Before anything is divided, the fund pays:
| Attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses | $150,000 (about one-third of the fund) |
| Service award to the named plaintiff | $15,000 |
| Administration costs | Capped at $30,000 |
All three are subject to court approval. What remains is split equally among class members who do not opt out; there are no tiers. The notice estimates each share at $73.31.
The final figure could edge up. Unused administration money goes back to class members, the shares of anyone who opts out are reallocated to everyone else, and any portion of the fees or service award the court declines to approve is added to the class fund.
Opting Out or Objecting
Opting out keeps your right to sue Mercurys separately over the same postings, but you receive no payment. Mail a signed exclusion request to the administrator, postmarked by October 21, 2026, with your full name, address and a statement that you want to be excluded. Exclusions by phone or email are not accepted.
To object instead, stay in the class and file a written objection with the court by October 21, 2026, sending copies to the lawyers for both sides. The notice lists everything an objection must include.
What Could Still Change
The final approval hearing is set for January 8, 2027 at 8:30 a.m. before Judge Helson in Seattle, with a Zoom option. The date can move, and any change will be posted on the settlement website. The agreement also lets Mercurys void the deal if more than 10% of class members opt out. If the settlement is voided or not approved, no payments are made and the case returns to where it stood before the agreement.
If approval is granted and there is no appeal, the agreement’s timetable has the settlement take effect 31 days after the final approval order, the insurer fund it within 30 days after that, and the administrator send payments within 14 days of funding. Checks must be cashed within 180 days. No payment date had been announced as of September 29, 2026. OpenClassActions.com tracks the case on its Mercurys Coffee Washington job postings settlement page, alongside its Washington job posting settlements tracker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to file a claim in the Mercurys Coffee settlement?
No. Class members are identified from Mercurys’ application records, and anyone who does not opt out is sent a payment if the court grants final approval. Payment is by paper check unless you choose PayPal or Venmo online by October 21, 2026.
How much will each applicant get?
The notice estimates $73.31 per class member, an equal share of what remains of the $450,000 fund after court-approved fees, costs, the service award and administration costs.
Why is the payment so much lower than the $5,000 the lawsuit sought?
The settlement agreement says the $450,000 fund reflects Mercurys’ $500,000 employment practices liability policy limit minus estimated defense costs. The insurer is paying the fund.
What do I need the Login ID and PIN for?
Only to switch from a paper check to PayPal or Venmo, or to update your mailing address on the settlement website. You do not need them to be paid by check.
What if I choose PayPal and miss the payment?
Unclaimed PayPal payments expire after 30 days, but you can ask the administrator to resend the money electronically or by check during the 180-day cashing period. After that, unclaimed money goes to Washington’s unclaimed property program in your name.
Could the Mercurys settlement fall apart?
Yes. The court must still grant final approval at the January 8, 2027 hearing, and Mercurys can void the deal if more than 10% of class members opt out. If either happens, no payments are made.
Sources
- Official settlement website, FAQs, deadlines, hearing details and payment selection — EPOA Settlement MMI, administered by Simpluris, Inc.
- Court-approved Notice of Class Action Settlement, Settlement Agreement and Class Action Complaint (filed June 23, 2025) in Mitchell v. Mercurys Madness Inc., No. 25-2-18461-7 SEA, King County Superior Court, Washington.
- OpenClassActions.com — Mercurys Coffee Washington Job Postings Settlement.
Source and credit: the settlement terms, deadlines and benefit details described above are drawn from our sister site’s reporting — OpenClassActions.com: Mercurys Coffee WA Job Postings Settlement — Estimated $73 Each — which tracks this case against the court-approved notice and the official settlement website and is updated as the court rules.
Legal Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. OpenClassActions.org is a consumer news site, not a law firm and not the settlement administrator, and is not affiliated with any party to the case described. The allegations are allegations; unless a court has ruled, the defendants deny wrongdoing and no court has decided the merits. Deadlines, benefit amounts and payment timing can change as the court and the administrator act, so confirm current status on the official settlement website. You never need to pay anyone to file a claim or to receive a settlement payment.