To file your claim in the Target Washington Job Posting Pay Transparency Settlement, go to epoasettlement-jan-02-2026.com/form/claim, enter the Notice ID and PIN from the settlement notice mailed to you, complete the form, and submit it before the March 31, 2026 deadline. If your claim is approved, you could receive up to $1,711.93, depending on how many people file. The entire process takes just a few minutes online, and you do not need a lawyer to participate. This settlement, formally known as *Brinkman v.
Target Corporation*, resolves allegations that Target failed to include salary ranges and benefits descriptions in job postings visible to Washington State applicants, a requirement under the state’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act. The total settlement fund is up to $2.225 million, with a guaranteed minimum of $1,463,183.85. Target denies any wrongdoing but agreed to settle rather than continue litigation. If you applied for a job at Target in Washington between January 1, 2023, and July 26, 2025, you are likely eligible. This article walks through every step of the online filing process, explains what to do if you lost your notice, covers the option to file by mail, and breaks down important deadlines you cannot afford to miss.
Table of Contents
- How Do You File the Target Pay Transparency Settlement Claim Online Step by Step?
- Who Is Eligible for the Target Washington EPOA Settlement and Who Is Not?
- What Happens If You Lost Your Settlement Notice ID and PIN?
- Filing by Mail vs. Filing Online — Which Option Makes More Sense?
- Critical Deadlines and What Happens If You Miss Them
- Why This Settlement Exists — Washington’s Pay Transparency Law Explained
- What This Settlement Means for Future Pay Transparency Cases
- Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You File the Target Pay Transparency Settlement Claim Online Step by Step?
The online claim process is straightforward, but you need one thing before you start: the physical settlement notice that was mailed to you. That notice contains your unique Notice ID and PIN, which are required to access the claim form. Without these two pieces of information, the website will not let you proceed. So before you sit down to file, find that notice. Check your mail from early 2026, and look for correspondence referencing Brinkman v. target Corporation or the EPOA Settlement. Once you have your Notice ID and PIN in hand, visit the official settlement website at epoasettlement-jan-02-2026.com.
Navigate to the claim form page at epoasettlement-jan-02-2026.com/form/claim. Enter your Notice ID and PIN in the fields provided. The form will pull up your information, and you will be asked to verify your details and confirm your eligibility. After reviewing everything, submit the form. You should receive a confirmation that your claim has been filed. The whole process typically takes under five minutes, which is considerably faster than the mail-in alternative. For comparison, filing by mail requires you to download a PDF, print it, fill it out, and send it to a P.O. Box in Santa Ana, California, adding days or weeks of processing time.
Who Is Eligible for the Target Washington EPOA Settlement and Who Is Not?
Eligibility is limited to people who applied for a Target job in Washington State between January 1, 2023, and July 26, 2025. This covers the period after Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act took effect and required employers to include wage scales, salary ranges, and benefits descriptions in their job postings. If you applied for a position at any Target location in Washington during that window, whether in-store, at a distribution center, or through Target’s online application portal for a Washington-based role, you should have received a settlement notice. However, if you applied for a Target job in another state during that same period, you are not covered by this settlement.
The EPOA is a Washington state law, and this case specifically addresses job postings that were accessible to Washington applicants. Additionally, if you applied before January 1, 2023, you fall outside the class period, since the law had not yet taken effect. One important nuance: you do not need to have been hired by Target to be eligible. The violation at issue is the content of the job posting itself, not whether you got the job. Even if you applied and never heard back, you may still qualify.
What Happens If You Lost Your Settlement Notice ID and PIN?
A common problem with class action settlements is that people throw away what looks like junk mail before realizing it contains claim information. If you believe you are eligible but cannot find your Notice ID and PIN, you have two options for getting help. First, you can email the settlement administratorsettlement administrator[contact via the official settlement website] and request your credentials. Include your full name and any details that might help them locate your record, such as the approximate date you applied to Target and the Washington location involved. Second, you can call the settlement hotline at 833-647-9003 and speak with someone who can look up your information.
Do not wait until the last week before the deadline to track down your Notice ID. Settlement administrators handle a surge of inquiries as deadlines approach, and response times slow down considerably. If you think you might be eligible but never received a notice at all, it is still worth reaching out. There are cases where notices are sent to outdated addresses, and the administrator may be able to verify your eligibility and issue new credentials. Acting early gives you a buffer in case there are complications.
Filing by Mail vs. Filing Online — Which Option Makes More Sense?
You have two ways to submit your claim: online or by mail. The online method, through epoasettlement-jan-02-2026.com/form/claim, is faster, gives you instant confirmation, and eliminates the risk of your paperwork getting lost in transit. For most people, this is the obvious choice. You enter your Notice ID and PIN, verify your information, and you are done. The mail-in option requires downloading the PDF claim form from the settlement website, printing it out, completing it by hand, and mailing it to: Brinkman v.
Target Corp., c/o Simpluris, P.O. Box 26170, Santa Ana, CA 92799. The form must be postmarked by March 31, 2026. The risk here is that handwritten forms can be harder to process, and postal delays could cause your claim to arrive late. If you do choose to mail your claim, send it with tracking or delivery confirmation so you have proof it was sent before the deadline. One scenario where mail might make sense is if you have trouble accessing the website due to technical issues, but even then, contacting the administrator by phone or email to troubleshoot your online access is probably a better first step.
Critical Deadlines and What Happens If You Miss Them
The single most important date in this settlement is March 31, 2026. That is the deadline to file a claim, request exclusion from the settlement, or file an objection. If you do nothing by that date, you will receive no payment and will still be bound by the settlement’s terms, meaning you give up your right to sue Target separately over this issue. There is no extension process for individual claimants who simply forgot. The final approval hearing is scheduled for May 5, 2026. At that hearing, the court will review the settlement terms, consider any objections, and decide whether to grant final approval.
Assuming the settlement is approved, checks will be mailed to eligible claimants afterward. Once you receive your check, you must cash it within 180 days. Uncashed checks result in forfeited payments. This is a detail people routinely overlook — they wait for the check, set it aside, and forget about it. Mark your calendar for when you receive it and deposit it promptly. If 180 days pass and the check is uncashed, the funds typically revert to the settlement fund or are distributed according to the court’s instructions, and you will not get a replacement.
Why This Settlement Exists — Washington’s Pay Transparency Law Explained
Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, which took effect on January 1, 2023, requires employers with 15 or more employees to disclose wage scales or salary ranges and a general description of benefits in every job posting. The law was designed to address pay inequity by giving applicants upfront information about compensation before they invest time in the application process. The allegation in *Brinkman v.
Target Corporation* is that Target’s job postings accessible to Washington applicants did not include this required information during the class period. In 2025, Washington amended the EPOA to include a grace period that allows employers to cure non-compliant postings before facing legal liability. This amendment does not affect the current settlement, which covers conduct that occurred before the amendment took effect. But it does signal that future cases of this type may be harder to bring, since employers will have a chance to fix their postings before a lawsuit can proceed.
What This Settlement Means for Future Pay Transparency Cases
The Target settlement is part of a broader wave of litigation under state pay transparency laws. Washington, Colorado, California, and New York have all enacted similar requirements, and employers that operate across state lines have struggled to keep their job postings compliant in every jurisdiction. The $2.225 million fund in this case is relatively modest for a company of Target’s size, but it sends a clear message that noncompliance has financial consequences.
For job applicants, settlements like this reinforce the value of paying attention to class action notices. A few minutes of effort to file a claim could mean a payment of over $1,700. For employers, the case is a reminder that pay transparency laws have teeth, even with the grace period amendments that some states are now adopting. The trend toward salary disclosure in job postings is not slowing down, and the legal framework supporting it continues to evolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money will I receive from the Target pay transparency settlement?
The estimated payout is up to $1,711.93 per eligible claimant. The actual amount depends on how many valid claims are filed. The total fund is up to $2.225 million with a guaranteed minimum of $1,463,183.85.
What if I applied for a Target job online but live outside Washington?
Eligibility is based on applying for a job in Washington State, not where you live. If the position you applied for was located in Washington and accessible to Washington applicants, you may be eligible. Contact the settlement administrator to confirm.
Do I need a lawyer to file a claim?
No. The claim form is designed for individuals to complete on their own. You simply need your Notice ID and PIN from your mailed settlement notice. The online form takes a few minutes to complete.
What happens if I do nothing and don’t file a claim?
You will receive no payment, but you will still be bound by the settlement terms. This means you give up your right to sue Target individually over this specific issue. Filing takes minutes and costs nothing, so there is little reason not to submit a claim.
Can I opt out of the settlement instead of filing a claim?
Yes. The deadline to request exclusion is also March 31, 2026. Opting out preserves your right to pursue your own legal action against Target, but you will not receive any payment from this settlement. Most claimants will find filing a claim to be the more practical option unless they have significant individual damages.
How long after the deadline will I receive my payment?
The final approval hearing is May 5, 2026. Assuming the court approves the settlement, checks will be mailed after that date. You must cash your check within 180 days of receiving it or the funds will be forfeited.
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