Before filing a claim in the ZOA Energy settlement, you need to decide one thing: do you have proof of purchase or not? That single question determines whether your household can recover up to $10 or up to $150. If you kept receipts, online order confirmations, or any records showing you bought ZOA Energy drinks between March 1, 2021 and November 21, 2025, gather those documents before you start the claim form. If you tossed your receipts long ago, you can still file without any proof — but the payout is capped at $10 per household. This settlement stems from *Mikhail Gershzon v. ZOA Energy, LLC*, Case No.
3:23-cv-5444-JD, filed in the Northern District of California. The lawsuit alleged that ZOA Energy drinks were labeled “0 Preservatives” despite containing citric acid and ascorbic acid, both of which can function as preservatives. ZOA agreed to a $3,000,000 settlement fund without admitting wrongdoing. It is important to note that the claim filing deadline of February 20, 2026 has already passed, so this article now serves as a reference for those who already filed or want to understand the process for similar settlements going forward. Below, we break down exactly what documentation you needed, how the two claim tiers worked, and what happens next with the Final Approval Hearing scheduled for March 26, 2026.
Table of Contents
- What Documents Should You Gather for the ZOA Energy Settlement Claim Form?
- Who Was Eligible to File a ZOA Energy Settlement Claim?
- How the Two-Tier Claim Structure Worked
- Step-by-Step Filing Process and Submission Options
- What Could Reduce Your Payout and Common Pitfalls
- Key Deadlines and the Final Approval Hearing
- Lessons for Future Class Action Claim Filings
What Documents Should You Gather for the ZOA Energy Settlement Claim Form?
The claim form for the ZOA Energy settlement offered two paths. The first required no proof of purchase at all — you simply attested under penalty of perjury that you bought ZOA Energy drinks labeled “0 Preservatives” during the class period. Under this option, you could claim $1 per can, up to $10 per household. The second path required documentary evidence of your purchases, which could include store receipts, online order confirmations from retailers like Amazon or Walmart, bank or credit card statements showing ZOA purchases, or loyalty program records.
With valid proof, the per-can rate stayed at $1, but the household cap jumped to $150. For someone who bought a case of 12 cans from a grocery store and kept the receipt, that single receipt could support a $12 claim. If you had multiple receipts spanning years of purchases, you could stack them up to the $150 ceiling. The key distinction is that the settlement administrator, Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, had discretion to verify documentation, so vague or illegible records could result in a reduced payout. A clear photo or scan of a dated receipt showing “ZOA” in the item description was the gold standard.
Who Was Eligible to File a ZOA Energy Settlement Claim?
Eligibility was limited to U.S. residents who purchased any ZOA Energy drink bearing the “0 Preservatives” label between March 1, 2021 and November 21, 2025. The drinks had to be purchased for personal consumption, not for resale or commercial distribution. So if you ran a convenience store and stocked ZOA on your shelves, those purchases did not qualify — only cans you personally drank or bought for your household counted.
However, if you bought ZOA during that period but the specific product you purchased did not carry the “0 Preservatives” label, your claim could have been denied. Not every ZOA product necessarily bore that language on its packaging throughout the entire class period. This is a subtlety that many claimants overlook in food labeling settlements: the class definition is tied to the specific marketing claim at issue, not just the brand name. If you were unsure whether your particular ZOA product had the “0 Preservatives” label, checking photos of the packaging or your purchase history for the exact product variant would have been a prudent step before filing.
How the Two-Tier Claim Structure Worked
The ZOA settlement’s two-tier system is a common feature in consumer class actions, but the gap between tiers here was especially significant. Without proof, a household maxed out at $10. With proof, that ceiling was fifteen times higher at $150. That is one of the wider gaps you will see in food and beverage mislabeling cases, where the no-proof tier often caps out at $20 or $30.
Consider a practical example: a household that regularly purchased ZOA Energy in bulk from Costco over two years might have spent $300 or more on the product. Even with receipts documenting every purchase, the settlement only returned $150 at most — roughly 50 cents on the dollar in that scenario. Meanwhile, a casual buyer who grabbed one can at a gas station and had no receipt could still claim $1 with a simple attestation. This structure incentivized claimants to dig through their records, but it also acknowledged the reality that most people do not keep receipts for individual beverage purchases spanning a five-year window.
Step-by-Step Filing Process and Submission Options
Claimants had two ways to submit: online at www.ZOASettlement.com or by printing the claim form and mailing it to Gershzon v. ZOA Energy, LLC, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391. The online form was the faster and more convenient route, as it allowed you to upload scanned receipts or photos of proof of purchase directly. Mailing required printing, filling out the form by hand, attaching physical copies of documentation, and ensuring everything was postmarked by the February 20, 2026 deadline.
The tradeoff between online and mail filing was straightforward. Online submissions gave you an instant confirmation and a digital record that your claim was received. Mail submissions carried the risk of postal delays, lost documents, or illegible handwriting causing processing issues. For those who preferred phone assistance, a settlement hotline was available at (833) 890-6436, though phone representatives could answer questions but could not file claims on your behalf. For future settlements of this kind, filing online on the first day the portal opens is almost always the safest approach.
What Could Reduce Your Payout and Common Pitfalls
Even if you filed a valid claim with solid documentation, your actual payment may be less than expected. The settlement terms stated that payments could be reduced proportionally if total claims exceeded the available $3,000,000 fund. In high-profile consumer settlements — and ZOA’s association with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson gave this case significant media coverage — a large number of claims can dilute individual payouts substantially. If, hypothetically, the total approved claims added up to $6 million, every claimant would receive roughly half of their approved amount.
Another limitation worth noting: each household was limited to one claim, regardless of how many people in that household purchased ZOA drinks. Two roommates who each bought ZOA independently could not file separate claims if they shared an address. Additionally, any checks issued to claimants that go uncashed for 180 days will not simply be reissued — those funds will instead be donated to the Clean Label Project, a nonprofit focused on product testing and labeling transparency. So once checks are mailed, claimants will need to deposit them promptly or lose their recovery entirely.
Key Deadlines and the Final Approval Hearing
The claim submission deadline was February 20, 2026, and that date has now passed. The opt-out and objection deadlines were even earlier, on February 13, 2026. For anyone who missed these dates, there is generally no mechanism to submit a late claim unless a court grants an extension, which is rare in settlements of this size. The Final Approval Hearing is scheduled for March 26, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.
At the San Francisco Courthouse. At that hearing, the judge will review whether the settlement is fair, adequate, and reasonable, consider any objections filed by class members, and approve attorney fees. If the court grants final approval, Kroll Settlement Administration will begin processing claims and mailing checks. Based on typical timelines in similar cases, claimants who filed valid claims could expect to receive payment within three to six months after final approval, though delays are common.
Lessons for Future Class Action Claim Filings
The ZOA Energy settlement is a useful case study for anyone who wants to be better prepared for the next consumer class action. The single most valuable habit is saving digital copies of receipts for products you buy regularly. Many grocery and retail apps — including those from Target, Walmart, Kroger, and Amazon — automatically store purchase histories that can serve as proof of purchase in settlements like this one.
Going forward, watch for similar lawsuits targeting food and beverage labeling claims. “Natural,” “no artificial ingredients,” and “0 preservatives” are among the most frequently challenged marketing claims in the class action space. When a settlement is announced for a product you have purchased, acting quickly and gathering documentation immediately gives you the best chance at the highest tier of recovery.