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Guide · 6 min read

Data breach settlement: how to claim

If a company lost your personal information, you may be owed money even if nobody stole from you. Data breach settlements are some of the most common class actions, and many pay out without any receipts. Here is how they work and how to file a strong claim.

Step 1: Confirm you are in the class

Most data breach classes are defined as people whose information was involved in a specific incident, and the company usually sent a breach notification letter months earlier. Search your mail and email for the company name plus "notice of data incident" or "data security incident." The settlement notice may include a Class Member ID that pre-fills your claim. If you never got a letter but believe your data was included, read the class definition on the official site; some settlements let you file and the administrator checks you against the list.

Step 2: Understand the benefit options

Data breach settlements usually offer some mix of these, and you can often claim more than one:

• Documented losses. Reimbursement for money you lost because of the breach: fraud charges not reimbursed by your bank, credit freeze fees, postage, phone calls, professional fees. Caps are often a few thousand dollars and sometimes much higher for identity theft. Requires proof.
• Lost time. Payment for hours you spent dealing with the breach, such as changing passwords or reviewing statements, commonly at a set hourly rate for a few hours. Usually you just describe what you did.
• Alternative cash payment. A flat amount for anyone in the class, no proof needed. These are paid from what is left in the fund, so they are often prorated and can be lower than the headline number.
• Credit or identity monitoring. One to several years of free monitoring, sometimes with identity theft insurance.

Step 3: Gather proof if you had real losses

If you claim documented losses, attach what shows the cost and the date: bank or card statements, receipts for a credit freeze or monitoring you paid for, and records of fraud. Losses usually must have happened after the breach and be "fairly traceable" to it. A short timeline (when you got the letter, what happened, what it cost) helps the administrator approve it.

Step 4: File on the official site before the deadline

1. Go to the website named in the notice and confirm the case name and administrator.
2. Enter your Class Member ID if you have one, or your name and address at the time of the breach.
3. Pick your benefits. If you had no losses, the flat cash payment plus monitoring is the usual choice.
4. Upload documents for any loss claim.
5. Choose a payment method (often PayPal, Venmo, virtual card, or check) and save your confirmation.

Open data breach and privacy settlements

• Lands’ End - Data Breach $60 - $5,000 · by Oct 22
• Equinox - Data Breach $100 - $5,000 · by Oct 23
• TED Foundation - Data Privacy $5 · by Oct 26
• FinWise Bank - Data Breach Up to $5,000 · by Oct 29
• LiveHealth - Data Privacy $51.14 - $102.29 · by Oct 30
• University of Phoenix - Data Privacy $25 · by Nov 5
• SitusAMC Holdings Corporation - Data Breach $75 - $5,000 · by Nov 6
• CVS - Data Privacy $5 - $10 · by Nov 16
• MDLIVE - Data Privacy $15 · by Dec 1
• American Medical Collection Agency - Data Breach $50 - $5,000 · by Jan 4

Watch out for breach settlement scams

Scammers copy real breach settlements. The official site never charges a fee and never needs your bank password. Be careful with any site that asks for your full Social Security number on a small claim; many legitimate breach forms ask only for your Class Member ID, contact info, and payment choice. Run through our legit checks if anything feels off.

After you file

Payment comes only after final approval and any appeals. Breach settlements often take six months to over a year from the deadline. See when settlement checks arrive. Wondering about taxes on what you get? Reimbursement for losses and flat cash are treated differently; see are settlements taxable.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my data was in a breach?

Companies usually mail or email a breach notification letter. You can also check the official settlement website's class definition, and many state attorneys general publish breach notices.

How much is a data breach settlement payout?

Most offer a choice: reimbursement for documented losses (often up to a few thousand dollars), payment for lost time at an hourly rate, or a smaller flat cash payment, plus free credit monitoring. Flat payments are often prorated, so they can end up lower than listed.

Do I need proof for a data breach claim?

Not for the flat cash or credit monitoring options in most settlements. You need receipts or statements for documented out-of-pocket losses, and some lost-time claims require a short written explanation.

Should I choose credit monitoring or cash?

If you do not already have monitoring, the free service can be worth more than a prorated cash payment. Many settlements let you claim monitoring and a loss reimbursement together; read the claim form options.