How to claim the Equifax settlement (Up to $400) before Nov 29, 2026

Equifax agreed to a $30 million fund to resolve four lawsuits alleging it did not reasonably investigate consumer disputes of hard inquiries on their credit files, or remove the disputed inquiries, as the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires. Equifax denies the claims.

The case is Hines v. Equifax Information Services LLC (No. 1:19-cv-06701) in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York.

A court-appointed administrator runs the claim process and sends the payments. SettleClub is not affiliated with the administrator or with Equifax.

U.S. residents whose dispute of one or more hard inquiries was received by Equifax between August 31, 2021 and March 27, 2026 (the general group), or who mailed an inquiry dispute between October 4, 2016 and March 27, 2026 that Equifax coded as 'not mine' or 'unauthorized' and answered with a letter saying inquiries are a factual record of file access (the certified group). New York residents in the certified group form a subclass that receives a higher payment.

The class period is Disputes received Aug 31, 2021 to Mar 27, 2026 (general group); Oct 4, 2016 to Mar 27, 2026 (certified group). If your purchase, account or visit falls outside those dates, you are not part of this settlement even if everything else fits.

Class counsel estimates about $100 to $400 per person from a fund of $30,000,000.

Treat the figure as a projection, not a promise. The settlement fund is split among everyone who files a valid claim, after attorneys' fees, administration costs and any service awards approved by the court. More claims means smaller checks; fewer claims means bigger ones.

No documents. Class members were identified from Equifax's records and mailed a notice with a claim number and PIN. The administrator estimates about $100 for the general group, about $300 for the certified group and about $400 for the New York subclass, based on typical claim rates. Actual amounts may be higher or lower.

You sign the claim form under penalty of perjury, so only file if you genuinely fit the class definition above. That is the whole requirement.

Submit a claim form online using the claim number and PIN from your notice by November 29, 2026. You can choose electronic payment or a mailed check. The opt-out and objection deadline is November 20, 2026, and the final approval hearing is December 10, 2026.

The deadline is Nov 29, 2026. Filing takes a few minutes online. Keep the confirmation number the administrator gives you; it is the only proof you filed.

The court holds its final approval hearing on Dec 10, 2026. Payments go out after the judge approves the settlement and any appeals are resolved, which typically takes a few months.

Track this claim in SettleClub and you will get a reminder before the deadline and a nudge when payments start going out.