Brigit Lawsuit, Cash Advance App Accused of Illegal Automatic Renewals, What Happened, Who Qualifies, and What to Do Now

A new class action lawsuit filed in February 2026 accuses Brigit — a popular cash advance app — of illegally charging users recurring subscription fees without proper consent, making it nearly impossible to cancel, and targeting financially vulnerable consumers who could least afford the extra charges. This is the second major legal action against Brigit in three years. The FTC already forced the company to pay $18 million in 2023 — and now a federal class action says the same conduct is still happening. Here is everything you need to know.

Case Facts at a Glance

Detail	Information
Case Name	Waller v. Bridge It Inc. d/b/a Brigit
Case Number	1:26-cv-00206-ELR
Court	U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia
Filed	February 2026
Plaintiff	Wilfreda Waller
Defendant	Bridge It Inc. d/b/a Brigit
Prior FTC Settlement	$18 million (2023)
FTC Refunds Sent	$17 million to 1,818,930 consumers (November 2024)
Current Status	Active — no settlement yet
Claim Portal	None — lawsuit is pending

What Is Brigit and What Does It Do?

Brigit is a personal finance app marketed to people who live paycheck to paycheck. Brigit offers a free version that alerts people when their account balance is low, but it was Brigit’s “Plus” plan that caught the eye of many consumers.

The “Plus” membership costs $9.99 per month, which the company debited directly from consumers’ bank accounts and automatically renewed until the person canceled. The main selling point was the ability to get a $250 cash advance instantly, whenever needed, with no hidden fees.

The problem, according to both the FTC and the new class action lawsuit, is that the app did not deliver what it promised — and made it extremely difficult for users to stop paying.

What the New 2026 Class Action Alleges

Who Filed It

Plaintiff Wilfreda Waller filed the class action lawsuit against Bridge It Inc., doing business as Brigit, in Georgia federal court. Brigit is accused of using unlawful automatic renewal practices and manipulative app design tactics to repeatedly charge financially vulnerable consumers without their knowledge or permission.

What Happened to the Plaintiff

Waller claims her credit union account was charged multiple times in December 2024 and January 2025 without her awareness. Several of the charges allegedly triggered insufficient funds fees of $35 per transaction, ultimately leading her credit union to close her account.

The plaintiff explains she did not discover the charges until reviewing her bank statements and says she never affirmatively agreed to repeated automatic renewals.

The Core Legal Allegations

Waller alleges Brigit violated state and federal consumer protection laws by enrolling users in paid monthly memberships that automatically renewed without clear disclosure or meaningful consent. According to the class action lawsuit, Brigit debits subscription fees directly from users’ bank or credit union accounts and continues charging them until they successfully cancel — a process the lawsuit claims is intentionally confusing and difficult.

The “Dark Patterns” Allegation

This is where the lawsuit gets specific. While Brigit advertises that users can cancel memberships “anytime,” Waller claims the company conceals critical cancellation terms and uses interface designs that discourage or delay cancellation. The class action lawsuit describes these tactics as “dark patterns” — a term used to describe user interface designs that manipulate consumers into taking actions they would not otherwise choose.

Dark patterns in subscription apps typically include hiding the cancel button deep in settings menus, presenting multiple “are you sure?” screens before allowing cancellation, offering discounts or alternatives designed to delay the process, and requiring users to complete surveys before accessing the cancel option.

Why This Lawsuit Matters — Brigit Already Paid $18 Million Once

The 2026 class action is not the first time Brigit has faced these exact accusations. The FTC investigated the company and took formal legal action in 2023. The outcome was significant.

The Federal Trade Commission took action against personal finance app provider Brigit, alleging that its promises of “instant” cash advances of up to $250 for people living paycheck-to-paycheck were deceptive and that the company locked consumers into a $9.99 monthly membership they couldn’t cancel. Brigit agreed to settle the FTC’s charges, resulting in a proposed court order requiring the company to pay $18 million in consumer refunds, stop its deceptive marketing promises, and end tactics that prevented customers from canceling.

The FTC sent payments to 1,818,930 Brigit members who paid for instant cash advances. Consumers who were eligible received an email between November 4 and November 15, 2024, with PayPal payments sent starting November 18, 2024.

The new 2026 class action directly references this history. The lawsuit also references prior regulatory scrutiny of Brigit, including enforcement actions related to similar subscription and marketing practices. Waller alleges that despite those actions, Brigit continued to engage in the same conduct that allegedly prevented consumers from canceling and resulted in unauthorized charges.

In other words — the FTC already penalized Brigit for this exact behavior. The plaintiff argues it is still happening.

What the FTC Found — The Full Picture

The FTC’s detailed investigation revealed exactly how Brigit’s system allegedly worked against consumers.

The Cash Advance Promise vs. Reality

According to the FTC’s complaint, “Despite Brigit’s numerous prominent claims that it will provide cash advances of up to $250, few consumers receive anything close to that amount. In fact, only approximately 1% of Brigit Plus customers have received access to $250, and approximately 20% have been denied access to cash advances entirely.”

The Hidden Instant Transfer Fee

Despite Brigit’s promises of “instant” transfers and “no hidden fees,” in June 2022 the company began charging consumers $0.99 to get cash advances immediately. Otherwise, people had to wait up to three business days to get money Brigit promised would arrive “instantly” or “in seconds.” Furthermore, Brigit didn’t disclose that fee anywhere in its advertising, enrollment materials, or even its terms of service.

The Cancellation Obstacle Course

What if consumers wanted to stop paying the monthly charge for Plus membership? The FTC says Brigit employed a series of dark patterns to make it difficult for people to cancel. The first and most prominent option Brigit presented them was to “Stay on Plus plan.” After that, the FTC says Brigit required them to pass through a variety of screens, additional offers, and even a multiple-choice survey, rather than just honoring their request.

Many consumers complained to Brigit that they had difficulty canceling their accounts. Even the company’s employees reported that its burdensome cancellation procedure was “making a lot of people angry in the name of retention” and that it “doesn’t align” with Brigit’s “values of simplicity and transparency.”

What Laws Are Being Used

The 2026 class action lawsuit uses three distinct legal theories:

Automatic Renewal Laws (ARL): Most U.S. states — including California, Georgia, and New York — have specific automatic renewal laws that require companies to clearly disclose auto-renewal terms before enrollment, get affirmative consent, and provide a simple cancellation mechanism. Violating these state laws can trigger damages and restitution for each affected consumer.

Consumer Protection Statutes: Waller asserts claims for violations of automatic renewal laws, consumer protection statutes, and unjust enrichment. Consumer protection statutes prohibit unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and practices. “Dark patterns” designed to prevent cancellation qualify as deceptive practices under these laws.

Unjust Enrichment: This claim argues that Brigit was unjustly enriched by collecting subscription fees it had no legal right to retain, because users never gave proper consent for recurring charges.

Who the Lawsuit Seeks to Represent

Waller seeks to represent a nationwide class of consumers who were charged Brigit subscription fees through automatic renewals, as well as a Georgia subclass of users charged while residing in the state.

If certified as a class action, this case could potentially represent hundreds of thousands or even millions of Brigit users across the country — many of whom may not know they have a potential legal claim.

What Damages Are Being Sought

The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief, restitution, damages, attorneys’ fees, and a jury trial.

Injunctive relief means the lawsuit asks the court to order Brigit to permanently change its practices — specifically its automatic renewal disclosures and its cancellation process.

Restitution means returning money to consumers who were charged without proper consent. Damages could include compensation beyond just the subscription fees — potentially including bank fees like the $35 insufficient funds charges that Waller’s account incurred.

Can You File a Claim Right Now?

No — not yet. This is an active lawsuit in its early stages. No settlement has been reached, no settlement fund exists, and no claim portal is open. This article will be updated immediately if and when a settlement is announced and claims open.

However, if you were a Brigit user who was charged subscription fees you did not authorize, you should document your experience now. Save bank statements showing unauthorized charges, screenshots of the app’s cancellation flow, and any correspondence with Brigit’s customer service. This documentation could be valuable if a settlement is eventually reached.

Did You Already Qualify for the FTC Refund?

If you were a Brigit user before November 2024, you may have already received a payment — or missed one. Here is what happened:

The FTC sent payments to 1,818,930 Brigit members who paid for instant cash advances. Eligible consumers received an email between November 4–15, 2024, and PayPal payments were sent starting November 18, 2024. Recipients had 30 days to redeem their PayPal payment.

Consumers did not need to file a claim — the FTC automatically sent PayPal payments to eligible consumers. If you believe you were eligible but did not receive a payment, you can contact the refund administrator Rust Consulting, Inc. at 1-833-637-5800 or visit the FTC’s official refund page at ftc.gov/enforcement/refunds/brigit-refunds.

The FTC refund program is now closed. The 2026 class action is a separate and distinct legal proceeding that may result in additional compensation for affected consumers.

What This Means for Other Subscription Apps

The Brigit lawsuit is part of a broader legal trend targeting automatic renewal practices across the app economy. Courts and regulators have increasingly scrutinized subscription apps that use dark patterns to retain users. Similar lawsuits have been filed against apps in the VPN, fitness, and financial services industries.

Automatic renewal laws have been strengthened in recent years. The FTC’s updated Negative Option Rule, which took effect in 2024, now requires subscription services to make cancellation as easy as sign-up and to clearly disclose all renewal terms before a consumer subscribes. This regulatory backdrop makes cases like the Brigit class action easier to pursue going forward.

FAQs

What is the Brigit class action lawsuit about? 

The lawsuit accuses Brigit of using unlawful automatic renewal practices and manipulative app design tactics to repeatedly charge financially vulnerable consumers without their knowledge or permission. Plaintiff Wilfreda Waller claims her account was charged multiple times without consent, triggering $35 bank fees that eventually caused her credit union to close her account.

Is there an open claim I can file right now? 

No. The case — Waller v. Bridge It Inc., Case No. 1:26-cv-00206-ELR — was filed in February 2026 and is still in early stages. No settlement has been reached. This article will be updated when claims open.

Did Brigit already pay money for doing this before? 

Yes. Brigit agreed to pay $18 million to settle FTC charges in 2023 and was required to change its practices. The FTC sent more than $17 million in refunds to 1,818,930 consumers in November 2024.

What is a “dark pattern” and why does it matter legally? 

A dark pattern is an app or website design that tricks users into doing something they did not intend — like staying subscribed when they meant to cancel. The FTC documented that Brigit’s cancellation process required users to pass through multiple screens, additional offers, and a multiple-choice survey before being allowed to cancel. Under consumer protection law, deliberately confusing cancellation processes can constitute an unfair or deceptive business practice.

What is Brigit’s subscription and how does it work? 

Brigit’s “Plus” membership costs $9.99 per month, debited directly from the user’s bank account, and automatically renewed each month until canceled. The main benefit advertised was access to a $250 cash advance, though the FTC found only about 1% of users ever received the full $250.

Who does the 2026 class action try to represent? 

Waller seeks to represent a nationwide class of consumers charged Brigit subscription fees through automatic renewals, plus a Georgia subclass of users charged while living in the state.

What should I do if Brigit charged me without permission? 

Start by gathering documentation — bank statements showing the charges, screenshots of your account and the cancellation process, and any emails with Brigit’s support team. Keep this evidence in case a settlement is announced. Do not wait until a settlement is reached to organize your records, as documentation from the time of the charges is the most valuable.

Is Brigit still operating? 

Yes. Brigit continues to operate and offer its services. The FTC settlement required the company to change specific practices, and the company has not been shut down. The new class action challenges whether those changes went far enough or were implemented at all.

Where can I follow updates on the Brigit lawsuit? 

You can track the case using docket number 1:26-cv-00206-ELR in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia at pacer.uscourts.gov. AllAboutLawyer.com will also update this article as the case develops.

Last Updated: February 20, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Settlement terms, eligibility, and payment amounts are subject to court approval and may change. For official information, always refer to the settlement administrator or the official settlement website.