$14M Costco Washington Email Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Aaland v. Costco Wholesale Corp., No. 25-2-16392-0

August 24, 2026. That’s your deadline to claim money from Costco’s $14 million email settlement — and it’s closer than it sounds. Costco Wholesale Corporation agreed to pay Washington residents who received misleading promotional emails, resolving Aaland v. Costco Wholesale Corporation, No. 25-2-16392-0. Filing takes about five minutes, and you don’t need a receipt.

Costco Email Settlement — Key Facts

Settlement Amount	$14,000,000
Claim Deadline	August 24, 2026
Who Qualifies	Washington residents who received a Costco marketing email, June 2, 2021 – July 7, 2026
Estimated Payout	Pro rata — UNVERIFIED, depends on how many people file
Proof Required	No
Settlement Status	Preliminarily approved June 23, 2026; final approval hearing pending
Court & Case Number	Superior Court of Washington, King County — No. 25-2-16392-0 SEA
Law Alleged	Washington Commercial Electronic Mail Act (CEMA) & Consumer Protection Act (CPA)
Administrator	Verita
Official Claim Site	WashingtonCommercialEmailSettlement.com
Last Updated	July 27, 2026

Who Is Costco and Why Are They Being Sued for Misleading Emails?

Costco runs one of the largest promotional email lists in retail, with warehouse locations and a membership base most competitors can’t touch. That scale cuts both ways. A single subject-line habit — used across millions of inboxes at once — multiplies legal exposure just as fast as it multiplies sales, and that’s exactly what this lawsuit says happened. It argues Costco leaned on that reach to manufacture urgency that wasn’t real.

What Did Costco Do to Washington Email Subscribers Between 2021 and 2026?

The case started small. Joseph Zydel filed the original complaint in King County Superior Court in June 2025, Costco moved to dismiss it, and the court said no. An amended complaint followed, then a mediation stay, then a second amended complaint that swapped in Michael Aaland as class representative. What survived is one straightforward theory: Washington’s Commercial Electronic Mail Act (CEMA) bans commercial emails with false or misleading subject lines, and the state’s Consumer Protection Act lets a recipient seek tripled damages once a CEMA violation is shown.

According to the settlement notice, one email at issue carried the subject line “Today is the last day to access Member-Only Saving.” Another advertised “Hot Buys” available for five days only. The lawsuit claims Costco knew it would extend those promotions past the stated cutoff. If you’ve felt that rush to buy before a deal disappears — this case is about whether that rush was manufactured.

It’s not the only time Costco’s wording has landed it in court this year. A separate case, the Costco rotisserie chicken “No Preservatives” class action, argues a similar gap between label and contents. Costco denies wrongdoing in both. That’s standard for a settlement — a check isn’t a verdict.

Who Qualifies for the Costco Email Settlement?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes you.

• Washington residents who received a Costco marketing email between June 2, 2021, and July 7, 2026
• Anyone holding a settlement notice with a Claim ID and PIN at the top
• Costco members and non-members alike — the class turns on receiving the email, not on holding a membership card
• People who’ve since moved out of Washington but lived there when the email landed in their inbox

Who does not qualify: Costco’s own directors, officers, and legal counsel, along with their immediate families, plus anyone who’s already filed a valid request to exclude themselves.

If you’re a Washington Costco shopper who deleted a “Hot Buys” email instead of saving it — you likely still qualify. Nobody needs a saved copy to file a legal claim under this deal.

Related article: $2.5 Billion Amazon Prime FTC Settlement, Check If You Qualify — FTC v. Amazon.com, Inc., No. 2:23-cv-00932-JHC

Costco Email Settlement Members Outside Washington — Are You Still Covered?

No. CEMA is a Washington statute, so only people who were Washington residents the moment the email arrived are covered — Costco’s Issaquah headquarters has nothing to do with it. Got the identical email while living in Oregon or Idaho? This fund doesn’t reach you, though your own state may have a similar law worth a quick call to a consumer fraud attorney.

Not sure if you qualify for the Costco email settlement? A free consultation with a consumer fraud attorney can help you sort it out before the August 24, 2026 deadline.

How Much Can Costco Email Settlement Class Members Get?

Nobody — not even the administrator — knows the exact per-person number yet. It depends on how many valid claims come in. What we can verify is what comes out of the $14,000,000 fund first: attorneys’ fees up to one-third of the fund ($4,620,000), litigation expenses estimated at $16,500, and a service award of up to $2,500 for the named plaintiff.

Do that math and there’s still more than $9,300,000 left to divide, pro rata, among everyone who files. More filers means smaller checks; fewer filers means bigger ones. Payment goes out by check, Venmo, or PayPal — whichever you pick — only after final approval and any appeals are resolved. Payments over $600 may show up on a 1099, so check with a tax professional before you spend it.

How to File Your Costco Email Settlement Claim — Step by Step

⚠️ 28 days left — file now at WashingtonCommercialEmailSettlement.com.

1. Go to WashingtonCommercialEmailSettlement.com and click through to the Verita claim portal
2. Enter your Claim ID and PIN if you received a notice — or your name, email address, and contact details if you didn’t
3. Attest that you were a Washington resident when you got a qualifying Costco email between June 2, 2021, and July 7, 2026
4. Skip the documentation — no proof of purchase or saved email is required
5. Pick your payment method: check, Venmo, or PayPal
6. Submit online, or mail a paper form postmarked by August 24, 2026, and keep your confirmation

Takes about five minutes. That money goes back to Costco if nobody claims it — filing costs you nothing and takes less time than a Costco run.

Should Costco Class Members Opt Out or Object Before August 24, 2026?

What Opting Out Actually Means

Opting out means giving up any settlement payment, but keeping your right to sue Costco on your own — potentially for CEMA’s $500-per-email statutory damages instead of a shared pro rata check. Most people shouldn’t opt out without talking to a lawyer first. The opt-out deadline is the same as the claim deadline: August 24, 2026.

How to Object to the Costco Settlement

Staying in the class doesn’t mean staying silent — you can object in writing. Objections must be sent to the Settlement Administrator at P.O. Box 301134, Los Angeles, CA 90030-1134, and must include your name, address, phone number, why you believe you’re a class member, and the specific grounds for your objection. It must be postmarked by August 24, 2026.

Talk to a class action lawsuit attorney before August 24, 2026 if you’re considering either option.

Costco Email Settlement — Key Dates, 2026

Milestone	Date
Preliminary Approval Granted	June 23, 2026
Claim Filing Deadline	August 24, 2026
Opt-Out Deadline	August 24, 2026
Objection Deadline	August 24, 2026
Final Approval Hearing	October 2, 2026, 3:30 p.m.
Expected Payment Date	UNVERIFIED — no date announced; distribution starts only after final approval and any appeals resolve

Costco Email Settlement — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 25-2-16392-0

Do I need a lawyer to file a Costco email settlement claim? 

No. Filing a legal claim through WashingtonCommercialEmailSettlement.com takes about five minutes and doesn’t require an attorney. You can hire a class action lawsuit attorney at your own expense if you’d rather have someone handle it.

Is the Costco $14 million email settlement legitimate?

 Yes. It’s court-supervised by Judge Janet Helson in King County Superior Court, administered by Verita, and received preliminary approval on June 23, 2026. The only official site is WashingtonCommercialEmailSettlement.com.

When will Costco settlement payments be sent?

 Not before the October 2, 2026 final approval hearing, and only after any appeals are resolved. No specific payment date has been announced yet.

What if I missed the Costco claim deadline?

 Claims postmarked or submitted online after August 24, 2026, won’t be accepted under the current schedule. Watch WashingtonCommercialEmailSettlement.com in case the court extends any date.

Will my Costco settlement payment go on a 1099?

 Possibly. Payments over $600 may be reported on a 1099. Talk to a tax professional about how a settlement payout affects your filing.

How much will I get from the Costco settlement?

 There’s no fixed number. After up to $4,620,000 in attorneys’ fees, $16,500 in expenses, and a $2,500 service award come out of the $14,000,000 fund, what’s left is split pro rata among everyone who files — so your check depends on how many other people file too.

What if I never got a settlement notice from Costco?

 You can still check your eligibility and submit a claim without a Claim ID or PIN. Not receiving a notice doesn’t mean Costco doesn’t have your email address on record.

Can I sue Costco myself instead of filing a claim in this settlement?

 Only if you opt out by August 24, 2026. CEMA allows an individual recipient to seek $500 per violating email or actual damages, which the plaintiff argues can be tripled under the Consumer Protection Act — but opting out means forfeiting any settlement payment.

Sources Used in This Costco Email Settlement Article

• Official Settlement Website — Washington Commercial Email Settlement (Verita), accessed July 27, 2026: https://www.washingtoncommercialemailsettlement.com/
• Settlement FAQ — Washington Commercial Email Settlement: https://www.washingtoncommercialemailsettlement.com/frequently-asked-questions.aspx
• Order Granting Plaintiff’s Unopposed Motion for Preliminary Approval, June 23, 2026: https://www.washingtoncommercialemailsettlement.com/media/7162104/aaland_6.23.pdf
• Settlement Agreement (fully executed): https://www.washingtoncommercialemailsettlement.com/media/7162101/aaland_v_costco_settlement_agreement_fully_executed.pdf
• Long Form Notice, July 14, 2026: https://www.washingtoncommercialemailsettlement.com/media/7162110/v6_coaa_notice_071426_final.pdf

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official Washington Commercial Email Settlement website and court-filed settlement documents on July 27, 2026. Last Updated: July 27, 2026.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.