Equifax $100 Million Settlement, Check If You Qualify — In re, Equifax Fair Credit Reporting Act Litigation, No. 1:22-cv-03072

Quick answer: if you applied for a car loan, a mortgage, or a credit card between March 17 and April 8, 2022 — you might be one of roughly 4 million people whose Equifax credit score got quietly scrambled. Equifax agreed to pay $100 million to settle the claims. Plaintiffs estimate individual payments between $95 and $280. The claim window hasn’t opened yet.

Equifax Credit Score Settlement — Key Facts

Category	Details
Settlement Amount	$100,000,000 (non-reversionary fund)
Claim Deadline	UNVERIFIED — not yet set by the court; expected roughly 90 days after class notice goes out
Who Qualifies	U.S. consumers whose Equifax credit score or attribute was inaccurately sent to a lender or other third party, March 17–April 8, 2022
Estimated Payout	Up to $280 per person (plaintiffs estimate 95–280)
Proof Required	UNVERIFIED — claim form not yet published
Settlement Status	Preliminary approval granted August 17, 2026; final approval pending
Court & Case Number	U.S. District Court, N.D. Georgia — No. 1:22-cv-03072
Law Alleged	Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
Administrator	Verita Global (proposed; not yet confirmed by the court)
Official Claim Site	UNVERIFIED — not yet live
Last Updated	August 22, 2026

Who Is Equifax and Why Are They Being Sued for Credit Score Errors?

Equifax is one of three national credit bureaus that lenders check before approving a loan, card, or lease. That gives a single coding mistake on Equifax’s side the power to quietly reroute someone’s entire financial year. Between March 17 and April 8, 2022, an internal error the company tracked as the “OMS Issue” pushed altered scores and attributes to lenders instead of the real ones.

What Did Equifax Do to Consumers Between March and April 2022?

Court filings say a coding problem on one of Equifax’s servers caused the scores and credit attributes it sent to lenders, insurers, and other businesses to differ from what those businesses would have received without the glitch. Some applicants reportedly saw scores drop by more than 20 points overnight. That’s enough to bump someone from an approval into a denial, or from a decent rate into a much worse one.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act — the federal law requiring credit bureaus to keep consumer files accurate — is what plaintiffs say Equifax violated here. Lawyers for the class call it the largest class-action settlement ever reached under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Equifax hasn’t been the only bureau to answer for FCRA mistakes; Experian’s own FCRA class action settlements show these errors show up more often than most people assume.

If your name is one of the roughly 4 million on Equifax’s internal list, you don’t need to have noticed anything wrong at the time. The bank did.

Who Qualifies for the Equifax Credit Score Settlement?

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

• Anyone whose credit score or credit attribute Equifax sent to a lender, insurer, or other business differed from the corrected version between March 17 and April 8, 2022
• People who applied for an auto loan, mortgage, or credit card during that exact three-week window
• Consumers Equifax’s own internal review flagged as affected — that list determines eligibility, not your memory of the event
• Those who requested a copy of their Equifax file during that period and later noticed a lender quoted a worse rate than expected

You likely don’t qualify if your only credit issue happened outside March 17–April 8, 2022, or if the problem traces to a dispute with a different bureau entirely.

Equifax Credit Score Errors Outside Georgia — Are You Still Covered?

This is a federal FCRA class action, not a state case. The proposed class is nationwide — every affected U.S. consumer is covered, regardless of what state you live in.

Not sure if you qualify for the Equifax credit score settlement? A free consultation with a consumer protection attorney can help before the claim window opens.

Did you apply for an auto loan, mortgage, or credit card between March 17 and April 8, 2022? Then this settlement is about you.

How Much Can Equifax Credit Score Settlement Class Members Get? Up to $280 Per Person

Plaintiffs’ own court filing estimates payments of roughly $95 to $280 per person, though nothing is finalized. More people filing valid claims means a smaller check for everyone — that’s how pro-rata funds work. Payment method and timing haven’t been published yet, since the claims process hasn’t opened. Payments over $600 may show up on a 1099. Check with a tax professional before you count on the money.

That $280 top figure is before anything gets carved out for attorneys’ fees and administrative costs. Worth knowing before you get your hopes up about the final number.

What Should You Do Right Now?

1. Watch your mail and email for a notice from the settlement administrator — expected roughly 42 days after the August 17, 2026 preliminary approval, per the settlement terms
2. Don’t click links from texts or calls claiming to be Equifax before an official notice arrives — see how to spot a fake class action settlement notice if anything seems off
3. Save documents from spring 2022: loan denials, rate offers, credit reports pulled between March and April
4. Confirm your eligibility once the official claim site goes live — Equifax’s internal review determines who’s on the list
5. File once the window opens; proof requirements will be spelled out in the official notice
6. Save your confirmation number after you submit

This settlement is UNVERIFIED as of today for exact filing dates — mentioned once here, and again below.

Should Equifax Class Members Opt Out or Object?

What Opting Out of the Equifax Settlement Actually Means

Opting out means no payment from this fund, but you keep the right to sue Equifax on your own. Most people shouldn’t opt out without talking to a lawyer first. The exact opt-out deadline is UNVERIFIED — expected about 60 days after class notice is mailed.

How to Object to the Equifax Settlement

Objecting keeps you in the class while telling the court you disagree with some part of the deal. Objections go through the court in the format the official notice specifies once it’s issued.

Talk to a class action lawsuit attorney before the deadline if you’re considering either option.

Equifax Credit Score Settlement — Key Dates, 2026

Milestone	Date
Settlement Proposed	August 12, 2026
Preliminary Approval Granted	August 17, 2026
Claims Period Opens	UNVERIFIED — expected ~42 days after preliminary approval
Opt-Out / Objection Deadline	UNVERIFIED — expected ~60 days after notice is mailed
Claim Filing Deadline	UNVERIFIED — expected ~90 days after notice is mailed
Final Approval Hearing	January 22, 2027
Expected Payment Date	UNVERIFIED — follows final approval and any appeals

Equifax Credit Score — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 1:22-cv-03072

Do I need a lawyer to file an Equifax credit score settlement claim? 

No. Filing under the $100 million Equifax settlement won’t require an attorney. But if the error cost you a loan denial or a higher rate in spring 2022, a consumer protection attorney can help you weigh an individual claim against the class payout.

Is the Equifax $100 million settlement legitimate?

 Yes. It’s In re: Equifax Fair Credit Reporting Act Litigation, No. 1:22-cv-03072, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, and it received preliminary approval from Chief Judge Leigh Martin May on August 17, 2026.

When will Equifax settlement payments be sent? 

Not yet known. A final fairness hearing is set for January 22, 2027, and payments typically follow several months after final approval, once any appeals resolve and claims are processed.

What if I missed the Equifax claim deadline? 

There’s nothing to miss yet — the claim window hasn’t opened. Once the court sets an exact date, expected roughly 90 days after notices go out, this article will be updated.

Will my Equifax settlement payment go on a 1099? 

Possibly. Payments over $600 may be reported to the IRS. Check with a tax professional about how a payment from this case affects your return.

What caused the Equifax credit score error in the first place?

 Court filings describe an internal coding problem, tracked as the “OMS Issue,” that ran on Equifax’s servers from March 17 to April 8, 2022, and altered scores sent to lenders during that window.

How much could I get from the Equifax $100 million settlement? 

Plaintiffs estimate individual payments between $95 and $280, though the final number depends on how many of the roughly 4 million eligible consumers actually file.

Is this related to Equifax’s 2017 data breach settlement? 

No. This case is about a 2022 credit-scoring coding error under the FCRA. It’s separate from the $700 million settlement tied to the 2017 hacking incident.

Sources Used in This Equifax Credit Score Article

• Law360 — “Equifax Agrees To $100M Deal To End Credit Score Error Suit,” Aug. 13, 2026: https://www.law360.com/articles/2513241/equifax-agrees-to-100m-deal-to-end-credit-score-error-suit
• Bloomberg Law — “Equifax’s $100 Million Credit Reporting Deal Gets Initial OK,” Aug. 19, 2026: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/banking-law/equifaxs-100-million-credit-reporting-deal-gets-initial-ok
• DiCello Levitt (co-lead class counsel) — “Landmark $100 Million Settlement Reached in Equifax Credit Score Misreporting Class Action Lawsuit,” Aug. 17, 2026: https://dicellolevitt.com/landmark-100-million-settlement-reached-in-equifax-credit-score-misreporting-class-action-lawsuit/
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution — “Atlanta’s Equifax to pay $100M after miscalculating credit scores,” Aug. 2026: https://www.ajc.com/news/2026/08/atlantas-equifax-to-pay-100m-after-miscalculating-credit-scores/

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against Law360, Bloomberg Law, and the DiCello Levitt co-counsel press release on August 22, 2026. Last Updated: August 22, 2026.

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.