FTC Refunds in March 2026, Did You Get a Check or PayPal Payment? 5 Programs Sending Checks Now

The Federal Trade Commission sent refunds to consumers across five separate programs in March 2026. The money comes from enforcement actions the FTC took against companies it accused of deceiving or overcharging consumers. If you dealt with any of the five companies covered below — whether you rented a home, paid for credit repair, bought investment advice, hired a tech support company, or purchased Pyrex measuring cups — a check or digital payment may have already landed in your mailbox or inbox.

Here is everything you need to know about each program, who qualifies, how much was sent, and what to do if you received a payment.

March 2026 FTC Refunds at a Glance

Program	Total Refunds Sent	Checks Issued	Payment Method	Cash/Accept By
Invitation Homes	$47,200,000+	444,131	Paper check	90 days
Financial Education Services	$10,900,000+	443,048	Paper check	90 days
WealthPress (Round 2)	$177,000+	6,290 payments	Check or PayPal	90 days / 30 days
Restoro-Reimage	Portion of $25.5M+ total	TBD	Paper check	90 days
Pyrex (Instant Brands)	Portion of $43,700+ total	TBD	PayPal	30 days

Invitation Homes — $47.2 Million to Renters Charged Hidden Fees

This is the largest refund program the FTC sent out in March 2026, and it affects hundreds of thousands of renters across the United States.

The FTC took action against Invitation Homes, one of the country’s largest single-family rental landlords. The agency accused the company of advertising one lease price and then quietly adding fees that renters never agreed to — things like utility management fees and smart home technology charges. At move-out, Invitation Homes allegedly charged tenants for normal wear and tear, damages that existed before they moved in, and even renovation costs.

The FTC sent 444,131 checks totaling more than $47,200,000 to eligible renters who paid Invitation Homes between January 2021 and September 2024. If you received a check, you must cash it within 90 days. Renters who already received a credit or refund directly from Invitation Homes are not eligible for a payment from this program.

Questions? Call the refund administrator, Rust Consulting, at 1-800-804-6915.

Related article: $2.4M Excelsior Orthopaedics Data Breach Settlement, Are You Eligible for Up to $5,000 Before Claim deadline is June 11, 2026?

Financial Education Services — $10.9 Million to Credit Repair Victims

The FTC sent more than $10,900,000 in checks to 443,048 consumers who paid a credit repair operation called Financial Education Services, also known as United Wealth Education and United Wealth Services, between May 2019 and May 2022.

The FTC accused FES of promising to clean up consumers’ credit but failing to deliver. The company also charged customers upfront for its services, which is illegal under federal law. Beyond the credit repair scheme, FES allegedly ran a pyramid scheme on top of its core business — falsely promising that people could make large sums of money by selling FES services or recruiting new agents. The FTC says most agents actually lost money.

If you received a check, cash it within 90 days. Questions? Call the refund administrator, Analytics, at 1-833-699-7995.

WealthPress — Second Round of Payments to Investment Advice Customers

WealthPress customers received a second round of payments in March 2026. The FTC sent 6,290 payments totaling more than $177,000 to consumers who had already accepted their first payment and who paid WealthPress $2,500 or more.

The FTC sued WealthPress and its owners, Roger Scott and Conor Lynch, over claims that the company sold investment advice by promising clients would make significant profits — without any real support for those claims. Many WealthPress customers lost money instead. The FTC first sent out more than $978,000 in refunds in April 2024. Because money remained in the fund after that first round, the agency distributed a second round to eligible recipients.

If you received a check, cash it within 90 days. If you received a PayPal payment, accept it within 30 days. Questions? Call the refund administrator at 1-877-231-0641.

Restoro and Reimage — Follow-Up Checks for Tech Support Scam Victims

The FTC sent paper checks in March 2026 to consumers who paid for computer repair services from Restoro and Reimage — but who never accepted the PayPal payments the FTC sent in March 2025.

The FTC sued both companies and reached a $26 million settlement. The agency accused Restoro and Reimage of using misleading online ads and fake Microsoft Windows pop-up warnings to scare people into thinking their computers had viruses or serious problems. When consumers called for help, the companies charged them for repair services — even when nothing was actually wrong with the device. The FTC’s initial PayPal payments in March 2025 resulted in more than $13,100,000 in refunds.

The March 2026 checks go only to people who did not accept their earlier PayPal payment. If you received a check, cash it within 90 days. Questions? Call the refund administrator at 1-844-590-1102.

Pyrex (Instant Brands) — PayPal Payments to Buyers of Falsely Labeled Measuring Cups

The FTC sent PayPal payments in March 2026 to consumers who bought Pyrex glass measuring cups on Amazon.com during the pandemic — but did not cash the refund checks the FTC mailed in October 2024.

The Pyrex maker, Instant Brands, marketed its measuring cups as made in the United States. The FTC found that some of those cups were actually imported from China. The company agreed to a settlement that banned it from making false country-of-origin claims and required it to pay money back to consumers. The FTC’s original October 2024 check campaign resulted in more than $43,700 in total refunds.

The March 2026 PayPal payments go only to people who did not cash their earlier check. If you received a PayPal payment, accept it within 30 days. Questions? Call the refund administrator at 1-833-244-7320.

What to Do If You Received a Payment

The steps are simple, but the deadlines are firm. Missing them means you lose the money permanently:

If you received a paper check: Cash it within 90 days of the issue date. Do not ignore it. Uncashed checks expire and the FTC does not reissue them.

If you received a PayPal payment: Log into your PayPal account and accept the payment within 30 days. If you do not have a PayPal account, you may need to create one to claim the funds.

If you think you qualify but received nothing: The FTC only sends payments to people already identified in its enforcement records. You cannot apply or submit a claim for any of these five programs — eligibility was determined based on records from the companies involved. If you believe you were affected and did not hear from the FTC, you can contact the refund administrator for each program using the phone numbers listed above.

How to Spot a Legitimate FTC Refund vs. a Scam

Real FTC refund checks always come from the official refund administrator assigned to each case — not from the FTC itself. Real FTC payments never ask you to pay a fee, provide your bank account number, or click a suspicious link to collect your money. The FTC also never asks you to verify personal information over the phone before sending a check.

If someone contacts you claiming to be from the FTC and asks you to pay money in order to receive your refund, that is a scam. You can verify any FTC refund program directly at ftc.gov/enforcement/refunds.

Frequently Asked Questions

I received a check I don’t recognize — is this legitimate? 

Check the sender name and the refund administrator’s phone number printed on the check against the FTC’s official refund page at ftc.gov/enforcement/refunds. All five March 2026 programs are listed there with confirmed administrator contact details. If the check matches, it is real.

Can I still get paid if I missed the deadline?

No. The FTC does not reissue expired checks or extend PayPal payment windows. Once the deadline passes, the funds from uncashed payments return to the FTC’s general enforcement fund and are not redistributed to individual consumers.

Do I need to do anything to get an FTC refund? 

For all five of these March 2026 programs, you do not need to file a claim. The FTC already identified eligible consumers from the companies’ own records. Your only action is to cash or accept the payment you received before the deadline.

Will my FTC refund payment be taxed?

 It depends. Refunds that compensate you for money you lost are generally not considered taxable income. However, if the payment is larger than your documented loss, that portion could be taxable. Consult a tax professional if you are unsure.

What if my check was lost or damaged in the mail?

Contact the refund administrator for your specific program using the phone numbers listed in each section above. They can confirm whether a check was issued to you and advise on next steps. Do not call the FTC directly — the administrators handle all payment inquiries.

Why did some programs send checks while others sent PayPal payments?

 The FTC and its refund administrators choose the payment method based on the available contact information for each consumer and the size and nature of the case. Some consumers receive a choice; others receive only one option. In cases like Restoro-Reimage and Pyrex, the March 2026 payments specifically target people who did not accept the earlier payment method.

Is the FTC running any refund programs I can currently sign up for? 

These five March 2026 programs are closed — you cannot apply. However, the FTC regularly opens new refund programs. Check ftc.gov/enforcement/refunds for currently active programs and sign up for FTC consumer alerts at consumer.ftc.gov to hear about new cases as they open.

Sources & References

1. FTC — Invitation Homes Settlement refund page
2. FTC — Financial Education Services Settlement refund page
3. FTC — WealthPress Refunds page
4. FTC — Restoro-Reimage Refunds page
5. FTC — Pyrex Refunds page
6. FTC Refund Programs overview — ftc.gov/enforcement/refunds

Last Updated: April 10, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.