American Express $17.5M Antitrust Class Action Settlement: Illinois Non-Rewards Credit Card Holders Can Claim by May 19, 2026
American Express Antitrust Class Action Settlement
American Express agreed to a $17.5 million settlement after a federal jury found that Amex's anti-steering rules violated Illinois law. Only members of the Illinois non-rewards credit card class can claim a payment. Eligible class members are people whose Visa, Mastercard, or Discover non-rewards credit or charge card billing address was in Illinois between January 29, 2016 and June 1, 2022 and who used that card to buy from one of 38 Qualifying Merchants in Illinois during that period.
Settlement fund
$17.5M
Common fund
Top payout
Per capita share
Pro rata, Illinois non-rewards credit card class only
Claim deadline
May 19, 2026
12 days remaining
You may be owed money
Filing is free and takes a few minutes. Deadline: May 19, 2026.
Do you qualify?
You are a Class Member if ALL of the following apply:
- You are a natural person (not a business) and were a card account holder during the class period.
- Your Visa, Mastercard, or Discover general purpose credit or charge card account did not offer credit card rewards and did not charge an annual fee.
- Your account billing address was in Illinois at any time between January 29, 2016 and June 1, 2022.
- You, or an authorized user, used that non-rewards credit or charge card to buy a good or service from a Qualifying Merchant in Illinois during that same period. The 38 Qualifying Merchants and their banner brands are listed at AmexAntitrust.com (e.g., Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Home Depot, Lowe's, Kroger, Best Buy, Costco-style warehouse club BJ's, Gap/Old Navy, TJX, Kohl's, and others).
- Excluded: Current or past holders or authorized users of any Amex credit or charge card (including co-branded Amex cards) in the included states during the class periods; Amex and its parents, subsidiaries, agents, and affiliates; governmental entities; the judges assigned to the case; people who previously excluded themselves; purchases made with rewards or annual-fee Visa, Mastercard, or Discover cards; and pharmacy purchases of prescription drugs or other medical services for which only a flat insurance copay was paid.
Not sure if you qualify? Call the Settlement Administrator at 1-877-315-0587, email info@AmexAntitrust.com, or visit AmexAntitrust.com.
What happened
Plaintiffs alleged that Amex's merchant agreements contain anti-steering rules that prevent merchants who accept American Express from steering or encouraging customers to pay with a card that may charge the merchant a lower fee. According to the complaint, those rules forced merchants to raise prices across the board to cover Amex's higher fees, so customers who paid with non-Amex cards ended up paying more than they otherwise would have. Twelve named plaintiffs sued on behalf of nine statewide debit card classes and three statewide non-rewards credit card classes covering purchases from January 29, 2015 (or January 29, 2016 in Illinois, Kansas, and Mississippi) through June 1, 2022.
Amex denies the allegations and denies any wrongdoing. The case went to trial and concluded on August 28, 2025. The jury found that Amex violated Illinois law, but did not find violations of the laws of the other states with certified classes. The jury also found that only the Illinois non-rewards credit card class (not the Illinois debit card class) had been damaged. The parties agreed to settle before the Court entered a final judgment, and only Illinois non-rewards credit card class members can submit claims for a payment from the $17.5 million fund. Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and the 38 Qualifying Merchants are not accused of any wrongdoing.
How to file a claim
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1
Confirm you are eligible
You must be a natural person whose Visa, Mastercard, or Discover non-rewards (no rewards, no annual fee) credit or charge card had an Illinois billing address at any point between January 29, 2016 and June 1, 2022, and who used that card to make a purchase from one of the 38 Qualifying Merchants in Illinois during that same period. Holders or authorized users of any Amex credit or charge card during the class period (including co-branded Amex cards) are excluded.
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2
Understand your share
There is no guaranteed dollar amount. After taxes, notice and administration costs, attorneys' fees of up to 33.3% of the fund, litigation expenses of up to $8 million, and service awards to the class representatives, the remainder will be divided into equal (per capita) shares among all valid claimants under a Court-approved Plan of Distribution. The proposed Plan of Distribution will be posted at AmexAntitrust.com. Per-claimant amounts depend on how many valid claims are filed.
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3
File online or by mail
Submit the Claim Form online at amexantitrust.com/file-a-claim by May 19, 2026, or mail a paper Claim Form (postmarked by May 19, 2026) to: Amex Antitrust, c/o A.B. Data, Ltd., P.O. Box 173092, Milwaukee, WI 53217. The Claim Form, FAQ, and Settlement Agreement are available at AmexAntitrust.com.
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4
Receive your payment
Payments are issued after the Court grants final approval at the June 17, 2026 Final Approval Hearing and any appeals are resolved. The appeal process can take a year or more. No follow-up is required once your claim is submitted.
Key dates
- Apr 29, 2026 Opt-out & objection deadline Upcoming
- May 19, 2026 Claim filing deadline Upcoming
- Jun 17, 2026 Final Fairness Hearing (11:00 a.m. ET, in person) Upcoming
- TBD after final approval Payments issued to claimants Pending
The Final Approval Hearing is scheduled for June 17, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, NY 11201. The Court may move or reschedule the hearing without further notice, so check AmexAntitrust.com for updates before traveling. The deadline to object is April 29, 2026, and the deadline to file a Notice of Intention to Appear at the hearing is May 19, 2026. The deadline to exclude yourself from the certified classes has already passed.
Where the money is going
This is a non-reversionary common fund. Taxes, notice and administration costs, attorneys' fees and expenses, and service awards come out of the $17.5 million before per-claimant shares are calculated. Any funds remaining after distribution will not be returned to Amex.
All amounts listed above are pending and subject to final court approval at the Final Approval Hearing. The Court may award less than the amounts requested. Per-claimant payments will be divided into equal (per capita) shares under a Court-approved Plan of Distribution; actual amounts depend on the number of valid and timely claims.
Common questions
How much money will I receive?
The exact per-claimant amount has not been published. After taxes, notice and administration costs, attorneys' fees of up to 33.3% of the fund, litigation expenses of up to $8 million, and service awards for 12 class representatives, the remainder will be split into equal (per capita) shares among valid Illinois non-rewards credit card class claimants. Because the class size and claim volume are not yet known, individual payments could be modest. The proposed Plan of Distribution will be posted at AmexAntitrust.com.
Do I need to submit proof of purchase?
The public Notice and FAQ on the settlement website do not state that documentation is required to submit a Claim Form for the Illinois non-rewards credit card class. Review the Claim Form at amexantitrust.com/file-a-claim for any verification fields the Administrator may request, and call A.B. Data toll-free at 1-877-315-0587 if you have questions.
What if I didn’t receive a notice?
You can still file a claim even if you did not receive a direct notice. Notice in this case was distributed by publication and online posting at AmexAntitrust.com. If you meet the Illinois non-rewards credit card class definition, you are likely a Class Member and can submit a Claim Form by May 19, 2026.
Does staying in the class affect my right to sue later?
Yes. Members of all the certified classes (Illinois and the other states) release their claims against Amex if the Court grants final approval and the Settlement becomes final. The deadline to exclude yourself from the certified classes has already passed and no new opt-outs are accepted. The full release language is in the Settlement Agreement, available at AmexAntitrust.com. If you stay in the case but disagree with the Settlement, you may object by mailing a written objection to the Clerk of the Court (United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, NY 11201) postmarked no later than April 29, 2026.
When will payments be sent out?
The Court will hold the Final Approval Hearing on June 17, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis in Brooklyn. Payments will only be issued after the Court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved. The appeal process can take a year or more. No action is required after a valid Claim Form is submitted; check AmexAntitrust.com for status updates.
Dapeer Law, P.A.
Consumer class action attorneys based in South Florida. We track settlements so you don’t have to.
Similar open settlements
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Dapeer Law, P.A. is not the administrator of this settlement and is not affiliated with American Express Company and American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc., A.B. Data, Ltd. (the Settlement Administrator), or Class Counsel Joseph J. Tabacco, Jr. of Berman Tabacco, Gordon Ball of Gordon Ball PLLC, Jay B. Shapiro of Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A., Lewis S. Kahn of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC, Christopher Lovell of Lovell Stewart Halebian Jacobson LLP, Marvin A. Miller of Miller Law LLC, Jared B. Stamell of Stamell & Schager, LLP, Simon Paris of Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky P.C., and Eric D. Barton of Wagstaff & Cartmell LLP. The case is Moskowitz v. American Express Company, Case No. 1:19-cv-00566 (also known as Oliver v. Amex), pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York before the Honorable Nicholas G. Garaufis. Class representatives are Ricky Amaro, Andrew Amend, Abigail Baker, Angela Clark, Wyatt Cooper, Emily Counts, Sarah Grant, Shawn O'Keefe, David Moskowitz, James Steele Robbins, Allie Stewart, and Debbie Tingle. American Express denies wrongdoing. This website is attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
