$17.5M American Express antitrust class action settlement

American Express (Amex) has agreed to a $17.5 million class action lawsuit settlement to resolve claims that it violated antitrust laws by preventing merchants from encouraging customers to use other forms of payment.

The Amex settlement benefits individuals who used a Visa or Mastercard debit card to purchase goods or services from qualifying merchants in Alabama, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oregon or Utah between Jan. 29, 2015, and June 1, 2022, or in Kansas, Illinois or Mississippi between Jan. 29, 2016, and June 1, 2022.

The Amex settlement also benefits individuals who used a Visa, Mastercard or Discover general purpose credit or charge card that does not offer credit card rewards or charge an annual fee to purchase goods or services from qualifying merchants in the District of Columbia, Kansas or Illinois between Jan. 29, 2015, and June 1, 2022, or in Kansas or Illinois between Jan. 29, 2016, and June 1, 2022.

American Express is a payment processing company that allows merchants to accept payments from Amex-branded credit cards, debit cards and other payment methods. While Amex is a popular payment option, many consumers choose to use other cards from Visa, Mastercard and other companies.

According to a class action lawsuit, American Express violated federal antitrust laws by preventing merchants from encouraging customers to pay with other cards. The plaintiffs in the case say that Amex’s anti-steering rules forced merchants to raise their prices in order to cover Amex fees. As a result, consumers who did not use Amex cards ended up paying more than they would have without these rules, the class action lawsuit contends.

American Express has not admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to a $17.5 million class action settlement to resolve these allegations.

Under the terms of the AmEx class action settlement, class members can receive a cash payment.

Exact payment amounts will vary depending on the number of claims filed with the AmEx settlement. Class members who used a Visa or Mastercard debit card to make purchases from qualifying merchants or who used a non-rewards credit card to make purchases from qualifying merchants are eligible for payments from the settlement.

The deadline for exclusion and objection is April 29, 2026.

The final approval hearing for the American Express antitrust settlement is scheduled for June 17, 2026.

To receive settlement benefits, class members must submit a valid claim form by May 19, 2026.

Who’s Eligible

Illinois non-rewards credit card class: Consumers with a Visa, Mastercard or Discover general purpose credit or charge card account that does not offer credit card rewards or charge an annual fee and who used the card to make a purchase from a qualifying merchant in Illinois between Jan. 29, 2016, and June 1, 2022.
Debit card classes: Consumers who are Visa or Mastercard debit card holders and who used the debit card to purchase a good or service from a qualifying merchant in Alabama, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oregon or Utah between Jan. 29, 2015, and June 1, 2022, or in Kansas, Illinois or Mississippi between Jan. 29, 2016, and June 1, 2022.

Potential Award

TBD

Proof of Purchase

Illinois non-rewards credit card class: Account number and/or card number, if known, and proof of a qualifying purchase. Debit card classes: Account number and/or card number, if known, and proof of a qualifying purchase.

Claim Form

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

05/19/2026

Case Name

Moskowitz, et al. v. American Express Co., et al., Case No. 1:19-cv-00566-NGG-JRC, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

Final Hearing

06/17/2026

Settlement Website

AmExAntitrust.com

Claims Administrator

Amex Antitrust
c/o A.B. Data Ltd.
P.O. Box 173092
Milwaukee, WI 53217
[email protected]
877-315-0587

Class Counsel

Joseph J. Tabacco Jr.
Todd A. Seaver
Carl N. Hammarskjold
BERMAN TABACCO

Gordon Ball
GORDON BALL PLLC

Jay B. Shapiro
Samuel O. Patmore
STEARNS WEAVER MILLER WEISSLER ALHADEFF & SITTERSON PA

Lewis S. Kahn
Melinda A. Nicholson
KAHN SWICK & FOTI LLC

Christopher Lovell
Gary S. Jacobson
LOVELL STEWART HALEBIAN JACOBSON LLP

Marvin A. Miller
Andrew Szot
THE MILLER LAW LLC

Jared B. Stamell
Richard J. Schager Jr.
STAMELL & SCHAGER LLP

Simon Paris
SALTZ MONGELUZZI & BENDESKY PC

Eric D. Barton
WAGSTAFF & CARTMELL LLP

Defense Counsel

David E. Ross
Steven A. Reed
Timothy J. McCarthy
KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP