How to Claim the Equifax Data Breach Settlement

In September 2017, Equifax announced that hackers had stolen the personal information of about 147 million Americans — nearly half the adult US population. The company agreed to a $700 million settlement that includes cash payments of up to $125 per person, or free credit monitoring services.

The original claim deadline passed, but the settlement fund still has money, and the administrator has been accepting claims for extended benefits. If you haven't filed yet, you may still be eligible.

Am I eligible?

If you lived in the US in September 2017, there's a very high probability your data was affected by the Equifax breach. To check:

1. Go to the official Equifax settlement site (link in our opportunity tracker).
2. Enter your last name and last 6 digits of your Social Security number.
3. The site tells you immediately whether your information was part of the breach.

No login required, no account creation, no fees.

What you can claim

The settlement offers several types of benefits:

Free credit monitoring

Up to 10 years of free credit monitoring from all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). Worth roughly $200-$400/year if you'd otherwise pay for it.

Cash payment

If you already have credit monitoring elsewhere (for example, through a bank or an existing identity theft service), you can claim up to $125 cash instead. Note: because of the volume of claims, the actual cash payment has been lower — typically under $10 per person. The credit monitoring option is usually better value.

Reimbursement for out-of-pocket losses

If you spent money responding to the breach — credit monitoring fees, frozen credit file fees, identity theft insurance, legal fees — you can submit receipts for reimbursement up to $20,000 per person. This is where the real money is, if you have documentation.

Reimbursement for time spent

The settlement also reimburses your time at $25 per hour for up to 20 hours (10 hours self-certified, 10 hours with documentation). That's up to $500.

How to file

The claim form is short — about 5-10 minutes. You'll need:

1. Your name, address, and last 6 digits of SSN
2. The benefit type you want (cash or credit monitoring)
3. If claiming out-of-pocket losses: receipts, cancelled checks, or other documentation
4. If claiming time spent: a brief description of what you did

Submit online and save your confirmation number. Payments are sent via check or direct deposit depending on what you selected at claim time.

Common mistakes

1. Assuming you can't claim because the first deadline passed. The settlement administrator extended the claim period. Check eligibility at the official site — don't assume.

2. Claiming cash when credit monitoring is worth more. If you don't already have credit monitoring from another source, take the 10 years of free monitoring. It's worth way more than $10-$125 cash.

3. Not keeping your contact info updated. If you file a claim and then move, the settlement check may not find you. Update your address with the administrator.

4. Falling for Equifax scam calls. The settlement administrator only contacts you through mail or the email address you provided on the claim form. They never call asking for payment, SSN, or bank info.

The bigger picture

The Equifax breach was a watershed moment for data privacy. If you were affected (and statistically, you were), it's worth 10 minutes to file a claim — even if you just want the free credit monitoring. We include this settlement in our class actions tracker along with every other active settlement.

See all active class action settlements →