Equifax Settlement: Check Eligibility & Claim Your Payment

Could Equifax owe you money because it reported the same collection account more than once?

You may be eligible for a cash payment of up to $600 from the Bradberry v. Equifax Information Services LLC class action settlement.

But there is an important deadline:

You must file your claim by September 1, 2026.

The process is free. You do not need to pay a company to file for you. You also do not need to wait for a sales call or schedule an appointment.

Here is what to check now: and three credit report errors you should look for while you are reviewing your file.

Check Your Equifax Settlement Notice First

The $2.2 million Bradberry settlement concerns allegations that Equifax reported duplicate collection accounts on consumers’ credit reports.

Reporting the same collection account more than once can make it look like you owe more debt than you actually do. It may also affect how lenders evaluate your creditworthiness.

Equifax denies wrongdoing. The court has not decided which side is right. The parties agreed to settle to avoid the cost and uncertainty of continued litigation.

You may be eligible if:

• You live in the United States.
• Equifax sent you a “Duplicate Reporting Letter” in August or September 2022.
• Your notice includes a Notice ID and PIN.
• You can attest under penalty of perjury that you were harmed by the duplicate reporting.

Your Notice ID begins with “EQB.”

If you received the notice, do not assume you are automatically getting a cash payment. You must submit a valid claim to request money.

File online or by mail

Use the official Bradberry v. Equifax settlement website to file your claim.

You will need the Notice ID and PIN printed on your notification.

You can also download and print the official paper claim form. If you mail the form, it must be postmarked by September 1, 2026.

The expected cash payment is up to $600 per eligible claimant. Your actual payment may be lower depending on the number of valid claims, settlement expenses, and other court-approved deductions.

Do not pay anyone to submit your claim. Filing is free.

What You Get Without Filing

Every eligible class member automatically receives six months of free Equifax Complete credit monitoring.

You do not need to file a claim to receive this monitoring benefit.

However, doing nothing means you will not request the cash payment.

That creates a simple choice:

• Want to request money? File a claim by September 1, 2026.
• Only want the monitoring benefit? You may receive it automatically if you are an eligible class member.
• Not sure if your notice is real? Verify the information directly at the official settlement website.

Save a copy of your claim confirmation and your settlement notice. Keep your Notice ID and PIN in a secure place.

A Separate $100 Million Equifax Settlement Is Pending

This settlement is separate from another Equifax case involving a 2022 credit score coding error.

In that case, Equifax agreed to a $100 million settlement, described as the largest FCRA settlement in history. The lawsuit concerns inaccurate credit scores and related information sent to lenders during a period in 2022.

The reported error affected approximately 4 million consumers between March 17 and April 8, 2022. Some consumers may have received inaccurate scores when applying for a mortgage, auto loan, credit card, or other financing.

Preliminary approval was granted on August 17, 2026.

Estimated payments are currently between $95 and $280, but those amounts are not final. The settlement still requires final court approval. A fairness hearing is scheduled for January 22, 2027.

There is not yet a claim deadline for this second settlement.

A public claim website is expected after the notification process begins. Until then:

• Do not submit information to unofficial websites.
• Do not pay anyone to “reserve” your payment.
• Look for an official mailed or emailed notice.
• Confirm the case name and court information before filing.
• Check reliable updates from the court or class counsel, such as the Equifax credit score lawsuit update.

The September 1, 2026 deadline applies to the duplicate-account settlement, not the separate $100 million coding-error settlement.

Look for These 3 Credit Report Errors

A settlement notice can help you identify one possible problem. But you should still review your full credit reports.

You can get your reports from all three major credit bureaus through AnnualCreditReport.com.

Look for these three common errors.

1. Duplicate collection accounts

Check whether the same collection debt appears more than once.

The entries may have:

• The same original creditor.
• Similar account numbers.
• The same balance.
• Matching collection dates.
• Different collection agency names for the same debt.

Do not assume two listings represent two separate debts. Compare the original creditor, balance, date opened, and account history.

If the same debt is listed twice, save copies of the pages showing both entries. You may be able to dispute the credit report error with each bureau reporting it.

A dispute should identify the specific account, explain the error clearly, and include copies of relevant evidence. Keep the originals.

2. Accounts that do not belong to you

Review every account name and address.

An unfamiliar account could be:

• A mistake involving someone with a similar name.
• An account reported with an incorrect Social Security number.
• A debt connected to identity theft.
• An old account that was incorrectly reinserted.
• A legitimate account you forgot or do not recognize.

Do not ignore an account simply because the balance is small.

If you do not recognize an account, document what you found before contacting the bureau or creditor. Check all three reports because an account may appear on one report but not another.

3. Incorrect balances, statuses, or payment history

A collection account might show the wrong balance. A paid account might still show money due. A closed account might be listed as open.

Also check for:

• Late payments that were actually made on time.
• Accounts marked “charged off” after payment arrangements.
• Incorrect credit limits.
• A balance that does not match your latest statement.
• Negative information that appears older than the reporting period.

These details can affect your credit score and how lenders view your application.

Accurate information cannot usually be removed just because it hurts your score. But inaccurate or incomplete information can be challenged.

Build a Simple Credit Report Dispute File

If you find an error, create one folder for each bureau.

Include:

1. A copy of the credit report page.
2. The account name and partial account number.
3. A short explanation of the error.
4. Supporting documents.
5. The date you sent the dispute.
6. Delivery confirmation or online submission records.
7. The bureau’s response.

Credit bureaus generally have 30 days to investigate a dispute. Some investigations may take longer under specific circumstances.

Track the date you submitted everything. Then check the results when the investigation period ends.

If the same error appears on another bureau’s report, you may need to dispute it separately. A correction at one bureau does not always update the other two automatically.

Check Your Report Without Guessing

You do not need to understand every credit law before taking the first step.

Bad Credit Mentor’s free AI credit audit tools can help you organize what is on your report, identify possible issues, and see which action to take first.

You can also start a free personalized credit action plan in about 60 seconds.

You will get practical guidance for issues such as:

• Collections.
• Late payments.
• High credit card balances.
• Charge-offs.
• Hard inquiries.
• Loan denials.
• Possible report errors.

The tools are designed to help you take action yourself: with clear guidance, dispute templates, and a trackable next step.

Start free. Take one action today.

First, check your Equifax notice.

If you received a Duplicate Reporting Letter, file your Bradberry settlement claim by September 1, 2026.

Then review your credit reports for duplicate accounts, unfamiliar accounts, and incorrect balances or payment history.

Start your free AI credit audit and 7-day starter kit

No call required. No pressure. No payment required to begin.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes and is not legal advice. Settlement details, eligibility rules, payment amounts, deadlines, and court dates can change. Verify all information at the official Bradberry settlement website before filing. Filing a claim is free, and you should not pay anyone to file the claim for you. Credit dispute results vary, and no score increase or settlement payment is guaranteed.

Meta description: Could the Equifax settlement owe you up to $600? Check your notice, file by September 1, 2026, and scan your credit report for errors today for free.