Publishers Clearing House FTC refunds settlement payment
Federal Trade Commission v. Publishers Clearing House LLC (FTC refunds; not a class action)
Also known as Publishers Clearing House refund; PCH refund; PCH FTC checks; FTC v. Publishers Clearing House; PCH sweepstakes; 23-cv-4735
The FTC said Publishers Clearing House misled people about sweepstakes entries and added surprise fees.
Copied from the official notice. Last compared Nov 4, 2026.
- Payments
Yes, payments have gone out. The FTC first sent checks in April 2025; it does not give the day. A second round of 204,408 checks is now going to people who accepted their first payment.
Source
The administrator’s statement is quoted in full on this page.
From the administrator site: FTC refund page: Publishers Clearing House Refunds. Last compared Nov 4, 2026.
- Court approved
- Jun 30, 2023From the court order we read.
Source
“SO ORDERED this 30th day of June , 2023.”
From the court record: Joint motion and Stipulated Order for Permanent Injunction, Monetary Judgment, and Other Relief as entered by the court, E.D.N.Y. No. 23-cv-4735 (FTC copy). Last compared Nov 4, 2026.
- Claims
- No claim form needed
Source
“If you get a check, please cash it within 90 days.”
From the administrator site: FTC refund page: Publishers Clearing House Refunds. Last compared Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical amount
- A share of the fund$18.5 million fund, split among everyone who files
Source
“Judgment in the amount of Eighteen Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($18,500,000)”
From the court record: Joint motion and Stipulated Order for Permanent Injunction, Monetary Judgment, and Other Relief as entered by the court, E.D.N.Y. No. 23-cv-4735 (FTC copy). Last compared Nov 4, 2026.
The court approved the settlement on Jun 30, 2023.
Where it stands
- No claim form needed
- Court approved Jun 30, 2023
- Distribution ordered No date on file
- Payments issued Date not on file (current stage)
We do not promise a payment date. This page shows only what the court and the settlement administrator (the company that handles claims) have said. Full facts and deadlines are on the settlement page.
Confirm with the administrator before you act.
What the administrator says
The FTC first sent checks in April 2025, which resulted in more than $13.3 million in refunds. Because there is still money remaining in the fund, the FTC is sending 204,408 checks totaling more than $4.4 million to people who accepted their first payment.
What would change this
- The administrator posts a second round, a reissue date, or a deadline to cash checks.
- A court order changes the amount or the schedule.
How we’ll update
We change the status only when the administrator makes a statement or the court issues an order. We look at the official site and the court docket regularly. Every change is dated in the update log on the settlement page. Last change: Nov 4, 2026.
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From the court record
| Final approval granted | Jun 30, 2023 Source: court record From the court order we read.Date the court signed the FTC's Stipulated Order ('SO ORDERED this 30th day of June , 2023', Judge Eric N. Vitaliano), read on the FTC's copy of the order as entered by the court. It is a court-entered FTC order, not approval of a class settlement. |
|---|---|
| Distribution order | not stated |
Questions
Is this settlement legitimate?
The administrator is Federal Trade Commission, and the official site is www.ftc.gov. Real notices point there; if a link in a message goes anywhere else, do not use it.
The official site never asks you to pay to file.
Who is covered?
Who is covered: no state limit is stated; the class is defined by who was affected, not by where you live.