Visa, Mastercard $167.5M ATM Fee Settlement - Claim by February 10

Quick Facts

• Settlement fund: $167.5 million ($88,775,000 from Visa and $78,725,000 from Mastercard)
• Claim deadline: February 10, 2027
• Proof required: No documents needed to file; the administrator may later request bank statements or other records
• Estimated payout: No estimate yet - pro rata, based on qualifying transactions and the number of valid claims
• Who qualifies: People charged an unreimbursed surcharge at an independent (nonbank) ATM in the U.S. between October 24, 2007 and August 14, 2026

If you've paid a surcharge to withdraw cash at an ATM that isn't owned by a bank, such as one in a convenience store, hotel, bar, or gas station, and your bank didn't fully reimburse it, you may be eligible for a share of a $167.5 million settlement with Visa and Mastercard. The claim deadline is February 10, 2027, and filing is free.

What Is This Settlement About?

The lawsuit, Burke v. Visa Inc., No. 1:11-cv-01882-RJL, is pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before Judge Richard J. Leon. Plaintiffs claim Visa and Mastercard network rules restricted how independent ATM operators could set access fees, preventing lower fees when transactions could have been processed over competing networks, which led to higher costs for consumers.

The case was filed in 2011. Visa is paying $88,775,000 and Mastercard is paying $78,725,000, for a total of $167,500,000. Both companies deny the allegations and settled without admitting liability. Judge Leon granted preliminary approval on August 14, 2026, and the final approval hearing is set for February 17, 2027, at 4 p.m. ET.

Who Is Eligible?

The Nationwide Class covers all persons in the United States who, between October 24, 2007 and August 14, 2026, were charged an access fee for a domestic cash withdrawal at an independent ATM and weren't fully reimbursed by their bank. An independent ATM is one that isn't owned by Visa, Mastercard, or any of their member banks.

A qualifying withdrawal is one taken from a deposit account using an ATM or PIN-debit card at an independent ATM located in the U.S. or its territories. Credit card transactions, cash advances, and prepaid card transactions don't count.

Statewide Classes under the laws of California, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Michigan cover people who were charged an access fee at an independent ATM located in one of those states.

If your bank fully reimbursed the surcharge, that transaction doesn't qualify.

How Much Will You Get?

No per-person estimate has been published. Your share depends on how many qualifying transactions you report and how many valid claims are filed in total.

Court-approved attorneys' fees and expenses, settlement administration costs, taxes, and class representative service awards come out of the fund before payments to claimants.

Payments will go out only after final approval and the resolution of any appeals. If the settlement is approved and no appeals are filed, the administrator expects to pay within six months of final approval.

How to File a Claim

1. Go to NonbankATMSurchargeSettlement.com.
2. Complete the claim form with your mailing address, phone number, email, and an estimate of how many qualifying ATM surcharges you paid during the class period.
3. Sign the form under penalty of perjury. You don't need to attach documents, but the administrator may ask for bank statements or other records later.
4. Or mail a printed claim form to the settlement administrator early enough that it arrives by February 10, 2027.

Important Deadlines

• Opt-out and objection deadline: December 11, 2026 (opt-out requests must be received and objections postmarked by this date)
• Claim deadline: February 10, 2027
• Final approval hearing: February 17, 2027, at 4 p.m. ET
• Payments: After final approval and any appeals; the administrator expects payment within six months of approval if there are no appeals

If you've used a nonbank ATM in the U.S. since October 2007 and paid a fee that your bank didn't refund, it's worth checking whether you qualify before February 10, 2027.