Class action eligibility checklist

Every consumer class action settlement asks the same five underlying questions to decide who qualifies. Answer them once below and this tool builds a personalized, save-and-print checklist you can use on any real settlement notice you come across — this site's or anyone else's. It takes about ninety seconds and nothing you enter leaves your browser.

What this tool is and isn't: This checklist teaches you the general criteria courts use to define a settlement class. It does not check eligibility for any specific real case, and the sample listings elsewhere on this site are illustrative, not real. For an actual settlement, the official notice from the court-appointed administrator is the only source that can confirm you qualify.

Step 1 — What kind of case is this?

Automotive & recalls Food & beverage Appliances Toys & child products Financial / junk fees Retail / other goods

Step 2 — Answer five questions

Why these five questions

Nearly every consumer class action defines its class using the same building blocks, which is why this checklist works across categories:

Conduct — did you actually buy, use, or hold the product, account, or service the case is about?
Time window — the alleged conduct has to fall inside the court-defined class period, not before or after it.
Residency — most U.S. consumer settlements only cover U.S. residents or U.S.-issued accounts.
Proof — some settlements pay on self-attestation alone; others need a receipt, statement, or order ID.
Deadline — a claim submitted even one day after the postmark deadline is typically rejected outright.

For the full step-by-step walkthrough of turning a "likely eligible" result into an actual submitted claim, see How to File a Class Action Claim.