For years, merchants who accepted Discover cards were charged interchange fees — a percentage of each transaction that gets paid to the card network. A class action lawsuit argued that these fees were unfairly high and that Discover had engaged in conduct that violated antitrust laws and harmed merchants.
Discover agreed to settle the case for $1.225 billion without admitting any wrongdoing. A federal court approved the settlement, and the claims process is now open. More than $540 million is expected to be distributed to qualifying merchants after legal fees and costs are paid.
Who Can File a Claim?
You may be eligible to file a claim if you owned or operated a business in the United States that accepted Discover credit or debit cards as a form of payment at any point between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2023.
This includes:
- Sole proprietors and self-employed individuals who accepted card payments
- Small businesses like restaurants, retail shops, salons, contractors, and service providers
- Medium and large businesses
- Online businesses that accepted Discover as a payment method
- Businesses that have since closed, as long as they were operating during the covered period
Do I need to have kept records from back then? The settlement administrator can often look up transaction history using information you provide. You may be able to file a claim even if you no longer have all of your old sales records.
How Much Could You Receive?
The amount each business receives depends on how many valid claims are filed and how much you processed in Discover card transactions during the covered period. The settlement guarantees a minimum payment of $10 per claimant. Businesses with higher Discover card volume during the class period may receive more.
This is not a lawsuit you need a lawyer to participate in. The settlement class was already certified, the case was already settled, and the claims process is already open. Your job is simply to file a claim before the deadline.
How to File
Claims must be filed online at DiscoverMerchantSettlement.com before May 18, 2026. The process is straightforward and free:
- Go to DiscoverMerchantSettlement.com
- Click on “File a Claim”
- Enter your business information and the period during which you accepted Discover cards
- Submit — you should receive a confirmation
⚠ Do not miss May 18. This is a hard deadline. If you miss it, you will not be able to get paid from this settlement, even if you clearly qualify. You also will not be able to sue Discover separately over these same fees if you miss the deadline and remain in the class. The process takes only a few minutes.
What Was the Lawsuit About?
The lawsuit alleged that Discover used its market position to charge merchants higher-than-fair interchange fees (also called “swipe fees”) every time a customer paid with a Discover card. These fees are typically a small percentage of each transaction, but they add up to significant costs for businesses over time.
The lawsuit argued that Discover’s conduct harmed competition in the payments market and forced merchants to either absorb the costs or pass them on to consumers in the form of higher prices. The $1.225 billion settlement is one of the larger resolutions of a merchant interchange fee case involving a major U.S. card network.
If you have questions about whether your business qualifies, or if you had more complex business arrangements during the class period, speaking with an attorney may help. Use the free form below to reach our team.