Anyone in the US Who Used the CVS Website or App Before 27 July Could Get Cash From $20.5M Settlement: Here's How

Anyone in the United States who used CVS.com, CVSHealth.com, the CVS app, or other CVS digital properties before 27 July 2026 can claim up to $5 or $10 (up to £3.78 or £7.56) in cash from a $20.5 million (£15.5 million) class action settlement, provided they file a claim by 16 November.

The settlement resolves allegations that tracking technology on CVS's websites and app passed users' data to the advertising company Criteo without their consent. CVS Pharmacy and Criteo Corp., part of the Paris-based advertising technology group Criteo, deny any wrongdoing, and the court has not determined who is right.

CVS told CNBC Select it stands by its privacy practices and agreed to resolve the matter 'to avoid the expense and distraction of prolonged litigation.'

Payment is not automatic, and the email notices sent from 10 September are not payments. Class members who do nothing receive no money and still give up the right to sue over the same claims, according to the settlement website's FAQ.

Who Is Covered by the Settlement

The class covers all living individuals who accessed CVS's digital properties in the United States before 27 July, the date Judge Shari Africk Olefson granted preliminary approval. The settlement agreement says CVS has more than 36 million customers. Employees, officers, and directors of CVS and Criteo, the judges on the case, and government entities are excluded.

The case, Brewer et al. v. CVS Pharmacy, Inc. and Criteo Corp., is before the Circuit Court of the 17th Judicial Circuit in Broward County, Florida. Four named plaintiffs alleged that the trackers disclosed health and private information, browsing data, and other identifiers. They sued under the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act and state statutes, and for breach of confidence, invasion of privacy, and negligence.

According to the settlement agreement, the parties went to mediation on 17 March 2026 and negotiated for several weeks afterwards. The complaint was filed on 15 May. CVS is paying $18.5 million (£14 million) of the maximum and Criteo $2 million (£1.5 million), The HIPAA Journal reported.

How to File and What Counts as Proof

Claimants who submit reasonable documentation can receive up to $10. Those without it can receive up to $5. The agreement lists browser search history, screenshots showing dates, and email receipts from online purchases as acceptable proof. A personal declaration on its own does not qualify, and a $10 claim whose proof is rejected and not corrected is paid as a $5 claim.

Claims can be filed on the official settlement website by 11:59 p.m. ET on 16 November, or sent by post with a postmark no later than that date to CVS Digital Privacy Settlement, c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 1110, Costa Mesa, CA 92628. A claim can be filed online without the login ID and PIN in the email notice. The administrator, Simpluris, can supply them via [email protected] and runs a US toll-free helpline on 1-888-654-1271.

Payments can be taken by PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or cheque.

One Payment per Household

The agreement allows one cash payment per household, defined as 'all persons residing at the same mailing address.' Duplicate or fraudulent claims can be rejected.

Where the Rest of the Money Goes

The $20.5 million is a ceiling rather than a fund. Class counsel was due to file its fee request by 17 October and can seek up to 37.5 per cent in fees and costs, or $7,687,500 (£5.81 million). The court may award less. Administration costs and service awards of up to $2,500 (£1,890) for the named plaintiffs come out of the same total.

If the full fee is approved, about $12.8 million (£9.7 million) would remain for administration, service awards, and payments, enough for fewer than 1.3 million payments at $10. If valid claims exceed that, every payment is cut pro rata. Money left after claims are paid reverts to CVS and Criteo, as does money from uncashed cheques, which expire after 180 days.

Deadlines Before the 1 December Hearing

Anyone who wants to keep the right to sue CVS or Criteo separately must send a signed opt-out request by post, postmarked no later than 1 November. That is a Sunday, so posting by Friday 30 October is safer. Opting out means giving up any payment. Objections must be filed with the court and mailed to both sides' lawyers by the same date. If more than 5,000 people opt out, CVS and Criteo can cancel the deal within 14 days of the deadline.

Judge Olefson is scheduled to hear the request for final approval at 9:30 a.m. ET on 1 December, by Zoom. If the judge approves the deal that day and no appeals are filed, payments would follow within 120 days, by around the end of March 2027.