Wells Fargo $33M Settlement: Free-Trial Subscription Charges, Claims Closed
Settled — Claims Period Closed
Claim deadline was March 4, 2026 · as of Oct 23, 2026
The Wells Fargo $33M settlement is not about fake accounts, mortgages or your own bank account. It settles claims that Wells Fargo helped three groups of online sellers — the Apex, Triangle and Tarr entities — bill people for “risk-free trial” products they never agreed to pay for. You did not need to bank at Wells Fargo to be in the class. The claim deadline was March 4, 2026, and it has passed. As of October 23, 2026, we have not found a public final approval order or a payment date.
Questions about this case?
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Can I Still File?
The claim deadline, what the settlement pays and where to file — plus other settlements still taking claims.
No. The claim deadline was March 4, 2026.
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We are not a claims administrator and not affiliated with any settlement. File only at the official settlement website — filing is always free.
What the Lawsuits Say Happened
According to the complaints, the Apex, Triangle and Tarr entities sold “risk-free trial” offers for more than 70 products — personal care products, electronic cigarettes, and dietary, health and beauty supplements. Consumers paid only for shipping, then were charged full price and enrolled in a monthly subscription without consent.
The schemes needed bank accounts to receive card payments. The lawsuits allege Wells Fargo opened accounts for shell companies fronted by straw owners and moved the money. The receiver's complaint alleges Wells Fargo bankers “knew the Enterprises were engaged in credit card laundering.” Wells Fargo denied the allegations and settled to avoid the cost and uncertainty of a trial. It has not admitted wrongdoing.
The sellers themselves were already sued by the Federal Trade Commission: Tarr in 2017, Triangle and Apex in 2018.
Case details
The settlement resolves two consolidated federal cases in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in San Diego. The lead case is McNamara v. Wells Fargo & Co., et al., No. 3:21-cv-01245-TWR-DDL, brought by the court-appointed receiver for the Triangle and Apex enterprises. The consumer class action is McCraner et al. v. Wells Fargo & Company et al., No. 3:21-cv-01246, an 83-page complaint filed July 8, 2021 by six plaintiffs. The two cases were consolidated in January 2024. The final approval hearing notice names Judge Todd W. Robinson. The official settlement website is FreeTrialRecurringBillingSettlement.com.
Status: Claims Closed, Payment Waits on Final Approval
As of October 23, 2026, we could not find a public final approval order or an announced payment date, and the official website blocks automated access, so we could not confirm its current wording. Under the settlement, money goes out only after final approval and after any appeals are resolved. One claims tracker reports payments roughly 60 days after final approval. Treat that as an estimate, not a date.
Who Is in the Class
The class covers everyone whom any Tarr, Triangle or Apex entity enrolled in recurring billing from 2009 to the present. Being a Wells Fargo customer has nothing to do with it. The bank is the defendant because it allegedly held the sellers' accounts.
If you got an FTC refund before: people who received a payment from the FTC's Apex or Triangle refund programs did not need to file a claim for those entities. They are in the records already. Everyone else, and anyone billed by a Tarr entity, had to file by March 4, 2026.
Missed the deadline? The claim period is closed. If you did not file and were not an FTC refund recipient, this settlement is unlikely to pay you.
What the Settlement Pays
With receipts or statements, a claimant gets a pro rata share of documented losses. Without documentation, the flat payment is up to $20, and it can shrink: flat payments may use only 50% of the Tarr share and 25% of the Apex and Triangle shares. Payments under $10 are not issued. That money is redistributed instead. Listed payment methods are PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or a paper check. Our payout calculator shows how fees and claim rates move a pro rata share.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 25,309 other fraud casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2026, 27.6% of them filed as class actions:
- 17.1% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 22.9% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 17.1% and 39.9%.
- 10.2% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 112 reached a trial (0.9%), after a median of 29.9 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 7 months.
- Only 761 of them (3%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $663,000.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal other fraud cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
Wells Fargo $33M Settlement Timeline
2017–2018 — The FTC Sues the Sellers
The FTC sues Tarr in 2017 and Triangle and Apex in 2018 over “free trial” billing. Later FTC refunds include 153,940 checks totaling more than $2.8 million (Apex) and more than $8.7 million to 187,425 consumers (Triangle).
July 8, 2021 — Suits Against Wells Fargo
The receiver's case (3:21-cv-01245) and the McCraner consumer class action (3:21-cv-01246) are filed in San Diego federal court.
January 2024 — Cases Consolidated
The court combines the class action with the receiver's complaint because of overlapping allegations.
November 4, 2025 — Preliminary Approval
The court preliminarily approves the $33 million settlement. The official website goes live by December 8, 2025.
March 4–5, 2026 — Deadlines Pass
Claims were due March 4, opt-outs and objections March 5. The final approval hearing was scheduled for March 26, 2026.
October 2026 — Awaiting Confirmed Payment
As of October 23, 2026, we found no public final approval order and no announced payment date.
Three Things to Watch For
This settlement grew out of fake free trials, and now it attracts fake claim help too:
“Late claims still accepted” sites
The claim deadline was March 4, 2026. A site that still takes claims, or asks for your card number or Social Security number to “reopen” one, is not the administrator. Online claims used the Class Member ID and PIN printed on your notice.
Fees to release your payment
No real administrator charges a fee before paying you. The FTC, whose earlier refunds overlap with this class, states it never requires people to pay money or give account information to get a refund.
“Wells Fargo security” calls about the settlement
The settlement is not tied to your Wells Fargo account, so a caller asking you to “verify” online banking details for it is fishing. The administrator's address is P.O. Box 6397, Portland, OR 97228-6397. Contact it only through the official website.
Wells Fargo $33M Settlement — Questions People Actually Ask
Short answers to the questions people ask most about this case.
What is the Wells Fargo $33M settlement for?
It settles claims that Wells Fargo helped the Apex, Triangle and Tarr entities run “risk-free trial” subscription schemes by holding their accounts and moving their money. Wells Fargo denies the allegations.
How do I find out if Wells Fargo owes me money in a settlement?
For this case, check whether you were billed monthly after a “free trial” from an Apex, Triangle or Tarr seller since 2009, and look for a notice with a Class Member ID and PIN. People without a notice were told to contact the administrator through FreeTrialRecurringBillingSettlement.com. Other Wells Fargo settlements have their own rules: see our Stoff CARES Act settlement page and our report on the $84 million ESOP payout.
Can I still file a claim?
No. Claims were due March 4, 2026, and opt-outs and objections March 5, 2026. Earlier recipients of Apex or Triangle FTC refunds did not need to file for those entities.
How much will I get?
Without documentation, up to $20, possibly less after pro rata reductions. With documentation, a share of your documented losses. Fees of up to $11,000,000 and expenses of up to $2,967,000 were requested from the $33,000,000 fund. Payments below $10 are not issued.
When will the Wells Fargo $33M settlement pay?
Only after final approval and any appeals. The hearing was scheduled for March 26, 2026. As of October 23, 2026, we found no public final approval order and no payment date. A claims tracker estimates payment about 60 days after approval.
Why is Wells Fargo in trouble now?
Several separate cases are in the news at once. Besides this $33 million billing case, the $56,850,000 Stoff CARES Act settlement was approved June 10, 2026, and its checks are covered in our Stoff checks report. An $84 million ESOP settlement paid into 401(k) accounts on August 13. Each case covers different people.
Is this the fake-accounts settlement?
No. That was a different case, settled for $142 million, and its claims closed in 2018. See our unauthorized accounts settlement page.
I never banked with Wells Fargo. Can I still be in the class?
Yes. The class is defined by enrollment in recurring billing by the Apex, Triangle or Tarr entities, not by having a Wells Fargo account. The bank is the defendant because of its alleged role behind the sellers.
About This Information
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology. Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated - $236 billion in real payouts analyzed · See what we found
This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Lawsuit status, eligibility, and compensation can change. Settlement Insight is not a law firm and does not represent any party. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
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