$14 Million Costco Settlement: Who May Receive a Check?

If you’re a Washington resident who received promotional emails from Costco between June 2021 and July 2026, you may be entitled to a payment from a $14 million settlement. The settlement, from the case Michael Aaland v. Costco Wholesale Corporation in King County Superior Court, addresses allegations that Costco used deceptive subject lines in marketing emails to create false urgency and mislead customers. For instance, Costco allegedly sent emails claiming “Today is the last day to access Member-Only Savings” or “Hot Buys available for 5 Days Only” when the company actually planned to extend these promotions well beyond the advertised deadlines.

The settlement is now in the claims process, with a critical deadline of August 24, 2026 to file. Unlike many class action settlements, you won’t need to dig up old Costco receipts or forward emails you received—the administrators only require you to confirm, under penalty of perjury, that you met the class criteria. However, getting your share requires action. Missing the deadline or failing to understand who qualifies could cost you money you’re otherwise entitled to recover.

Table of Contents

• WHO QUALIFIES FOR THE COSTCO SETTLEMENT?
• WHAT LEGAL VIOLATIONS UNDERPIN THIS SETTLEMENT?
• HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR CLAIM
• THE CRITICAL DEADLINE AND APPROVAL TIMELINE
• WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR WHEN CLAIMING
• HOW MUCH WILL YOU RECEIVE?
• MISSING THE DEADLINE OR FAILING TO QUALIFY

WHO QUALIFIES FOR THE COSTCO SETTLEMENT?

The settlement defines the eligible class very specifically: anyone who received at least one Costco commercial email while residing in Washington State, from June 2, 2021, through July 7, 2026. This is a substantial window—over five years—and Costco’s email list during that period was extensive, which is why the class is expected to be large. If you received even a single promotional email from Costco during that timeframe and were a Washington resident at the moment you received it, you likely qualify. Location matters more than purchase history.

You didn’t need to be a Costco member, didn’t need to have bought anything, and didn’t need to live in Washington the entire time. What matters is your residency status at the moment each email arrived in your inbox. This also means if you moved to Washington midway through 2021, only emails received after you relocated would count toward your claim. Conversely, if you left Washington in 2023, emails from 2024 and 2025 would not qualify you, even if they were forwarded to you out of state.

WHAT LEGAL VIOLATIONS UNDERPIN THIS SETTLEMENT?

costco‘s promotional practices allegedly violated two specific Washington state laws: the Commercial Electronic Mail Act (CEMA) and the Consumer Protection Act (CPA). These laws prohibit businesses from misrepresenting the terms of promotional offers in marketing emails, particularly when the misrepresentation is designed to manipulate consumers into opening or responding to the message. The lawsuit argued that Costco’s use of artificial urgency—suggesting deadlines that didn’t actually exist—violated these protections.

The distinction here is important: Costco wasn’t accused of fraud in the traditional sense, where customers lost money through deceptive pricing. Instead, the violation was in the deceptive mechanism itself—the false sense of urgency created by subject lines. Costco argued in various disclosures that extending promotions was a normal business practice and that customers could find accurate expiration dates in the email body. However, the settlement indicates the court was concerned that consumers often decide whether to open and engage with an email based on the subject line alone, making the misleading subject line itself the injury, regardless of what fine print appeared lower down.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR CLAIM

Submitting a claim is straightforward compared to many class action settlements. You can file online through Verita Connect, the court-appointed settlement administrator, at veritaconnect.com/washingtoncommercialemailsettlement/Claimant. Alternatively, you can file by mail by sending your completed claim form to Aaland v. Costco Wholesale Corporation, Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 301134, Los Angeles, CA 90030-1134.

The mail option requires that your submission be postmarked by August 24, 2026, so if you’re using traditional mail, send it well before that deadline. When you file, you’ll attest under penalty of perjury to three things: that you received one or more Costco commercial emails between June 2, 2021, and July 7, 2026; that you were a Washington resident when you received those emails; and that you owned or had authorized access to the email address you’re providing. You do not need to provide copies of the emails, screenshots, proof of your address at the time, or any supporting documentation. This is a major advantage compared to settlements that demand receipts or other paper trails. However, “penalty of perjury” is not a trivial phrase—signing a false claim form is a crime, and the settlement administrator can and does investigate suspicious patterns.

THE CRITICAL DEADLINE AND APPROVAL TIMELINE

The absolute deadline to file your claim is August 24, 2026. This date has already been set and is non-negotiable; late claims, including those postmarked one day after, will not be accepted. Given that today is July 28, 2026, this leaves only about four weeks to submit your claim. If you’re reading this article weeks after publication, check the current date against this deadline immediately—there is no grace period and no exceptions for changed circumstances.

The settlement itself is moving through the court approval process. Preliminary approval was granted in late June or early July 2026 (sources vary slightly), and the final approval hearing is scheduled for October 2, 2026, before Judge Janet Helson in King County Superior Court. This means that even after you submit your claim, there will be additional court proceedings before payouts occur. Assuming the settlement is finally approved as expected, payments to claimants would likely follow sometime after the October hearing, though the exact timing depends on how many claims are filed and how quickly the administrator processes them.

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR WHEN CLAIMING

One common pitfall is conflating the settlement class with individual customer status. You might have received Costco emails, but if you were not a Washington resident at the time of receipt, you don’t qualify. Moving is frequent enough that some former Washington residents will miss this detail and file invalid claims. Similarly, if someone else owned the email address during the relevant period—such as a shared family account or a work email that belonged to your employer—only the actual owner of that address can claim it. Another warning concerns the finality of your claim.

Once you file, you’re making a sworn statement. If the settlement administrator or opposing counsel later questions your claim and finds evidence you were not actually a Washington resident or did not receive Costco emails, you could face consequences. The administrator has access to email server data, IP geolocation records, and other evidence that might prove or disprove your residency or receipt of emails. For the vast majority of people, filing an honest claim is straightforward and safe. But don’t file a claim unless you genuinely meet the class criteria.

HOW MUCH WILL YOU RECEIVE?

The settlement pool is $14 million, but the exact amount each claimant receives depends on how many valid claims are submitted. This is called pro rata distribution—the settlement is divided equally among all approved claimants, so a higher claim volume means a lower individual payout. If 100,000 people claim, each receives $140. If 50,000 people claim, each receives $280.

The settlement agreement specifies that court-approved deductions for legal fees, settlement administration costs, and any cy pres awards (unclaimed money donated to charity) will be taken from the total before distributions are made. A rough estimate suggests individual payouts could range anywhere from $50 to $500 per claimant, though this is speculative. Settlements of this type and size typically see between 10 to 25 percent of the eligible class file claims, which would suggest payments in the $200 to $500 range. However, publicity about this settlement may drive higher claim rates, reducing individual payouts. The settlement administrator will publish a claim rate and estimated per-claimant payment amount after the August 24 deadline passes and before final court approval in October.

MISSING THE DEADLINE OR FAILING TO QUALIFY

If you miss the August 24 deadline, you forfeit your right to any payment from this settlement. There is no process to revive a missed deadline, no way to submit late claims, and no appeals process based on extenuating circumstances like illness or away travel. The only exception would be if a claimant successfully argues to the court that they were somehow prevented from filing due to circumstances beyond their control, but this is extraordinarily rare and must be proven to a judge. Most people who miss deadlines simply receive nothing.

If you don’t qualify—for instance, you received Costco emails but were living outside Washington during that period—your claim will be rejected during the claims review process. You’ll generally be notified and given an explanation, but rejection is final for purposes of this settlement. The bright side is that nothing is lost by attempting to claim if you believe you qualify; submitting an invalid claim doesn’t expose you to penalties unless you knowingly and fraudulently attest to false information. However, it does waste the administrator’s time and resources, so file only if you genuinely meet the criteria.

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