Do you need proof to file a class action claim?

The surprising default: no receipts

The most common reason people skip filing a settlement claim is the assumption that they'd need to dig up a years-old receipt. Usually they wouldn't.

Most consumer settlements use attestation: you check a box confirming, under penalty of perjury, that you bought the product or used the service during the covered window. That legal weight is the point — lying on a claim form is perjury, so administrators can accept claims without receipts while keeping fraud low.

Administrators also verify more than you see. They often match your claim against the company's own records — purchase databases, account emails, subscriber lists — which is why claim forms ask for the email or phone number tied to your account.

When proof IS required

Some settlements require documentation, typically when:

• Payouts are larger. Higher per-person amounts attract fraudulent claims, so administrators require receipts, bank statements, or account screenshots.
• The company has no record of you. Cash purchases of retail products, for example, can't be verified against a customer database.
• You're claiming documented losses. Many settlements pay a base amount with no proof, plus a larger reimbursement tier if you document actual losses or time spent.

A real example from our catalog: the JUUL marketing settlement ($255 million, plus $45.5 million from Altria, administered by Epiq, closed February 2024) required purchasers to upload a receipt or bank-statement line showing a purchase. In contrast, the FTC's Fortnite refund program mostly needed the email on your Epic Games account — the FTC already had the purchase records.

What counts as proof

When documentation is required, administrators are usually flexible about format:

• A receipt or order confirmation email
• A bank or card statement line showing the merchant
• A screenshot of your account or purchase history
• A breach notification letter or email, for data breach settlements

A phone photo of a paper receipt is fine. If you don't have proof for a proof-required settlement, check whether it has a no-proof tier — many pay a smaller base amount to everyone in the class.

How Owed handles this

When we match you to settlements, each one is flagged "No proof" or "Proof required" up front, and claim forms tell you exactly what document works before you start. See what's live right now: check what you qualify for.

For the bigger picture on how claims turn into checks, read how class action settlements actually pay out.