You could be entitled to a small slice of a $630 million Google payout — and if you are, there's a good chance you won't even have to lift a finger to get yours.
Google recently agreed to pay $700 million to settle a landmark antitrust lawsuit it was facing, and $630 million of that amount will be set aside for payouts to consumers.
The settlement came after Google was accused of using its Google Play Store to dominate Android mobile apps as a monopoly and charge customers higher prices.
Lawyers estimate around 102 million people will be eligible to receive some of that money and a good chunk will even be automatically compensated — an estimated 70% of those fully eligible. That's about 71.4 million people.
Who is eligible for Google's settlement payout
Those who are eligible for payment are described as people who had a "legal address" in the US in their Google payment profile when they bought an app from the Google Play Store or made an in-app payment between Aug. 16, 2016 and Sept. 30, 2023, according to legal documents. The address could have been in any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands.
Eligible people can expect to get an email notice. The estimated 70% who are expected to get an automatic payment won't have to file a claim or take any action. Each person can expect a payment of at least $2, but the amount will depend on how much money they've spent on the Google Play Store.
The email users will be notified on will be the same one associated with the user's Google Play Store account. If this email address is linked to a PayPal or Venmo account, then the owner can expect to get payment via one of these platforms. They will also be notified by email once the PayPal or Venmo payment has been made.
People who are eligible for payment above a certain amount, but didn't get a payment via PayPal, Venmo, or another method can expect to get paid via check.
For now, it isn't known exactly how the other 30% of those eligible will be able to file a claim for their money. Typically, there is a dedicated website for eligible people to file claims and request payment.
Business Insider has reached out to the law firms handling the settlement for more information on the claims process.
