Former AT&T Unlimited Customers Who Missed Their Refund Are Getting Another Payment by Zelle

Some former AT&T unlimited-data customers who missed an earlier settlement payment are getting another chance to collect. The Federal Trade Commission is sending Zelle payments to eligible people who were previously sent a refund but never cashed the check or accepted the PayPal payment.

Who Is Getting This Round

This is not a new open claims process for every former AT&T customer. The FTC says the current payments are going to eligible former customers who were already identified for a refund and did not complete the earlier payment.

The underlying case involved allegations that AT&T reduced data speeds for customers sold unlimited-data plans after they reached certain usage thresholds. AT&T agreed to a $60 million settlement to resolve the FTC case.

The Money Goes Straight to the Bank Account

The FTC says eligible recipients will receive the new payment through Zelle. If the payment is legitimate, it is deposited directly into the linked bank account with a note about the settlement.

The agency says it will never ask a recipient to pay money to get an FTC refund. That warning is important because an unexpected electronic payment can create exactly the kind of uncertainty scammers exploit.

Millions Have Already Been Returned

Earlier distributions from the AT&T settlement returned tens of millions of dollars to consumers. In April 2024, the FTC announced another round of partial refunds totaling nearly $6.3 million, following earlier bill credits and checks.

The current Zelle round is designed to reach people whose prior payment was never completed, rather than calculate a new award for everyone in the original case.

What to Do With an Unexpected Zelle Refund

A recipient who wants to verify the payment can go directly to the FTC’s refund page rather than clicking a link in an unsolicited message. The agency lists the AT&T refund administrator and phone number on its official site.

For eligible former customers, the important difference this time is simple: a refund that previously went unclaimed is being sent again through a different payment method.

References: AT&T Data Throttling Refunds | FTC Sends Refunds to Former AT&T Wireless Customers Who Were Subject to Data Throttling