Publishers Clearing House Settlement: $18.5 Million in Refunds

Who qualifies

• People who received one of the Publishers Clearing House email campaigns the FTC alleged was deceptive, clicked on it, and then ordered a product. All three had to be true.
• Refund amounts varied by how much each customer spent, so the fund was distributed proportionally rather than as equal shares.
• Being a PCH customer, entering the sweepstakes, or receiving PCH mail was not enough on its own. The FTC was explicit that not every PCH customer was eligible.
• No one had to file a claim, submit proof, or prove a loss. The FTC identified recipients from PCH's own customer records and mailed checks directly.
• The refund did not depend on whether you ever won a prize, and winning a prize did not disqualify you.
• Prize winners owed money by PCH are in a different situation entirely — they are creditors in the bankruptcy, not FTC refund recipients.

The PCH settlement and bankruptcy — what happened

1. 1

   June 2023 — the FTC sued and PCH settled the same week

   The FTC filed its complaint in the Eastern District of New York on June 26, 2023, along with a proposed stipulated order that PCH had already agreed to. Judge Eric N. Vitaliano entered the order on June 30, 2023, requiring $18.5 million for refunds plus changes to PCH's online sales practices.

2. 2

   What the FTC said PCH did

   The complaint alleged PCH misled people about how to enter its sweepstakes, made them think a purchase was necessary to win or would increase their chances, told them their entries were incomplete when they were not, used email subject lines resembling official documents or tax forms, added shipping and handling fees that increased order costs by an average of 40%, and advertised ordering as "risk-free" while charging customers to return products.

3. 3

   April 9, 2025 — PCH filed for Chapter 11

   PCH filed for bankruptcy protection in the Southern District of New York, case number 25-10694, before Chief Judge Martin Glenn. Court filings showed roughly $11.7 million in assets against about $65.7 million in liabilities. Annual revenue had fallen from $854 million in 2017 to $182 million by 2023 as direct mail collapsed.

4. 4

   April 2025 — the FTC refund checks went out anyway

   The 281,724 checks were mailed in April 2025, weeks after the bankruptcy filing. They were unaffected because the FTC had already collected the money under the 2023 court order — the refunds came out of the FTC's fund, not out of the bankruptcy estate.

5. 5

   July 2025 — the brand was sold and old prizes were left behind

   The bankruptcy court approved the sale of substantially all PCH assets to ARB Interactive, Inc. for $7.1 million. Press reporting on the sale, including Fortune, states that ARB said it would not be responsible for prizes issued before July 15, 2025 — leaving winners of "forever" prizes, who were promised weekly or annual payments for life, without those payments. Ten unidentified prize winners were listed among PCH's largest unsecured creditors when it filed.

6. 6

   If you are a prize winner who stopped being paid

   You are a creditor in a bankruptcy case, not a settlement claimant, and the FTC refund program cannot help. Claims of that kind are handled through the bankruptcy court in the Southern District of New York. This is a situation for a lawyer or the bankruptcy claims agent, not a claim form.

7. 7

   Watch for scams using the PCH name

   Fake prize and sweepstakes notices are among the most common frauds targeting older adults, and a real settlement makes them more convincing. The FTC never asks anyone to pay a fee or share account details to receive a refund. A legitimate sweepstakes never requires a payment to release a prize.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and official records

Every figure and date on this page was taken from the primary records below — court dockets, agency releases, and the settlement administrator's own notices. Payout averages we describe as averages are calculated from the official totals, not reported per-person estimates.

• FTC — publishers clearing house refunds page (current payout status and eligibility)
• FTC press release — FTC Sends More Than $18 Million to Consumers Harmed by Publishers Clearing House
• FTC press release — FTC Takes Action Against Publishers Clearing House for Misleading Consumers About Sweepstakes Entries
• FTC case record — Publishers Clearing House, LLC (PCH), FTC v.