20 Years and Still Waiting: The Absurd Reality of the Payment Card Interchange Lawsuit  

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Twenty years.

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That's how long the Payment Card Interchange saga has been unfolding, and for the 18.6 million U.S. eligible merchants, the waiting game is far from over. What started in 2005 as a fight against excessive Visa and Mastercard interchange fees, has become a masterclass in how the settlement process can drag on indefinitely. It's also a powerful lesson in why smart business owners shouldn’t wait around for a bureaucratic resolution.

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The Timeline That Defies Logic

Let's put this in perspective. When this lawsuit was first filed in 2005:

• Facebook was limited to college students
• The iPhone didn't exist
• Netflix was still mailing DVDs
• YouTube had just launched
• George W. Bush was president

Two decades later, merchants are still waiting for their money.

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The Latest Admission: "We Don't Know"

Here's the most telling part of this saga: even the settlement administrators – the people whose job it is to distribute the $5.5 billion – admit they don't actually know when payments will begin.

Current estimates suggest another year or more, but that’s guesswork. After 20 years of fighting, delays, extensions, and administrative hurdles, this timeline likely won’t hold.

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The Predictable Pattern of Settlement Delays

These delays aren’t unique to the Payment Card Settlement. They’re following a well-established pattern that affects virtually every major class action settlement:

• Phase 1: Legal Victory ✓ Complete - Settlement reached in 2023  
• Phase 2: Appeals and Challenges ✓ Multiple rounds completed
• Phase 3: Claims Processing ✓ Deadline extended, finally closed February 2025
• Phase 4: Administrative Limbo ← You are here
• Phase 5: Distribution Timeline: Unknown

The problem? Phase 4 can last years. Settlement administrators must verify claims, resolve disputes, calculate pro-rata distributions, and navigate countless administrative requirements. Each step introduces new potential delays.

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The Business Cost of Waiting

While merchants wait for their settlement checks, real costs accumulate:

• Opportunity Cost: Money tied up in settlements can't be invested in growth, equipment, or expansion.
• Cash Flow Impact: Businesses planning around expected settlement funds face uncertainty.
• Inflation Erosion: The purchasing power of your settlement decreases with each month of delay. What $10,000 could buy for your business today won't be the same in 12-18 months.
• Competitive Disadvantage: While you wait, competitors with immediate capital are growing, expanding, and capturing market share.

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Why Some Merchants Aren't Waiting

Many Payment Card Settlement claimants have chosen a different path. Instead of leaving their money in administrative limbo, they've partnered with litigation funders to:

• Access immediate cash flow for business operations.
• Invest in growth opportunities while competitors wait.
• Prepare for economic challenges like tariffs and supply chain issues.
• Take control of their financial timeline instead of leaving it to administrators.

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The Benefits of Moving Forward Now

Immediate Capital: Turn your settlement claim into working capital within weeks, not years.

Risk Transfer: Litigation funding companies assume the risk of collection delays or issues.

Business Growth: Use immediate funding to expand, upgrade, or strengthen your market position.

Peace of Mind: Remove the uncertainty of settlement timing from your business planning.

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Lessons from 20 Years of Waiting

The Payment Card Settlement offers valuable lessons for any business facing similar situations:

1. Settlement timelines are consistently underestimated – expect delays beyond official projections
2. Administrative processes are complex and unpredictable – even professionals can't provide reliable timelines
3. Waiting has real business costs – opportunity costs compound over time
4. Alternative solutions exist – litigation financing provides immediate access to settlement value

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The Smart Business Decision

After two decades of litigation and an unknown timeline ahead, the question isn't whether you'll eventually receive your settlement money – it's whether you can afford to wait any longer.

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Your business deserves better than indefinite uncertainty.

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The merchants who are thriving aren't the ones still waiting for administrators to figure out their timelines. They're the ones who took control of their financial future and chose immediate funding over indefinite delays.

Don't let a 20-year lawsuit become a 25-year wait. Your settlement award is real, it's substantial, and it can be working for your business now – not someday when bureaucracy finally catches up.

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Ready to Stop Waiting?

Don't let a 20-year lawsuit become a 25-year wait. Your settlement award is real, it's substantial, and it can be working for your business now – not someday when bureaucracy finally catches up.

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Find out how you can turn your settlement funds into immediate funds in weeks, not years. No commitment, no hassles – just information about your options.

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Or call 1-(800) 565-517 to speak with a funding specialist today.

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RD Legal Funding has been helping business owners turn legal victories into immediate financial results for over 25 years.