The proposed $15,000,000 settlement covers people who borrowed from the online lender Bright Lending and were charged allegedly usurious interest. Payments are automatic - the notice says you do not need to file a claim - and no payment will be less than $15, with a second distribution possible from any funds left after the first checks clear. The deadline to change your payment option or exclude yourself is December 21, 2026 and the approval hearing is January 19, 2027; the court has not yet given final approval.
Automatic
New
Benefit Summary
Monetary Relief Class: available benefits include Pro rata cash payment; $15 minimum, Additional debt cancellation, Negative credit-entry deletion request, No sale of personal information.
Debt Relief Class: available benefits include Outstanding loan balance cancelled, Negative credit-entry deletion request, No sale of personal information.
Payments come from the $15,000,000 settlement fund and may change after approved deductions.
Available Awards
Monetary Relief Class: Pro rata cash payment; $15 minimum; Debt Relief Class: See benefit details
Who Is Included
The settlement has a Monetary Relief Class for qualifying borrowers who fully repaid at least one Bright Lending loan and a separate Debt Relief Class for qualifying borrowers with an unpaid loan who are not in the Monetary Relief Class. Nevada and Utah residents are excluded from both classes.
- Proof required: No supporting documents for monetary losses are stated for the automatic benefits. A Monetary Relief Class Member must use the settlement website only if they want to correct a mailing address or select electronic payment, and the website uses a last name and notice ID to look up eligibility.
Claim and Payment Information
- Claim method: Automatic payment by mailed check, unless a Monetary Relief Class Member uses the settlement website to select ACH, Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle.
- Instructions: No claim form is required for the automatic benefits. Monetary Relief Class Members can use the settlement website to update a mailing address or choose an electronic payment instead of a check.
Questions & Answers
Who is included in the two settlement classes?
- The Monetary Relief Class is for U.S. residents, other than Nevada and Utah residents, who made at least one Bright Lending loan agreement from October 1, 2020 through June 4, 2026 and fully repaid at least one loan.
- The Debt Relief Class is for U.S. residents, other than Nevada and Utah residents, who made a Bright Lending loan agreement from October 1, 2020 through December 31, 2024, have at least one loan not fully repaid, and are not in the Monetary Relief Class.
- You cannot belong to both classes. A person in the Monetary Relief Class may still receive cancellation of a separate qualifying unpaid loan, but does not become a Debt Relief Class Member.
How is the Monetary Relief Class cash payment calculated?
- Monetary Relief Class Members will receive a cash payment from the $15 million Settlement Fund.
- The payment is based on a proportional share of the alleged unlawful interest paid above the loan principal. The notice guarantees at least $15, including for someone who did not pay that interest above principal.
- The amount available for cash payments can be reduced by attorneys’ fees, costs, and service awards that the Court approves. The notice does not give each person’s final payment amount.
What happens to an unpaid Bright Lending loan?
- A Debt Relief Class Member’s outstanding balance on a Bright Lending loan made from October 1, 2020 through December 31, 2024 will be cancelled after the settlement becomes final.
- Bright Lending also agreed to stop collection activity and not sell outstanding balances covered by the settlement after it becomes final.
- A Monetary Relief Class Member with a separate unpaid loan from that same date range may also receive cancellation of that loan balance in addition to the cash payment.
Do I need to file a claim or provide documents, and how will a cash payment be sent?
- No claim form is required for the automatic benefits, and the notice does not ask eligible people to provide documents to support a payment.
- For a cash payment, the default method is a check mailed to the address shown on the notice.
- A Monetary Relief Class Member can update that address or choose ACH, Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle through the settlement website by December 21, 2026.
When will benefits take effect?
- Cash payments, debt cancellation, and the credit-reporting actions occur only after the settlement becomes final.
- The Court’s approval hearing is scheduled for January 19, 2027 at 9:00 a.m. The notice says the hearing is telephonic and provides a call-in number and access code.
- The hearing date or time may change without another notice.
Does the settlement provide any credit-reporting or privacy relief?
- For either class, Bright Lending will ask consumer reporting agencies to delete negative entries that Bright Lending previously reported for loans made during the class period.
- Defendants also agreed not to sell class members’ personal information to third parties for marketing.
- These steps are to occur after the settlement becomes final.
What rights do I give up if I stay in the settlement?
- If you stay in the Monetary Relief Class, you release claims against the defendants and other released parties related to any Bright Lending loan, including claims that could have been brought and claims you may not know about.
- If you stay in the Debt Relief Class, you give up the right to bring group-based cases or arbitrations about those claims, but retain the right to bring an individual lawsuit or individual arbitration.
- These rules apply unless you exclude yourself from the settlement.
How do I exclude myself (opt out), and what changes if I do?
- Leaving the settlement means giving up all settlement benefits, including cash payment and debt cancellation, but keeping the right to bring your own lawsuit.
- To leave, mail a personally signed exclusion letter by December 21, 2026. It must identify the case, give your name, address, and telephone number, and include the required request for exclusion.
- A Monetary Relief Class Member with an unpaid loan eligible for cancellation cannot leave only the debt-cancellation part of the settlement.
How can I object to the settlement?
- An objection tells the Court why you think it should not approve the settlement. It is different from leaving the settlement.
- To object, you must file or mail your written objection to the Court and send a copy to the Settlement Administrator by mail or email by December 21, 2026.
- The notice lists required information, including your contact information, a confirmation that you are a class member, the factual and legal basis for the objection, and any prior class-settlement objections by you or your lawyer.
Could there be a second cash distribution?
- If money remains after the deadline for cashing the first checks, the settlement agreement allows for a possible second distribution to Monetary Relief Class Members who cashed their first check.
- A second distribution is not guaranteed.
Other Important Dates
- Exclusion deadline: 2026-12-21
- Objection deadline: 2026-12-21
- Final approval hearing: January 19, 2027 at 9:00 a.m.
- Hearing location: Telephonic hearing; call-in number 650-479-3207, access code 2305-915-8729.
Case Details
- Total settlement fund: $15,000,000
- Case name: Dixon v. Gatzke
- Case number: 1:24-cv-11834
- Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- Administrator: Settlement Administrator
- Official Settlement Website: https://www.BrightLendingSettlement.com
Sources
Official Settlement Website
Claim form, FAQ, deadlines, administrator information
Visit Site →Claim form, FAQ, deadlines, administrator information
Official Settlement Notice (PDF)
Court-approved notice describing eligibility and benefits
Open PDF →Court-approved notice describing eligibility and benefits