The court approved the settlement on December 18, 2023. Payments from the settlement fund could not be made until at least 30 days after the date of that hearing to allow an appeal if anyone objected to the settlement. No appeal was filed, and a list of claimants with approved claims that were filed by December 31 was provided to the claims administrator to issue checks.

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We have received several questions regarding the timing and amount of the settlement payments. Here are some of the frequently asked questions and answers:

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1.  What determines whether I will be eligible to receive a payment or not? Jails and prisons use several different vendors to issue release cards to return money to persons released from custody. This settlement involves only release cards issued by defendant Rapid Financial Services and its partner banks. If you received release cards from more than one facility, you may have received release cards issued by other vendors, including JPay and Numi, who are not included in this case. 

2. How do you determine whether I am eligible? Defendant Rapid provided data regarding persons who received its release cards. We use that data, which includes names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, facilities, and other information, and compare that data to the information provided in your claim form to determine if you are eligible.  Your date of birth is particularly significant in determining whether you are entitled to participate in the settlement as there are more than 2.5 million members of the class, many with similar names.

3. How is the amount I will receive determined? You will receive $15 plus three times the amount of fees you paid for using all of the cards you received. For example, if you paid total fees of $5.00 on one card and $3.50 on another card, you would receive $40.50 calculated as follows: $5.00 + $3.50 = $8.50. Three times $8.50 is $25.50. $15 is added to that amount for a total of $40.50.  If you were able to withdraw or use all of the money on your cards without paying fees, you will still receive $15. 

4. When will I receive my check? On January 22, 2024, we sent the claims administrator a list of  eligible claimants and the amount of money they should be paid for most of the eligible claims filed by December 31. Those checks were mailed on February 16, 2024. A second round of checks was mailed on April 2, 2024. A final round of checks will be mailed by May 30, 2024. Checks are issued by the claims administrator. For questions regarding mailing issues regarding the checks contact the claims administrator directly by emailing reichartvrapid@kroll.com or using their toll-free number, 1-833-933-6670. 

5. Will you tell me if the claim I filed is not eligible to participate in the settlement?  If you provided us with a valid email address, we will notify you if your claim was not allowed. If we cannot contact you by email, we will attempt to notify you by regular mail using the address you provided.

6. I received a postcard in the mail regarding the settlement. Am I entitled to participate in the settlement?. If you received a postcard in the mail with a Class Member ID number (for example, 77787DH8JF2K3), it has already been determined that you are eligible to participate in the settlement. However, you will not receive a payment from the settlement fund unless you file a claim either online, by email, or by regular mail by April 30, 2024. The claim form is available online at  Release Card Settlement claim form. if you have any questions about filing a claim contact us at  releasecard@sylaw.com.  You can also call for assistance at 1-833-933 6670.

7. What if I have additional questions regarding the settlement? The best way to contact us if you have questions regarding your claim, the amount of the payment, or have information you believe shows that you were eligible to participate, is to contact us at releasecard@sylaw.com. You can also call for information at 1-833-933 6670.