7 Refund Payments Consumers Could Receive From the FTC Right Now

The FTC currently lists active refund programs involving consumers, workers, students, and customers affected by alleged deceptive business practices. Eligible recipients should verify payments through the FTC’s official refund information and never pay a fee to receive money – Shutterstock

A refund from the Federal Trade Commission can feel like finding money in a coat pocket, except this time there is an actual reason the money exists. The FTC currently lists dozens of active refund programs, and several are sending payments during 2026 to consumers, workers, students, and customers affected by alleged deceptive or unlawful business practices.

There is one important catch: an FTC refund does not work like a government stimulus check that everyone gets simply for existing. Eligibility depends on the specific case, and several current programs involve people who already qualified for an earlier payment but never cashed a check or accepted a previous electronic payment. That makes checking the FTC’s official refund list worthwhile, especially if one of these names looks familiar.