7 Things Former AT&T Customers Should Know About the FTC Refunds Arriving by Zelle

Former AT&T customers may receive FTC refund payments through Zelle as part of the agency’s ongoing data-throttling refund program. The FTC warns that legitimate refunds never require upfront fees or payment to receive the money – Shutterstock

A Zelle payment from the Federal Trade Commission can make an ordinary banking notification look surprisingly interesting. In August 2026, the FTC began sending Zelle payments to eligible former AT&T customers who previously received a refund check or PayPal payment but never completed the payment process.

This money traces back to the FTC’s case involving AT&T’s old unlimited data plans and allegations that the company slowed customers’ data speeds after they reached certain usage thresholds without adequately disclosing those restrictions. The settlement dates back years, so the arrival of a payment now can feel like finding an old receipt in a desk drawer and discovering it still matters.