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See common questions and answers about the FTC's $100 million settlement with Walmart below.

Question: What was this lawsuit about?

A.  According to the Federal Trade Commission’s complaint, Walmart, in connection with the Spark Driver program:

  • Failed to pay some drivers their promised base pay and tips;
  • Failed to pay some drivers for incentive opportunities and promotions that they completed; and
  • Collected tips from some customers that were never paid to drivers.

Question: What is required under the FTC’s settlement with Walmart?

A. As part of the FTC’s settlement with Walmart, Walmart agreed to a $100 million judgment and will be subject to an Earnings Verification Program for the next 10 years. Walmart is also banned from misrepresenting earnings and other information related to work performed by drivers going forward.

Question: How will the $100 million judgment in this settlement be distributed?

A. The $100 million judgment is being distributed as follows:

  • The order directs Walmart to pay $79 million directly to drivers. Harmed drivers who have already received payments should have received an email from Walmart stating the date(s) that these payments were made. Drivers who have not yet received payments will receive an email from Walmart if they are determined to be eligible for payment.
  • $10 million will be paid by Walmart to the FTC, which intends to distribute this money to drivers. You don't need to contact the FTC to get a payment.
  • $11 million will be paid by Walmart as a civil penalty to the 11 States who participated in the case.

Question: Who is included in this settlement?

A. The FTC’s complaint sought nationwide relief for drivers who accepted an offer to deliver goods or shop for goods in connection with the Spark Driver program and did not receive promised payments due to Walmart’s conduct. The settlement is not limited to drivers living in the states that filed this action with the FTC. Not every Walmart Spark Driver will get a payment.

Question: How do I get a payment?

A. You don’t need to do anything. Walmart is in the process of identifying and paying back affected drivers. You don't need to contact the FTC to get a payment.

For now, you can:

Remember, the FTC never asks you to pay to get a refund. Don't pay anyone who promises you a refund in exchange for a fee. And don’t provide personal information to anyone who contacts you promising a refund. For more information about how the FTC provides refunds, please review our related FAQs.

Q. How much will I get?

A. Your payment amount will depend on several factors, including the number of harmed Spark Drivers.

Q. Why did I receive payments in connection with the settlement before it was announced?

A. Walmart began making payments to drivers in connection with the settlement in mid-2025 to address the allegations in the FTC’s case. Because these payments were made in connection with the allegations in the FTC’s complaint, they were included in the settlement

Q. I live in a state that was not part of this lawsuit. Does that mean I won’t get paid?

A. No. Walmart and the FTC will pay eligible drivers nationwide.

Q. How much money from FTC lawsuits goes to FTC attorneys?

A.  None of the money collected in FTC lawsuits goes to the FTC or its attorneys. The FTC is a federal government agency funded by Congress.

The FTC uses money collected from its lawsuits to pay for the direct costs of administering a refund process, like the cost of printing and mailing checks. Except for these administrative costs, the FTC tries to return all the money collected for refunds to injured consumers. Any money that cannot be distributed to affected drivers will be used for consumer education or revert to the United States Treasury.

The FTC reports how much money was returned to consumers, how much was spent on administrative costs, and how much was sent to the U.S. Treasury when there were leftover funds, each year and for every case, on the agency’s Refunds Dashboard.

Q. I believe that Walmart owes me money for something else. Will I receive money from this settlement?

A.  No, this settlement is only for certain issues related to Walmart Spark Driver base pay, tips, or incentives. For more information about those issues: please see the FTC’s press release and  FTC helps Walmart Spark Drivers (and other gig workers): here’s how.

Q. Does receiving a payment in this lawsuit affect my rights or ability to participate in my own lawsuit about Spark Driver?

A. No. The FTC does not require you to give up any rights you may have under federal or state law to accept a payment from an FTC action.

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