A federal judge granted final approval on May 22, 2026, to a $5.2 million class action settlement with Albert Corporation and Albert Cash, LLC, resolving claims that the company’s “Albert Instant” cash advance product charged illegal fees to active-duty military servicemembers and their dependents. Eligible class members will receive roughly $30 per qualifying transaction automatically, with no claim form required.1MLASettlement.com. Feeman v. Albert Corporation Settlement FAQ
Who Qualifies for a Payment
The settlement class is narrow. It covers people who meet all three of these conditions:
- Received an Albert Instant cash advance between December 1, 2024, and December 12, 2025
- Paid a transfer fee (typically $5.99 to $14.99) on that advance
- Were active-duty servicemembers, spouses, or eligible dependents at the time of the transaction2ClassAction.org. Feeman et al. v. Albert Corporation et al., Preliminary Approval Order
The parties estimated the class at approximately 13,804 people. Civilian Albert users are not covered. If you used Albert Instant but had no connection to military service during the relevant window, this settlement does not apply to you.
How Much You Get and How It Arrives
Each eligible class member will receive approximately $30 for each qualifying Albert Instant transaction. Payment goes out automatically, by check mailed to the address Albert has on file or by electronic payment if you elect one through the settlement website at MLASettlement.com.3MLASettlement.com. Feeman v. Albert Corporation Settlement No claim form is required. A second payment may follow depending on how many of the initial checks are cashed.
Questions go to the settlement administrator, Simpluris, at info@MLASettlement.com or (833) 647-8947.4ClassAction.org. Feeman et al. v. Albert Corporation et al., Class Notice
Deductions from the $5.2 million fund before distribution include class counsel’s requested fee of 25% ($1.3 million) plus expenses, service awards of up to $5,000 each for the two named plaintiffs, and settlement administration costs.1MLASettlement.com. Feeman v. Albert Corporation Settlement FAQ
What the Lawsuit Claimed
The case, Feeman v. Albert Corporation, was filed in March 2025 by two active-duty servicemembers: Robert Feeman, a Navy Chief Petty Officer, and Bradley Bailey, an Army Sergeant. It was later removed to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.5CourtListener. Robert Feeman v. Albert Corporation
The heart of the complaint was that Albert’s fees pushed the true cost of borrowing far above legal caps. Albert Instant lets users borrow between $25 and $1,000 against future income, with instant delivery costing a transfer fee of $5.99 to $14.99 and access requiring a paid Albert subscription of roughly $12 to $22 per month. Advances are typically repaid within six days. Factoring in the fees and mandatory subscription, plaintiffs alleged, effective annual percentage rates on some small, quickly repaid advances exceeded 700%.6ClassAction.org. Feeman et al. v. Albert Corporation et al., First Amended Class Action Complaint
The Military Lending Act caps the military annual percentage rate on covered credit at 36% for active-duty servicemembers and their dependents. The complaint also alleged Albert failed to provide credit disclosures required by the MLA and the Truth in Lending Act, used prohibited mandatory arbitration and class action waiver provisions, and gained impermissible security over borrowers’ bank accounts by requiring linked deposit access. A separate count alleged that the product amounted to an illegal payday loan under the Georgia Payday Lending Act, which voids such loans and exposes lenders to liability for three times the charges collected.6ClassAction.org. Feeman et al. v. Albert Corporation et al., First Amended Class Action Complaint
Albert and Albert Cash denied all allegations of wrongdoing and liability.3MLASettlement.com. Feeman v. Albert Corporation Settlement
What Albert Agreed to Change
Along with the cash fund, Albert agreed to stop charging transfer fees on Instant advances to active-duty servicemembers and eligible dependents for two years, through September 30, 2027.7ClassAction.org. $5.2M Albert Instant Settlement Ends Class Action Lawsuit Over Allegedly Illegal Payday Loan Fees This applies to eligible military users generally, not only to those in the settlement class.
When Payments Go Out
Judge Michelle Williams Court held the Final Fairness Hearing on May 22, 2026, called the settlement “fair, just, reasonable, and adequate,” and dismissed the case with prejudice the same day.8PACER Monitor. Robert Feeman v. Albert Corporation et al. Distribution follows the resolution of any appeals and the deduction of attorneys’ fees, service awards, and administration costs from the fund. If your contact information with Albert has changed, update it through the settlement website so a check reaches you.
Where This Fits in the Cash Advance App Litigation
The Albert settlement is the first in a wave of military lending cases against cash advance apps to reach final approval. Beginning in March and April 2025, at least six such companies faced similar class actions.9Law.com. Cash Advance Apps Slammed With Class Actions Alleging Predatory Lending to Military Service Members As of early 2026, every court to decide whether “earned wage access” products constitute credit subject to lending laws has ruled that they do, with parallel cases against Dave, Cleo AI, and MoneyLion producing rulings adverse to those companies.10National Consumer Law Center. Courts Reject Claims That Payday Loan Apps Don’t Offer Loans Several of those decisions are on appeal to federal circuit courts.