Panera agrees to $2 million settlement for class action lawsuit: How to see if you’re owed money

Bakery-cafe chain Panera has agreed to pay $2 million to settle a group of class-action lawsuits, which will give some of its customers a cash payout.

According to Kroll Settlement Administration, a third-party firm in charge of handling the settlement, Panera was accused by class-action plaintiffs in three states — Missouri, California and Illinois — of misrepresenting its delivery fees and menu prices for delivery orders on the Panera app and website between Oct. 1, 2020 and Aug. 31, 2021.

Panera is being accused of marking up food prices for delivery orders by 5% to 7%, according to a Feb. 22, 2023 filing which said that Panera listed a “FREE, $1 or flat fee, low-cost delivery on food deliveries ordered through its App and website” but added hidden costs that constituted a delivery fee.

“In other words, the identical sandwich costs approximately $1 more when ordered for delivery than when ordered via the same mobile app for pickup, versus when ordered in-store,” reads the lawsuit, asserting that the alleged secret markup was “specifically designed” to cover the costs of delivering food.

Panera did not immediately respond to TODAY.com’s request for comment, but it has denied that its practices “give rise to claims for damages” by the plaintiffs or any of the class members but has “decided to avoid further costs of defense” with this settlement.

Panera reached the agreement with the plaintiffs under the stipulation that the company wouldn’t have to admit fault, saying that the settlement “shall not be construed as any admission or concession by Panera.”

How to file a claim

Customers who placed an order for delivery on the Panera app and/or website between Oct. 1, 2020 and Aug. 31, 2021 may be entitled to a payment from the class action settlement in one of two ways:

• Soups & Mac Vouchers Settlement Award: Class members can elect to receive two vouchers for a free item from Panera’s “Soups & Mac” menu. The long-form notice on the Kroll site says this is valued at most at $19 per claimant, or $9.50 per voucher. No additional purchase will be necessary to use them.

• Cash Settlement Award: Class members can also elect to receive an electronic payment of up to $12 via PayPal. But if there are so many class members that not everyone can receive $12, the settlement will distribute funds proportionally to all parties.

Affected customers who were emailed a class member ID can fill out an online claim form here by the deadline of June 10.

They will need to provide proof of purchase to verify their claim, which can be the phone number under which the order was placed and an email notice if they received one.

Those who didn’t receive an email notice but still know they fall under the class action can download a claim form, fill it out and mail it to: Panera Delivery Fees Settlement, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, PO Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com