Bickerstaff v. SunTrust Bank Class Action Settlement: $240 Million for Georgia Customers Charged Overdraft Fees on ATM and Debit Transactions

What happened

Class period: July 12, 2006 – April 15, 2014

• SunTrust Bank charged overdraft fees on ATM and debit card transactions — fees the lawsuit alleges constituted illegal interest under Georgia's usury laws, which cap the amount of interest a lender can charge
• The lawsuit further alleged that SunTrust committed conversion and was liable under a theory of "money had and received" by collecting these fees
• Charles Daniel Bickerstaff filed suit on July 12, 2010 — a case so determined it survived long enough to see SunTrust merge into an entirely different bank (now Truist) before reaching settlement
• The Georgia Court of Appeals weighed in as recently as February 2025, narrowing the class to exclude account holders who closed their accounts before June 1, 2010, and capping eligible overdraft fees at those charged before April 15, 2014, when Georgia amended its usury laws
• SunTrust denies all wrongdoing and denies that its overdraft fees constitute interest, but agreed to a $240 million settlement to end sixteen years of litigation

What you can get

Key dates

Who may qualify

• You were a Georgia citizen on July 12, 2010 and continuously remained a Georgia citizen through October 6, 2017
• You had one or more SunTrust Bank accounts that were not closed before June 1, 2010
• Between July 12, 2006 and April 15, 2014, you had at least one overdraft of $500 or less resulting from an ATM or debit card transaction
• You paid an overdraft fee, NSF fee, insufficient funds fee, or extended overdraft fee as a result of that transaction
• You did not receive a refund of those fees
• 158 individuals who previously opted out of the certified class are excluded

How to file

1. 1. Confirm you are a Settlement Class Member — if you received a postcard or email notice, SunTrust's records already suggest you qualify; if you believe you qualify but received no notice, contact the Settlement Administrator immediately at 1-877-239-8765
2. 2. Do nothing right now — claim forms are not yet available and will only be distributed after the Court grants final approval of the settlement at the May 26, 2026 Fairness Hearing
3. 3. Once the settlement is approved, watch for your personal Claim Form to arrive by mail and/or email; it will include your specific account information pre-populated from SunTrust's records
4. 4. Complete and sign the Claim Form, affirming under penalty of perjury that you were a Georgia citizen on July 12, 2010 and continuously remained one through October 6, 2017
5. 5. Submit one Claim Form per eligible account — by mail or online — by the deadline published on the settlement website after court approval; missing the deadline means forfeiting your payment

Proof required

• 1. Confirm you are a Settlement Class Member — if you received a postcard or email notice, SunTrust's records already suggest you qualify; if you believe you qualify but received no notice, contact the Settlement Administrator immediately at 1-877-239-8765
• 2. Do nothing right now — claim forms are not yet available and will only be distributed after the Court grants final approval of the settlement at the May 26, 2026 Fairness Hearing
• 3. Once the settlement is approved, watch for your personal Claim Form to arrive by mail and/or email; it will include your specific account information pre-populated from SunTrust's records
• 4. Complete and sign the Claim Form, affirming under penalty of perjury that you were a Georgia citizen on July 12, 2010 and continuously remained one through October 6, 2017
• 5. Submit one Claim Form per eligible account — by mail or online — by the deadline published on the settlement website after court approval; missing the deadline means forfeiting your payment

Payment timing

Payments will not be issued until after the Court grants final approval at the May 26, 2026 Fairness Hearing and any appeal period has expired without challenge. The Settlement Administrator will send payment by check or digital transfer via Zelle. Claim form deadlines and distribution timelines will be posted to the settlement website after court approval.

Important links

• Official website
• Claim form
• Important dates
• FAQs
• Documents

Contact

Extra details

• This case has been in litigation since July 12, 2010 — if you feel like you've been waiting a while for your overdraft fees back, the math checks out
• The Georgia Court of Appeals issued a ruling as recently as February 20, 2025 that shaped the final settlement class, excluding accounts closed before June 1, 2010 and capping eligible fees at those charged before April 15, 2014
• Prejudgment interest of 7% simple interest per year accrues on each account's overdraft fee total from the date the account reached a positive balance through December 31, 2025 — so the longer the wait, the more interest has been tacking on
• SunTrust is now part of Truist Bank following a 2019 merger; do not contact Truist directly about this settlement, as they cannot assist with claims
• Class Counsel is requesting attorneys' fees of up to 33⅓% of the $240 million settlement fund (up to $80 million), plus up to $3 million in expenses; the Court may award less
• Class Representative Charles Daniel Bickerstaff may receive an incentive payment of up to $200,000 for his 16 years of service to the class
• All Settlement Class Members release their claims against SunTrust regardless of whether they submit a Claim Form or receive any payment — so there is no benefit to doing nothing except not getting paid

FAQ