A few dollars may soon find their way into millions of pockets, all thanks to a long-running fight over Google’s Play Store rules.

State attorneys general across the United States have started notifying consumers about how they can receive money from the $700 million Google Play Store antitrust settlement, a major agreement first secured in 2023.

The settlement covers Google Play Store purchases made between August 2016 and September 2023. Payments are expected to begin shortly after the court’s final approval next spring. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said his team pushed for accountability after years of complaints about Google’s control over Android app distribution.

“Google took advantage of Android phone customers by limiting consumer choice, inflating prices on in-app purchases, and creating an unfair marketplace,” Bonta said in a statement. “Now, I am proud to announce the start of the process that ensures Google’s ill-gotten profits are distributed to consumers.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James delivered a similar message when announcing updates for New Yorkers.

“When big corporations use their monopoly power to stifle competition and raise costs, consumers pay the price,” she said. “For years, Google took advantage of its control over its app store to overcharge its customers and box out competing developers.”

Who is eligible

According to the official settlement website, the agreement applies to consumers in all 50 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands who bought an app on Google Play or made an in-app purchase using Google Play Billing between August 16, 2016, and September 30, 2023.

Google has already deposited $630 million into a consumer fund, with a separate $70 million set aside for states and territories.

How payments will be delivered

The settlement administrator explains that “The Settlement Fund will make the majority of payments automatically, and no claim form is necessary in most cases.”

Settlement emails or texts will go to the email address or phone number associated with a user’s Google Play account, and funds will be sent via PayPal or Venmo, depending on the contact information linked to the account.

If your Google account email or phone number matches an existing PayPal or Venmo account, the money will be deposited directly into that account. If not, users may create a new account or redirect the payment.

Consumers who cannot access their old email or phone number, do not want PayPal or Venmo, or who expected to receive money but did not will be able to use a supplemental claims process later.

ZDNET noted that the minimum payout is $2 per person, though higher amounts depend on how much the individual spent over the seven years.

Beyond the cash payouts, this settlement is forcing Google to change how it does business to allow for more competition. According to the New York State Attorney General’s office, the agreement ensures that Google “will also make changes to stop its anticompetitive practices that harmed consumers and app developers.”

Also read: AT&T’s $177 million data breach settlement breakdown, which explains who qualifies for compensation and the key deadlines that affected customers need to know.