If you use Cash App, you may be able to get some free money — between $88 and $147 — as part of a new legal settlement. The company behind the popular payment app has agreed to pay $12.5 million to settle a lawsuit that claimed Cash App sent unwanted text messages to people without their permission. This sounds interesting, right? Let’s see who can receive that money.
What is Cash App?
Cash App is a mobile app that lets you send and receive money, use a debit card, and even invest in stocks. Millions of people across the United States use it every day to pay friends, split bills, or make purchases.
But recently, Cash App was accused of breaking a state law about spam text messages — texts sent to people who never agreed to receive them. How annoying are they?
Why did Cash App have to pay?
The lawsuit said that the company encouraged users to send promotional text messages to their friends and family without asking for permission first. These messages were part of a referral program called “Invite Friends.”
When someone invited a friend through the app, Cash App automatically filled in a message that users could send to their phone contacts. An example of one of these texts was:
“Hey! I’ve been using Cash App to send money and spend using the Cash Card. Try it using my code and you’ll get $5. FVRJ1PH https://cash.app/app/FVRJ1PH.”
At first glance, this may seem harmless, but according to the lawsuit, many people received these texts even though they never agreed to them. And this goes against the state law of Washington, which bans companies from sending advertising text messages without consent.
The lawsuit
The lawsuit claimed that Cash App violated Washington’s anti-spam law by sending or helping to send commercial text messages to people in the state. The complaint argued that even though users technically sent the messages, Cash App made it too easy and encouraged the behavior.
Cash App did not admit doing anything wrong, but the company agreed to pay $12.5 million to settle the case.This means that it decided to pay to end the lawsuit and compensate affected users rather than continue fighting in court.
What did Cash App say about it?
In court documents, the company argued that it wasn’t responsible for the texts because they were sent by users, not the company itself.
Cash App’s parent company, Block, said: “Block did not initiate or assist in the transmission of a text message to the plaintiff or others who may be part of the class.”
The company added that it didn’t give “substantial assistance” to people who used the “Invite Friends” feature to send those messages. However, even though Cash App denied breaking any laws, the company still agreed to the $12.5 million settlement to close the case and move forward.
Who can get money from Cash App?
If you received a Cash App referral text message between November 14, 2019, and August 7, 2025, you could be eligible for a payment from the settlement.
That means if someone texted you with an invitation to try Cash App using a referral code — and you didn’t agree to receive that message — you may be part of the group that can get money back.
The payments are expected to range between $88 and $147, depending on how many people file claims.
What happens next for the app users?
If you are eligible, you’ll likely receive instructions on how to submit a claim online to get your part of the settlement money. No one needs to delete the app or stop using it — Cash App will continue to work normally for sending, spending, and investing.
The company has not said much publicly about the case, but it has moved forward with the settlement to avoid more legal costs and public disputes.
Why this case matters
This case is a reminder that companies must follow privacy and communication laws, even when messages are sent automatically through apps. People have the right to control what messages they receive, especially when it comes to advertising. It also shows how users can take action when companies overstep boundaries.
Because this was a class action lawsuit, many people who were affected were able to join together to demand accountability — and now, they’ll be compensated.