The Federal Trade Commission announced an agreed $8.5 million settlement with Care.com in August 2024 over allegations that the platform overstated job opportunities, made unsupported earnings claims and made paid memberships difficult to cancel. In June 2025, the FTC announced it had sent more than $8.1 million to 194,207 affected consumers. The original acceptance deadlines for those payments have passed, so anyone asking about a late or replacement payment should contact the refund administrator or check the FTC’s current refund page.
Why did the FTC sue Care.com?
Care.com connects people seeking care workers—including for child care, older adult care, special-needs care and pet care—with people looking for that work. The FTC alleged that Care.com’s advertising and subscription practices misled both caregivers and families. These were allegations resolved through a stipulated settlement, not findings after a trial.
Job totals and communication limits
The FTC alleged that Care.com advertised job totals that included postings where a job seeker had little or no chance of being hired. One cited obstacle was that a job poster without a paid membership could not see or act on an application. Because users had to buy auto-renewing memberships to contact job posters or job seekers, the FTC said the advertised totals did not reliably represent opportunities applicants could pursue. The FTC’s 2024 announcement and complaint describe those claims.
Earnings claims
The FTC also alleged that Care.com made hourly and weekly earnings claims without adequate support. According to the complaint, Care.com did not track the rates workers and job posters actually negotiated after connecting off the platform. The agency’s concern was that advertised figures could give caregivers an unsupported expectation of what they would earn.
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Subscription cancellation
The FTC said some consumers had difficulty finding cancellation information and that the paid cancellation process could involve multiple steps, questionnaires, confusing language, warnings and offers for other paid memberships. The complaint included screenshots of seeker and provider cancellation flows submitted as part of the case. They show the historical materials in the filing; they do not establish what Care.com’s cancellation screens look like today.
What did Care.com agree to?
The stipulated order imposes an $8.5 million monetary judgment payable to the FTC for consumer relief. It also sets requirements for earnings and job-availability claims, communication disclosures and cancellation. The order is the controlling source for these terms: Care.com stipulated order.
- Earnings claims: Care.com may not make earnings claims unless they are non-misleading and supported by competent and reliable evidence.
- Job availability: Representations about job availability are limited to postings by users who can communicate with applicants.
- Communication limits: Material limits on communicating with job posters or applicants must be clearly disclosed before Care.com obtains billing information.
- Cancellation: The company must provide a simple way to cancel a negative-option subscription. The mechanism must be easy to find, at least as easy to use as enrollment, and available through the same medium used to enroll.
Care.com neither admitted nor denied the complaint’s allegations except as specifically stated in the order. The settlement resolved the matters in dispute between the FTC and the company; it should not be described as an admission or a trial finding. The FTC said stipulated final orders have force of law when approved and signed by a district judge.
Did the FTC send Care.com customers refunds?
Yes. In June 2025, the FTC announced that it had sent 194,207 checks and PayPal payments totaling more than $8.1 million to affected consumers. The agency said checks had to be cashed within 90 days and PayPal payments accepted within 30 days. Those original windows have elapsed as of October 8, 2026.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstall| Payment method | Original acceptance period stated by the FTC |
|---|---|
| Paper check | Cash within 90 days |
| PayPal | Accept within 30 days |
The deadlines describe the 2025 distribution announcement, not a current guarantee that a payment can still be collected. The reviewed FTC materials do not establish whether an individual who missed a deadline can receive a late or replacement payment. For a specific payment question, consult the FTC’s Care.com refund page or contact the administrator listed there. The FTC identifies Epiq Systems as the administrator and lists 1-888-867-6151 for questions. The FTC also directs consumers to its Care.com case FAQs.
How can you check a Care.com refund message safely?
The FTC says it never requires an upfront fee or sensitive information such as a Social Security number or bank-account details to issue a refund. A message asking for money or those details in exchange for a payment is a warning sign.
- Go directly to the FTC refunds page and verify the case there rather than relying on an unsolicited message.
- Use the contact information published on the FTC’s Care.com refund page to ask about an individual payment.
- Do not pay a fee or provide sensitive identity or financial information to claim an FTC refund.
What does the settlement mean for Care.com subscribers?
The order establishes requirements for Care.com’s claims and subscription cancellation, but the FTC’s case materials describe the cancellation process at issue historically. They do not verify the company’s current interface. If you want to cancel a subscription now, use the cancellation instructions available in your account or contact Care.com through its current support channels; do not assume the screenshots in the case filing match the present-day process.
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