Block, Inc., which operates Cash App, faced up to $255 million in combined payments under two separate regulatory actions announced on January 15 and 16, 2025. The total was not one $255 million fine: it combined $135 million in government penalties with up to $120 million intended for consumer redress.
The $255 million breakdown
| Date | Regulator | Main issue | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 15, 2025 | 48 state financial regulators | Money-transmission, Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money-laundering controls | $80 million penalty |
| January 16, 2025 | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau | Fraud prevention, customer service and unauthorized-transaction dispute handling | $55 million penalty plus at least $75 million and up to $120 million in consumer redress |
The arithmetic is $80 million plus $55 million in penalties, plus a possible $120 million in redress. That produces a maximum of $255 million. The state payment is a penalty, while the CFPB’s redress component is intended for eligible consumers rather than being a government fine. See the Washington Department of Financial Institutions announcement and the CFPB order announcement.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
$100 Apple Gift Card—Email Delivery | $100.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
MasterCard Physical Gift Card – $200 (plus $6.95 Purchase Fee) | $206.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Visa Physical Gift Card $200 (plus $6.95 Purchase Fee) | $206.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
$15 Apple Gift Card—Email Delivery | $15.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Visa Virtual eGift Card | $28.95 | Buy on Amazon |
Why states imposed the $80 million penalty
The multistate action alleged that Block’s Cash App compliance program did not keep pace with the service’s growth. Regulators cited weaknesses in Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money-laundering policies, customer identification and risk controls, transaction monitoring, escalation procedures and management oversight. Those shortcomings, regulators said, could expose the platform to money laundering and other illicit activity.
The action involved 48 state financial regulatory agencies, with Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, Florida, Maine, Texas and Washington among the lead states. The settlement required Block to hire an independent consultant to review its BSA/AML program, provide a report within nine months and remediate deficiencies identified through that process. The underlying state consent-order information is also available from Maine’s regulator.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →#1 Best Overall
- For all things Apple - products, accessories, apps, games, music, movies, TV shows, iCloud+, and more.
- Perfect for App Store purchases and subscriptions—get apps, games, music, movies, TV shows, and more.
- The perfect gift to say happy birthday, thank you, congratulations, and more.
- Available in $15 - 500, Card delivered via email or SMS
- Use it for purchases at any Apple Store location, on the Apple Store app, apple.com, the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple News+, Apple Books, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Fitness+, Apple One, and other Apple properties in US only
This $80 million was a regulatory penalty. It is not a fund that Cash App users can automatically claim.
Why the CFPB ordered up to $175 million
In its January 16, 2025 order, the CFPB alleged failures involving historical Cash App customer service, fraud controls and electronic-funds-transfer disputes. The agency said Block:
Rank #2
- Cards are shipped active and ready for use.
- This card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Funds do not expire. If available funds remain on your card after the valid thru date has passed, please call customer service for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout. No fees after purchase.
- Double check if the URL/website is genuine before entering card details online. Do not provide any gift card details (example: claim code) to someone you do not know or trust. There are a variety of scams in which fraudsters try to trick others into paying with gift cards.
- If you believe that your Card has been lost or stolen, notify Mastercard immediately by calling 1-833-791-7288. You will be asked to provide the Gift Card number and other identifying information.
- Use your Mastercard Gift Card in the U.S. everywhere Mastercard debit cards are accepted, including online. Your Amazon.com Balance cannot be used to purchase Mastercard gift cards.
- Did not consistently provide effective customer service or live telephone support.
- Failed to take timely and effective steps to prevent, detect, limit and address fraud.
- Closed or mishandled some fraud cases without the investigations required by law.
- Directed some consumers to seek reversals through their banks and then denied the resulting claims.
- Used card-network chargeback procedures as a substitute for its own obligations under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and Regulation E.
- Misrepresented aspects of its fraud protections and customer-support availability.
The order required at least $75 million in consumer redress, with the total able to reach $120 million, plus a separate $55 million civil penalty paid to the CFPB’s victims relief fund. Required changes included 24-hour live-person customer service, proper investigation and resolution of unauthorized-transaction disputes, timely refunds where legally required and corrective measures for fraud prevention and support. The CFPB consent order contains the legal requirements.
A consent order resolves a regulatory matter; it is not the same as a trial judgment establishing every allegation after litigation.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Rank #3
- Gift Cards are shipped active and ready for use.
- This card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Funds do not expire. If available funds remain on your card after the valid thru date has passed, please call customer service for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout. No fees after purchase.
- To access your card information safely, type the complete website address shown on your Gift Card (MyGift.GiftCardMall.com) directly into your browser's address bar. Don't use search engines or shortened versions of the website address, as these may lead you to fake or fraudulent sites. Do not provide any Gift Card details (example: Card Number) to someone you do not know or trust. If you believe you've reached an illegitimate website, contact cardholder service at 1-888-524-1283. Be cautious of phishing sites, there are a variety of scams in which fraudsters try to trick others into paying with gift cards.
- To report your Lost or Stolen Physical Visa Card, call Customer Service 24/7 at 1 (888) 524-1283 to cancel your Gift Card as soon as you can. You will be asked to provide the Gift Card number and other identifying information.
- Use your Visa Gift Card in the U.S. everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted, including online.
Who may receive CFPB redress?
Not every Cash App user qualifies. The official remediation site identifies the principal historical period as July 1, 2019, through January 16, 2025. Eligibility depends on whether a consumer was affected by the customer-service and dispute practices covered by the order and on the administrator’s criteria.
The CFPB said consumers did not need to take immediate action to receive redress under the order. Checks began mailing on June 8, 2026, according to the official Cash App CFPB settlement website. Use its FAQ for current eligibility and payment-status information.
Rank #4
- For all things Apple - products, accessories, apps, games, music, movies, TV shows, iCloud+, and more.
- Perfect for App Store purchases and subscriptions—get apps, games, music, movies, TV shows, and more.
- The perfect gift to say happy birthday, thank you, congratulations, and more.
- Available in $15 - 500, Card delivered via email or SMS
- Use it for purchases at any Apple Store location, on the Apple Store app, apple.com, the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple News+, Apple Books, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Fitness+, Apple One, and other Apple properties in US only
A scam victim is not automatically entitled to a refund. A scam can involve a person voluntarily sending money to a fraudster, while an unauthorized transaction may involve an account takeover or transfer the consumer did not authorize. Regulation E rights and investigation duties can differ based on the transaction and facts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to verify a check, email or text
Fraud warning: Verify any payment claim through the official settlement website or the CFPB’s Block enforcement page.
Best Value
- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
- Do not pay an upfront fee to receive redress.
- Do not give a caller remote access to your phone or computer.
- Never share your Cash App PIN, password, login code or full bank credentials.
- Use contact details published by the CFPB or administrator, not a number in an unsolicited message.
The CFPB lists these Block redress contacts: 1-888-488-1181, [email protected], or Cash App MSC 210, 1955 Broadway, Suite 600, Oakland, CA 94612.
If money was stolen from your Cash App account
- Secure the account by changing credentials and enabling available security controls.
- Report the transaction promptly through Cash App’s official support channel.
- Contact the linked bank or card issuer when that account or card was involved.
- Save screenshots, transaction IDs, messages, dates and recipient information.
- Report suspected fraud to the appropriate government reporting channel and follow instructions from your financial institution.
These steps do not guarantee reimbursement. Whether a payment is covered can depend on authorization, the payment method, timing and other facts.
Later Block and Cash App enforcement actions
The January 2025 total should not be merged with later matters:
| Date | Action | Amount and subject |
|---|---|---|
| January 15, 2025 | 48-state settlement | $80 million penalty over BSA/AML and money-transmission compliance |
| January 16, 2025 | CFPB order | $55 million penalty and up to $120 million consumer redress |
| April 10, 2025 | New York Department of Financial Services settlement | Separate $40 million action involving anti-money-laundering and virtual-currency compliance; see the DFS announcement |
| June 8, 2026 | CFPB remediation | Checks began mailing under the January 2025 order |
| July 8, 2026 | Separate multistate consumer-protection settlement | $45 million involving alleged fraud-protection, customer-service and misleading-marketing shortcomings; see the New York Attorney General’s announcement |
The $40 million and $45 million actions have their own terms, administrators and eligibility rules. They are not additions to the original January 2025 $255 million calculation unless clearly presented as separate later enforcement.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe Bottom Line
The headline is accurate only as a combined maximum for two back-to-back January 2025 actions against Block, Cash App’s parent company. It was $135 million in penalties plus up to $120 million in consumer redress—not one fine divided equally among all Cash App users.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
