Capital One settles lawsuit with social media creators over shopping extension

Capital One (COF.N) has reached a settlement with social media creators who accused its Capital One Shopping browser extension of diverting affiliate marketing commissions. The settlement notice was filed Thursday in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, with preliminary approval expected by November 17.

The lawsuit centered on claims that the extension, which helps millions of users find online discounts, wrongly appeared at checkout as if shoppers had clicked Capital One’s referral links. Creators—including bloggers, influencers, YouTubers, and others—said this allowed the bank to collect millions in commissions that should have gone to them.

Capital One, the sixth-largest U.S. commercial bank, did not admit wrongdoing. In a statement, the company said evidence showed the extension “recognizes and follows industry rules and is aligned with its advertising partners,” adding that consumers will not see changes as a result of the settlement.

In June, U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga refused to dismiss the case, finding it plausible that Capital One intentionally overrode tracking codes like cookies that documented when shoppers had engaged with creators’ content. Capital One has maintained that its extension does not unlawfully replace cookies or take credit for commissions.

The bank acquired the tool when it bought online shopping startup Wikibuy in 2018. Other companies, including Microsoft (MSFT.O) and PayPal (PYPL.O), have faced similar lawsuits over their shopping extensions.

The case is In re Capital One Financial Corp, Affiliate Marketing Litigation, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, No. 25-00023.