Celsius energy drink cans

This settlement is closed. The claim deadline was February 13, 2023, so new claims are no longer accepted.

After making news earlier this month for losing a lawsuit to rapper Flo Rida, Celsius is back in the headlines, and it’s not any better this time.

Celsius Holdings agreed to a $7.8 million class action settlement. From the settlement website:

A settlement has been reached against Celsius Holdings, Inc. (“Defendant”) alleging Defendant labels its products misleadingly, including by describing them as containing “No Preservatives” despite containing citric acid. Defendant denies the allegations and contends that it added citric acid to its products only to add flavor and not as a preservative.

Who qualified and what they got

  • $1 per can of Celsius bought between January 1, 2015 and November 23, 2022
  • $5 per 14-pack of Celsius On-The-Go or Flo Fusion powder
  • Up to $250 per household with receipts
  • Up to $20 per household without receipts

Our take

Because the case was already settled, getting paid was easier than with a typical class action. I went through the process on the settlement site and it took about ten minutes to enter my information, dig up receipts from my bulk Celsius orders on Amazon, and choose a payout method. I picked PayPal; Venmo and direct deposit were also options.

Not everyone orders on Amazon, and most people grabbing a can here and there don’t keep receipts, so the $20 no-receipt cap was the realistic payout for a lot of drinkers.

As for the lawsuit itself, I’m not surprised. Celsius makes a lot of health-benefit claims that probably aren’t closely regulated by the FDA.

That doesn’t change my opinion of the brand, though. I like Celsius because it tastes consistently good and has the right amount of caffeine for me. I could care less about the lofty health claims.

See how every Celsius flavor ranks in our Celsius rankings.