Plaintiffs accuse restaurant payment tech company of deceptive junk fees

In a striking legal move, two consumers have filed a class-action lawsuit against a restaurant payment technology company for allegedly imposing deceptive and unfair fees on its users. On January 20, 2026, plaintiffs Samuel Hoke and Laniesa Shafer lodged their complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against Sunday App, Inc., accusing the company of exploiting consumers through hidden charges.

The case revolves around Sunday App’s QR-code-based payment platform, which is widely used by restaurants to facilitate customer payments via mobile phones. The plaintiffs allege that Sunday App adds an undisclosed “Sunday Platform Fee” to every transaction processed through its system. This fee, they argue, is not made clear until the final stages of the checkout process, leaving consumers with little choice but to pay it after investing time into using the app. According to the complaint, this practice prioritizes hidden revenue over transparency and consumer trust.

Hoke and Shafer contend that this fee is misleadingly named and described as a necessary charge when it actually serves no purpose other than boosting Sunday App’s profits at the expense of unsuspecting customers. They assert that reasonable consumers expect to pay only for what they ordered based on their receipt, without any surprise fees tacked on at the end. The plaintiffs further claim that this lack of disclosure violates various state consumer protection laws and federal guidelines on digital advertising disclosures.

The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages as well as injunctive relief to compel Sunday App to clearly disclose all fees associated with its platform upfront. They argue that such transparency is crucial for fair competition in the marketplace and for protecting consumer rights. Additionally, they demand restitution for all affected customers who have paid these hidden fees.

Representing Hoke and Shafer are attorneys Andrew J. Shamis from Shamis & Gentile P.A., Edwin E. Elliott from Shamis & Gentile P.A., and Scott Edelsberg from Edelsberg Law P.A. The case has been assigned Case No. 1:26-cv-00333-TWT in front of Judge Thomas W. Thrash Jr.