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In most cases, those amounts represent just a fraction of what consumers paid in overdraft fees.

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For more details on the Bank of America settlement, go to http://www.bofaoverdraftsettlement.com or call 800-372-2390.

AMERICAN EXPRESS: Three AmEx subsidiaries were ordered to pay $85 million to about 250,000 cardholders for various illegal credit card practices between 2003 and spring 2012. The violations "occurred at every stage of the consumer experience, from shopping for cards, to applying for cards, to paying charges, and to paying off debt," said the CFPB.

The repayments include: unlawful late fees (with interest); $300 to those who didn't receive the promised bonus when signing up for AmEx's "Blue Sky" cards; $100 to those who were misled and denied cards for unforgiven debt amounts.

American Express customers are expected to receive payments no later than March 31.

CAPITAL ONE: It's been ordered to pay $140 million to 2 million customers "who were pressured or misled into buying credit card products they didn't understand, didn't want or in some cases, couldn't even use," the CFPB said in a statement.

It said Capital One's call centers targeted consumers with low credit scores. When those customers called to activate their credit cards, "high-pressure" salespeople were misleading about the cost, eligibility and benefits of various products, such as job-loss "payment protection" or credit score monitoring.

Those customers will be reimbursed - with interest - for financial products purchased after August 2010. The repayments are expected to be delivered by the end of this year.

DISCOVER: Accused of deceptive telemarketing tactics to sell various "add-on" credit card products, Discover is paying $200 million to more than 3.5 million consumers who were billed between December 2007 and August 2011.

Those extra products included credit score monitoring, as well as "protection" for identity theft, stolen wallets or delayed payments caused by job loss or hospitalization.

According to the CFPB, "Discover's telemarketing scripts often used language implying that the products were additional free 'benefits,' rather than products for which a fee would be applied to their accounts." It said the telemarketers often rushed through the portion of their script that discussed payments and terms.

All customers will receive at least 90 days' worth of fees they paid. The amounts vary, based on products purchased and how long a customer was billed.

The payments are expected to start in early 2013 and be concluded by mid-February.

In addition, all three companies are paying a combined $66.5 million in civil penalties to various federal agencies.

For details on the three credit card settlements, call 855-411-CFPB or go to the CFPB's website: http://www.consumerfinance.gov. If you've had a problem with financial services, you can also file complaints with the CFPB by phone or online.

As the checks start rolling out, the CFPB is reminding consumers about potential scams involving the various refunds.

"When large numbers of consumers get refunds, scammers sometimes pop up," the CFPB warns on its website. "If someone tries to charge you, tries to get you to disclose your personal information, or asks you to cash a check and send a portion to a third party in order to 'claim your refund,' it's a scam."