On November 13, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued its much-anticipated notice of proposed rulemaking of consumer protections for the prepaid market. This proposed rule covers multiple facets related to the prepaid industry, including disclosure requirements, fraud protection, access to account information, and the provisioning of credit via overdraft. Today's blog will provide a brief, high-level summary of this rule.
What is and isn't covered under this rule?
This rule redefines a "prepaid account" under Regulation E (Reg E). Prepaid products include cards, codes, and other devices capable of being loaded with funds that are not currently covered by Reg E and are usable at multiple, unaffiliated merchants and ATMs, and for person-to-person transfers. Gift cards, and certain related cards, are excluded.
Disclosure requirements
The rule requires that card issuers use two forms to disclose fees. The short form discloses four types of fees: monthly account fees, cash reload fees, ATM transaction fees, and purchase transaction fees. The rule proposes the use of a model form that establishes a safe harbor for compliance to the short-form requirement. The long form describes all of the potential account fees and the conditions under which these fees are assessed, as well as the fees that short form includes. Both disclosures must be made available to the consumer before the opening of an account.
Fraud protection
The rule modifies Reg E to require that issuers adopt error resolution procedures and limited liability for prepaid accounts. Reg E coverage limits a prepaid consumer's liability for unauthorized transfers to $50, assuming that the consumer gives timely notice to the financial institution and the card has been registered. Further, financial institutions would be required to resolve certain errors to prepaid consumer accounts.
Access to account information
The rule also modifies Reg E to require that financial institutions provide prepaid account holders with free access to periodic statements or that they make available to the consumer the account balance and at least 18 months of account transaction history. These periodic statements and transaction histories must include a summary of monthly and annual fees in addition to a listing of all deposits and debits.
Overdraft protection
The rule allows for issuers of prepaid accounts to offer overdraft services and other credit features. However, issuers that offer these services or features for a fee are subject to Regulation Z (Reg Z) credit card rules and disclosure requirements which, among other things, requires them to evaluate whether consumers can repay their debt. The issuer is required to obtain a consumer's consent before adding these services to accounts and must provide consumers with a periodic statement of the credit and provide at least 21 days to repay the debt. Should a product offer overdraft or other credit features, it must be disclosed in the disclosures of the short and long forms.
The CFPB is seeking public comment for a 90-day period, beginning with its publication in the Federal Register.
By Douglas A. King, payments risk expert in the Retail Payments Risk Forum at the Atlanta Fed