Prepaid cards – Consumer Financial Services Watch

Don’t Look a Gift Card in the Mouth: Beware of Liability Under the Electronic Fund Transfers Act

Apr 07 2016

By Robert W. Sparkes, III, Brian M. Forbes and Soyong Cho

Many of us have had a similar experience. We receive a gift card, put it in a “safe” place with other gift cards, and forget it exists. Inevitably, we uncover the gift card and find ourselves asking questions such as: Does this card still have any value? Has it expired? Can it expire? Will I be charged a fee for use (or non-use)? Should I call the 800 number? The experience invariably ends by putting the card aside and promising to deal with it later. But, what really does happen to the value of those cards?

To read the full alert, click here.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Requests Comment on Extending Regulation E to Cover GPR Cards

Jun 04 2012

By: David L. Beam, Steven M. Kaplan, Kathryn M. Baugher

Last week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) on the subject of general purpose reloadable (GPR) cards. In the ANPR, the Bureau announced that it plans to issue a proposal to extend Regulation E to cover GPR cards. The ANPR poses a series of questions and gives the public an opportunity to submit comments. Comments must be received by July 23, 2012.

FDIC Issues a Quick Guide for Consumers on Credit, Debit, and Prepaid Cards

Mar 08 2012

By: Andrew L. Caplan*
*Mr. Caplan is admitted to practice in NY (not admitted in DC); supervised by Nanci Weissgold, a member of the DC bar

As Gertrude Stein once wrote, “a rose is a rose is a rose.” However, as indicated in a recent Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) consumer guide, a card is not a card is not a card.

On March 5, 2012, the FDIC issued A Quick Guide for Consumers on Credit, Debit, and Prepaid Cards (“the Guide”) to help consumers appreciate the differences among credit cards, debit cards, and prepaid cards. As indicated in a recent FDIC press release, “[t]he guide is intended to help consumers who routinely use cards to pay for goods and services but who don’t always understand the differences in how these cards work or the applicable consumer protections.”

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