Just two days after the CFPB issued its final credit card late fee rule (Rule) last week, a lawsuit was filed in a Texas federal district court seeking to invalidate the Rule.  The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Longview Chamber of Commerce, American Bankers Association, Consumer Bankers Association, and Texas Association of Business. … Continue Reading

On March 5, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) issued its final credit card late fee rule (the “Final Rule”). The timing for publication of the final rule was widely perceived as coordinated with the President’s State of the Union address, and in his March 7, 2024 address, President Joe Biden did briefly mention the Final Rule, citing the reduction of credit card late fees to $8 and adding “I’m saving American families $20 billion a year with all the junk fees I’m eliminating.”… Continue Reading

Today, the CFPB issued its final credit card late fee rule.  As we expected, the final rule was released prior to President Biden’s March 7th State of the Union address.  The final rule reduces the late fee safe harbor amount to the proposed $8 amount and eliminates automatic annual inflation adjustments for issuers subject to the reduced safe harbor amount. … Continue Reading

After targeting credit card late fees in its proposed rule, the CFPB has set its sights on further attacking credit card pricing through interest rates. The CFPB published a blog late last month stating that credit card interest rate margins are at an all-time high, with an average 14.3% margin in 2023 compared to 9.6% margin in 2013, and have fueled the profitability of revolving balances.… Continue Reading

In a new data spotlight issued last week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) found that interest rates charged on credit cards issued by large banks are higher than interest rates charged on credit cards issued by smaller banks and credit unions. In a press release about the report, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra states that “the CFPB will be accelerating its efforts to ensure that consumers can access better rates that can save families billions of dollars per year.”… Continue Reading

On April 9, 2024, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on credit card competition. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) requested testimony at the hearing from the following Chief Executive Officers who have publicly opposed his Credit Card Competition Act: Ryan McInerney (Visa), Michael Miebach (Mastercard), Scott Kirby (United Airlines), and Robert Isom (American Airlines).… Continue Reading

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve (the “Board”) has announced that it is extending the comment period for its proposed changes to its debit card interchange fee rule until May 12, 2024. Comments were originally due on February 12, 2024.

On October 25, 2023, the Board issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Regulation II.… Continue Reading

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) has invited President Joe Biden to give his State of the Union address to a Joint Session of Congress on Thursday, March 7, 2024. The invitation was immediately accepted by President Biden in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, in which the President stated “Looking forward to it, Mr.… Continue Reading

Last week, the CFPB released its twelfth annual report to Congress on college credit card agreements.  The annual report is mandated by the CARD Act.

The CARD Act requires mandatory reporting to the CFPB by card issuers on agreements with institutions of higher learning or certain affiliated organizations (such as alumni associations). … Continue Reading

On December 13, 2023, New York Governor Hochul signed two laws, which aim to protect consumers from (1) unwanted subscriptions by requiring notice to consumers for upcoming automatic renewals with clear instructions for canceling, and (2) confusion over prices by requiring merchants to post the highest price a consumer may pay for a product regardless of payment method.… Continue Reading