Our special guest is Zarik Khan, Founder of Finsolute Advisors.  In October 2023, the Federal Reserve Board issued a proposal to lower the maximum interchange fee that a large debit card issuer can receive for a debit card transaction.  We first look at the roles of the various parties involved in a typical transaction in which a consumer uses a debit card to make a purchase from a merchant and the various fees imposed in connection with the transaction. … Continue Reading

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve (FRB) is holding an open meeting on October 25, 2023 to discuss proposed revisions to the Board’s debit interchange fee cap contained in Regulation II, which implemented the Durbin Amendment.  For large issuers (with $10 billion or more in assets), Section 235.3(a) of Regulation II requires an issuer to charge interchange fees that are “reasonable and proportional to the cost incurred by the issuer with respect to the electronic debit transaction” and Section 235.3(b) of Regulation II caps such fees at 21 cents plus 0.05% of the transaction.… Continue Reading

On October 3, 2022, the Federal Reserve finalized a rule expanding Regulation II (Debit Card Interchange Fees and Routing), the implementing regulation for the Durbin Amendment.  The final RULE is substantially similar to the proposed rule issued in 2021 and requires online (card not present) debit card transactions to be enabled for processing on at least two unaffiliated payment card networks. … Continue Reading

The Fed’s final rule implementing the Durbin Amendment (Regulation II) went into effect in October 2011.  Nearly ten years later, the final rule is still provoking controversy in the form of a new lawsuit and proposed amendments to the rule and its official commentary.

The Durbin Amendment (Section 1075 of Dodd-Frank) authorized the Fed to issue regulations to ensure that the amount of any interchange fee received by a large debit card issuer (one with at least $10 billion of assets, together with its affiliates) is reasonable and proportional to the cost incurred by the issuer. Continue Reading

In its fifth annual report on college credit card agreements, the CFPB takes financial institutions as well as colleges and universities to task for failing to adequately disclose their marketing agreements for campus financial products.  The annual report is required by the CARD Act.

The CARD Act requires institutions of higher education to disclose publicly their credit card marketing agreements. … Continue Reading

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has joined the CFPB’s call for more transparency in the area of campus financial products.  Last week, the GAO issued a report on college debit cards in which the GAO recommended that Congress consider requiring financial institutions that provide debit and prepaid card services to colleges to publicly disclose their agreements. … Continue Reading