The middle for Responsible Lending is really a research that is non-profit policy company aimed at protecting home-ownership and family members wide range.
Let us start with the premise that is following with regards to technology and therefore main product expenses, basic function reloadable prepaid cards are indistinguishable from debit cards connected with checkless checking records.
Both prepaid and debit cards must keep a database of specific account documents; both access the exact same repayments system by way of a bank person in a funds transfer community such as for example Visa or MasterCard.
Both prepaid and debit cards have actually a necessity to “know your consumer” because the reports must go through a bank to gain access to the payments community.
Ergo, the greatest differences when considering prepaid cards and debit cards are distinctions perhaps perhaps not in technology however in legislation, or what’s frequently referred to as “regulatory arbitrage” and only the providers that are unregulated.
Some situations of regulatory arbitrage between bank providers of checkless debit card reports and presently unregulated card that is prepaid consist of:
- Debit cards have periodic written statements of account under Regulation E;
- Regulated debit card providers have actually mandated minimal capital demands;
- Debit cards have actually customer protections for missing cards or unauthorized card use; and
- Prepaid cards are exempt through the Durbin interchange demands, at the least when it comes to smaller, rent-a-charter banking institutions. Continue reading “Are prepaid charge cards assisting or harming customers?”