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