The CFPB has proposed to delay the effective date of the final rule governing Prepaid Accounts from October 1, 2017 to April 1, 2018. The CFPB’s action is a direct response to ongoing dialogue between companies in the prepaid industry and the CFPB staff. The CFPB proposal to delay the effective date has a twenty-one (21) day comment period from publication of the proposal in the Federal Register.

The Prepaid Account Rule covers a broad range of products – from reloadable cards offered through retail locations to digital-only accounts. One of the specific industy concerns cited by the CFPB in their proposal is challenges with the “pull and replace” of non-compliant packaging of card product in retail locations. The CFPB also noted that industry participants have “raised concerns about what they describe as unanticipated complexities arising from the interaction of certain aspects of the rule with certain business models and practices.”

The Prepaid Account Rule is also facing numerous challenges from Congress. We wrote last month that Senator David Perdue (R-Ga) had introducted a joint resolution that could lead to nullification of the rule. In addition, Representatives Tom Graves (R-Ga) and Roger Williams (R-Tx) have introduced House Joint Resolution 62 and House Joint Resolution 73, respectively, disapproving of the final rule.