The final Prepaid Card Rule requires not only so-called “packaging” or short form disclosures prior to acquisition of the prepaid card account, but also that a long form disclosure be provided to the consumer. Whereas the short form disclosures are intended to aid in comparison-shopping, the long form disclosure provides the complete, unabridged itemization of fees and program information.

The long form disclosure is required to include: a title, with the name of the prepaid account program; information on fees that may be imposed and the conditions under which they may be imposed; a statement regarding registration and FDIC/NCUA insurance; a statement regarding linked overdraft credit features; a statement containing the financial institution’s contact information; a statement directing the consumer to the CFPB’s website for general information on prepaid accounts; and a statement directing the consumer to the CFPB to submit complaints related to prepaid accounts.

The rule allows some leeway on the requirement that the long form disclosure be provided “preacquisition.” “Preacquisition” occurs generally as when the account is opened, the card is sold to the consumer, or where the consumer agrees to accept payment to the account. For prepaid cards sold at retail locations where the short form disclosures are provided on the packaging, and where the packaging indicates how to access the long form disclosure by phone and through a website, it is permissible to provide the long form disclosure after the card is purchased. Similarly, for a prepaid card account obtained by phone, the business must tell the consumer prior to opening the prepaid account that the long form disclosure is available by phone and on the web. The long form disclosure must then be provided to the consumer after he or she opens the prepaid account and must be made available by phone and online.

Notably, when disclosures are provided electronically, there is no need to comply with the full requirements of E-Sign, and the company may provide the disclosures to the consumer without E-Sign consent, generally in a manner that is reasonable based on how the consumer opened the account and in a manner that the consumer may keep.

While the original draft rule required that the long form disclosure appear “substantially similar” to the CFPB’s sample disclosure, that requirement was dropped from the final rule due to the wide variety of different structures and account conditions that a financial institution may have in place. The sample now serves as a template for, but not a firm requirement, as to how the long form disclosure must be designed.