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On December 22, 2023, the Attorney General of Montana released an opinion (the “Opinion”) concluding that certain earned wage access (EWA) products are not “consumer loans” or “deferred deposit loans” under Montana law and do not, therefore, require licensure by the Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions. The Opinion only applies to EWA products that are:

  1. fully non-recourse, meaning providers do not: have any legal or contractual right to repayment from consumers, engage in any debt collection activities, sell or assign any balances, or report any non-payment to a consumer reporting agency;
  2. not conditioned on payment of any mandatory interest, fee, or other compensation; and
  3. limited in amount to the consumer’s accrued income.
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The Montana Supreme Court, in Bratton v. Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System, Inc., has ruled that a health care provider’s use of prepaid cards to make refunds to patients did not violate Montana law.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiff alleged that SCL Health (SCL), her healthcare provider, violated Montana law by directing its bank to issue two prepaid cards to the plaintiff to refund credit balances on her account with SCL. … Continue Reading

Last week, the defendant filed its answer brief in Bratton v. Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System, Inc., an appeal now pending before the Montana Supreme Court involving a challenge to the defendant’s use of prepaid cards to make refunds to the plaintiff.  In addition, the Montana Bankers Association, the American Bankers Association, and the Consumer Bankers Association filed an amicus brief in support of the defendant.… Continue Reading

An appeal now pending before the Montana Supreme Court could have significance for businesses that use prepaid cards to make refunds to customers.

In Bratton v. Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System, Inc., the plaintiff filed a lawsuit against SCL Health (SCL), her healthcare provider, in Montana district court alleging that SCL violated Montana law by directing its bank to issue two prepaid cards to the plaintiff to refund credit balances on her account with SCL. … Continue Reading