South Carolina § 34-39-280 - Extended payment plans.

§ 34-39-280. Extended payment plans.

(A) Subject to the terms and conditions contained in this section, a customer who is unable to repay a deferred presentment transaction when due may elect once in any twelve month period to repay the deferred presentment transaction to the licensee by means of an extended payment plan. The twelve month period is measured from the date the customer enters into one extended payment plan with the licensee until the date that the customer enters into another extended payment plan with licensee.

(B) To request an extended payment plan, the customer, before the due date of the outstanding deferred presentment transaction, must request the plan and sign an amendment to the deferred presentment agreement that memorializes the plan's terms.

(C) The extended payment plan's terms must allow the customer, at no additional cost, to repay the outstanding deferred presentment transaction including any fee due in at least four substantially equal installments. Each plan installment must be due on or after a date on which the customer receives regular income. The customer may prepay an extended payment plan in full at any time without penalty. The licensee shall not charge the customer any interest or additional fees during the term of the extended payment plan. The licensee may, with each payment under the plan by a customer, provide for the return of the customer's prior held check and require a new check for the remaining balance under the plan. Alternatively, the licensee may require the customer at the time the customer enters into the extended payment plan to provide multiple checks, one for each of the scheduled payments in the amount of those payments.

(D) If the customer fails to pay any extended payment plan installment when due, the customer shall be in default of the payment plan and the licensee immediately may accelerate payment on the remaining balance. Upon default, the licensee may take action to collect all amounts due.

(E) If a customer enters into an extended repayment plan, the licensee must enter that information into the database established in Section 34-39-175, and the customer and a licensee is prohibited from entering into a subsequent deferred presentment transaction until repayment in full of the original deferred presentment transaction.

(F) At each licensed location, a licensee shall prominently post a notice in at least twenty-four point bold type, in a form established or approved by the board, informing persons that if they are unable to repay a deferred presentment transaction when due they shall be eligible to enter into one extended payment plan in a twelve month period. A licensee also shall notify a person of his right to an extended payment plan by displaying the following statement, in at least twelve point bold type, on the first page of each deferred presentment agreement: "If you are unable to repay a deferred presentment transaction when due, you are eligible to request one extended payment plan in a twelve month period."

HISTORY: 2009 Act No. 78, SECTION 2, [see Editor's Note].

Editor's Note

2009 Act No.78, SECTION 11 provides as follows:

"SECTIONS 2 [adding this section], 3, and 4 of this act take effect upon implementation of the common database as required in SECTION 1 [SECTION 34-39-175]. The remaining SECTIONS of this act take effect upon approval by the Governor.