Legal Alert: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Issues Bulletin about Federal Regulation of Payroll Cards

Executive Summary: Many employers are using or considering using payroll cards to pay employees. A number of states have wage payment laws restricting employers’ use of such cards. On September 12, 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a bulletin stating that under federal law employers cannot mandate that their employees receive wages on a payroll card. Employees who choose to receive wages on a payroll card are entitled to certain federal protections.