(a) No creditor shall impose a finance charge in excess of an amount equal to eighteen percent (18%) simple interest per annum. This subsection shall not apply to any transaction in connection with which the finance charge does not exceed ten dollars ($10.00). Notwithstanding the provision of any retail installment contract to the contrary, a buyer may prepay in full the unpaid balance of any retail installment contract at any time before its final due date and, if the buyer does so, shall receive a refund credit on the retail installment contract for the prepayment. The amount of the refund credit of finance charges on precomputed loans, made for an original term of sixty (60) months or less, may be calculated on the method commonly referred to as the rule of 78s or sum of the digits. Refund credits of finance charges on precomputed loans, made for an original term greater than sixty (60) months, must be at least the amount as that produced by the rule of anticipation.
(b) Where the amount of refund credit is less than one dollar ($1.00), no refund credit need be made.
(c) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, the maximum finance charge that may be applied under a revolving or open-end credit plan in connection with a transaction arising out of a retail sale of consumer goods, including the retail sale of gasoline or services, shall not exceed the rate or rates agreed to by the creditor and a retail buyer compared on the average daily balance of the open-end or revolving account or the unpaid balance of the open-end or revolving account outstanding as of the end of the current billing cycle. Regardless of any agreement to the contrary, a transaction under a revolving or open-end credit plan is subject to this section whenever a solicitation for the extension of credit is made by a creditor whose primary activity in Rhode Island is soliciting Rhode Island customers through the mails and the solicitation originates outside Rhode Island but is directed to, and received by, a retail buyer who resides and responds to the solicitation in Rhode Island.
(d) This section shall not apply to any person doing business under and as permitted by any general or special law of this state or of the United States relating to: (1) financial institutions, (2) credit unions, or (3) licensees pursuant to title 19, chapter 44 of title 6, and § 6-26-2.
(e) Under each revolving or open-end credit plan a late fee not to exceed twelve dollars ($12.00) may be assessed on each minimum payment not paid in full within forty (40) days following the billing date of the statement on which the minimum payment first appears.
History of Section.
P.L. 1968, ch. 147, § 1; P.L. 1968, ch. 184, § 1; P.L. 1970, ch. 223, § 1; P.L. 1981, ch. 303, § 1; P.L. 1982, ch. 436, § 1; P.L. 1986, ch. 359, § 2; P.L. 1989, ch. 481, § 2; P.L. 1994, ch. 228, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 82, § 59; P.L. 1995, ch. 194, § 1; P.L. 1997, ch. 98, § 11; P.L. 2014, ch. 528, § 17.