§3578.4. Finance charge and fees

            A.(1) In conjunction with a deferred presentment transaction or small loan, a licensee may charge a fee not to exceed sixteen and seventy-five one hundredths percent of the face amount of the check issued.

            (2) If the loan remains unpaid at contractual maturity, the licensee may charge an amount equal to the rate of thirty-six percent per annum for a period not to exceed one year and beginning one year after contractual maturity, the rate shall not exceed eighteen percent per annum.

            B. A licensee may contract with the borrower for reimbursement of the actual fee assessed to the licensee by the licensee's depository institution as a result of a borrower's check being returned for any reason. The fee shall be reimbursed to the licensee only once per check, regardless of the number of times the check was returned by the depository institution.

            C. Except for reasonable attorney fees and costs awarded by a court, and fees allowed under R.S. 9:3529 and 3530(C), no other fees or charges may be assessed or collected on a deferred presentment transaction or small loan, including any other fees as may be provided for under Chapter 2 of this Code Title or any other law.

            D. On or before September first of each year, the office of financial institutions shall publish a new maximum outstanding principal balance permitted pursuant to this Section on its website. The maximum outstanding principal balance shall be calculated by applying the twelve-month increase or decrease in July of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for the previous calendar year to the previous maximum outstanding principal balance and rounding the amount up to the nearest ten-dollar increment.

            Acts 1999, No. 1315, §§1, 2, eff. Jan. 1, 2000; Acts 2003, No. 1283, §1; Acts 2010, No. 668, §1; Acts 2014, No. 636, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2015; Acts 2025, No. 510, §1.