(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, a retail seller under an open-end credit plan, as defined in 15 USC 1602, as amended from time to time, in connection with a transaction arising out of the retail sale of consumer goods or services on sales made on or after October 1, 1993, may contract for and, if so contracted for, the retail seller or holder may charge and collect a finance charge under the plan and may calculate such finance charge in the manner and at the rate or rates agreed to by the retail buyer. For purposes of this section, (1) “retail seller” means a person who (A) sells or agrees to sell one or more articles of goods or furnishes services under an open-end credit plan and (B) is the creditor to whom the debt is initially payable on the face of the agreement of indebtedness, and (2) “holder” means a finance agency or other assignee who has purchased the open-end credit plan agreement or obligation. Regardless of any agreement to the contrary, a transaction under an open-end credit plan is subject to this section whenever a solicitation for the extension of credit is made by a retail seller whose primary activity in Connecticut is soliciting Connecticut customers through the mails, and such solicitation originates outside Connecticut but is directed to and received by a customer who resides, and responds to such solicitation, in Connecticut.

(b) The maximum finance charge which may be applied by a retail seller under an open-end credit plan used in connection with a transaction arising out of the retail sale of motor fuel, as defined in section 14-327a, shall not exceed one and one-half per cent per month on the average daily balance of the account or the unpaid balance outstanding as of the end of the current billing cycle.

(1972, P.A. 40, S. 1; P.A. 77-391, S. 2; P.A. 79-127; P.A. 80-69, S. 1, 3; 80-483, S. 115, 186; P.A. 81-362, S. 3, 4; P.A. 82-105, S. 1, 3; P.A. 83-226, S. 1, 3; P.A. 85-522, S. 2; 85-613, S. 117, 154; P.A. 86-216, S. 2, 3; P.A. 87-589, S. 81, 87; P.A. 89-37; P.A. 90-18, S. 1, 2; P.A. 92-12, S. 106; P.A. 93-400; P.A. 95-106; P.A. 15-235, S. 14.)

History: P.A. 77-391 raised maximum finance charge from 1% per month “on the average daily balance of the account or that part of the outstanding unpaid balance as of the end of the billing cycle” to 1.25% per month “on that part of the average daily balance of the account or unpaid balance outstanding as of the end of the current billing cycle” which does not exceed $250, retaining 1% rate on larger balances, and in exception substituted “state bank and trust company” for “bank or trust company” and included savings banks and buildings or savings and loan associations; P.A. 79-127 specified applicability of section to transactions under open-end credit plans; P.A. 80-69 established maximum finance charge at 1.25% without exception, deleting provisions re charge on amounts over $250 and re plans operated by various banking institutions; P.A. 80-483 would have referred to savings and loan associations rather than “building or” savings and loan associations in deleted provision re finance charge on plans operated by various banking institutions; P.A. 81-362 increased the maximum finance charge to 1.5% per month on sales made on or after July 1, 1981, and prior to March 1, 1983; P.A. 82-105 extended from March 1, 1983, to October 1, 1983, the expiration date for the increase in finance charges enacted in 1981; P.A. 83-226 extended the sunset date for the current statutory interest rate for open-end credit plans from October 1, 1983, to October 1, 1985; P.A. 85-522 extended the sunset date for the current maximum finance charge for open-end credit plans from October 1, 1985, to October 1, 1987; P.A. 85-613 made technical changes; P.A. 86-216 lowered the maximum interest rate on credit card purchases from 18% to 15% annually, reducing monthly rate from 1.5% to 1.25%; P.A. 87-589 amended the section by adding new Subsecs. (b) and (c) re application of the finance charge ceiling to certain out-of-state financial institutions; P.A. 89-37 added provisions concerning retail sellers; P.A. 90-18 made the provisions of this section applicable only to finance charges applied by retail sellers under open-end credit plans in connection with retail sales of consumer goods or services, and deleted Subsecs. (b) and (c); P.A. 92-12 made a technical change; P.A. 93-400 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and replaced existing ceiling on finance charges with new provisions and defined “holder”, and added Subsec. (b) re the maximum finance charge applied by a retail seller under an open-end credit plan used in connection with a transaction arising out of the retail sale of motor fuel; P.A. 95-106 deleted the specified maximum finance charge that would have become effective on October 1, 1995; P.A. 15-235 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing reference to Sec. 36a-676(a)(8) with reference to 15 USC 1602, effective August 1, 2015.