As used in this chapter —

(1) “revolving credit account” means an arrangement between a seller or financial institution and a buyer pursuant to which (A) the seller or financial institution may permit the buyer to purchase goods or services on credit from time to time, either directly from the seller or indirectly by use of a credit card or other device, whether issued by the seller or a financial institution, (B) the unpaid balances of amount financed arising from purchases and credit service and other appropriate charges are debited to an account, (C) a credit service charge if made is not precomputed but is computed on an outstanding unpaid balance of the buyer’s account from time to time, and (D) the buyer has the privilege of paying the balances in full or in installments. The term “revolving credit account” shall not include loans obtained by a person from a financial institution where a check, credit card, or other device is used to access a line of credit.

(2) “credit service charge” means the sum of (A) all charges payable directly or indirectly by the buyer and imposed directly or indirectly by the seller or financial institution as an incident to the extension of credit, including any of the following types of charges which are applicable: time-price differential, service, carrying, or other charge, however denominated, premium or other charge for any guarantee or insurance protecting the seller or financial institution against the buyer’s default or other credit loss, and (B) charges incurred for investigating the collateral or credit-worthiness of the buyer or for commissions or brokerage for obtaining the credit irrespective of the person to whom the charges are paid or payable, unless the seller or financial institution had no notice of the charges when the credit was granted.

(3) “seller” means a person engaged in the District of Columbia in the business of selling goods or services to retail buyers.

(4) “buyer” means a person who buys goods or obtains services from a seller pursuant to a retail credit sale and not principally for the purpose of resale; and includes a person who enters into a prior agreement with a financial institution whereby the latter agrees to pay the debts of the buyer as they accrue at various retail sellers, designated by the financial institution, in consideration of the buyer paying to the financial institution the cash sales price plus the credit service charge on the purchase.

(5) “person” includes any individual, partnership, corporation, association, trust, joint stock company, or any other group of persons however organized.

(6) “financial institution” means a person who enters into an agreement with a buyer whereby the former agrees to extend credit to the buyer and to apply it as directed by the buyer pursuant to a credit card issued to the buyer by the financial institution; and this term includes any “insured bank” as defined in section 3 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, approved September 21, 1950 (64 Stat. 873; 12 U.S.C. sec. 1813) or any “insured institution” as defined in section 401 of the National Housing Act, approved June 27, 1934 (12 U.S.C. sec. 1724; 48 Stat. 1255) and any subsidiary corporation which is wholly-owned by a financial institution doing business in the District.

(Dec. 17, 1971, 85 Stat. 667, Pub. L. 92-200, § 4; Mar. 10, 1982, D.C. Law 4-70, § 5, 28 DCR 5236; Apr. 9, 1997, D.C. Law 11-255, § 27(j), 44 DCR 1271.)

1981 Ed., § 28-3701.

1973 Ed., § 28-3701.

This section is referenced in § 28-3802 and § 28-3805.

“ 12 U.S.C. 1724”, referred to in (6), was repealed by Pub. L. 101-73, title IV, § 407, August 9, 1989, 103 Stat. 363.