(a) An applicant shall provide with its application a corporate surety bond issued by a bonding company or insurance company authorized to do business in this state and approved by the department. The bond for payment instrument sellers shall be in the principal sum of $250,000.00. The bond for money transmitters shall be in the principal sum of $100,000.00.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this Code section, the department may require an applicant or a licensee to provide additional coverage for the adequate protection of payment instrument holders if the average daily outstanding balances for payment instrument sellers exceed the current bond amount, the average daily outstanding orders to transmit not yet paid for money transmitters exceed the current bond amount, or the department determines that additional coverage is necessary in order to satisfy the department that the provisions of subsection (a) of Code Section 7-1-684 are fulfilled. A licensee's level of outstandings shall be determined by the portion of the licensee's financial reports dealing with transactions originating in Georgia which shall be submitted to the department as set forth in its rules and regulations. However, under no circumstances shall the additional bond coverage required by the department exceed $2,000,000.00.

(c) The bond shall be in a form satisfactory to the department and shall run to the State of Georgia for the benefit of the department or any payment instrument holders against the licensee or its agents. The condition of the bond shall require the licensee to pay any and all moneys for the benefit of any person damaged by noncompliance of a licensee or its agent with this article, with the rules and regulations enacted pursuant to this article, or with any condition of the bond or to pay any and all moneys that may become due and owing any creditor of or claimant against the licensee arising out of the licensee's sale of payment instruments or money transmission in this state, whether through its own acts or the acts of an agent. Damage payments due under the bond include moneys owed to the department for fees, fines, or penalties. In no event shall the aggregate liability of the surety exceed the principal sum of the face amount of the bond. Claimants against the licensee may bring an action directly on the surety bond.