(a)  As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1)  “Cardholder” means the person named on the face of a credit card to whom or for whose benefit the credit card is issued by an issuer and shall include any employee or other agent or authorized user of the card;

(2)  “Credit card” shall be defined as stated in § 6-30-2;

(3)  “Issuer” means the financial institution or other business organization that issues a credit card or its duly authorized agent;

(4)  “Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, association, joint-venture pool, syndicate, sole proprietorship, unincorporated organization, or any other legal entity; and

(5)  “Provider” means a person who furnishes money, goods, services, or anything else of value upon presentation, whether physically, in writing, verbally, electronically, or otherwise of a credit card by the cardholder, or any agent or employee of such person.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 6-30-6

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • credit card: means any instrument or device, whether known as a credit card, credit plate, or by any other name, issued with or without fee by an issuer for the use of the cardholder in obtaining money, goods, services, or anything else of value on credit. See Rhode Island General Laws 6-30-2
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • in writing: include printing, engraving, lithographing, and photo-lithographing, and all other representations of words in letters of the usual form. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-16
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6

(b)  Except as otherwise provided in this section, no provider shall print or otherwise produce or reproduce or permit the printing or other production or reproduction of either of the following:

(1)  Any part of the credit card account number, other than the last five (5) digits or other characters on any receipt provided or made available to the cardholder; or

(2)  The credit card expiration date on any receipt provided or made available to the cardholder.

(c)  This section shall not apply to a credit card transaction in which the sole means available to the provider of recording the credit card account number is by handwriting or by imprint of the card.

(d)  This section shall not apply to receipts issued for transactions on the electronic benefits transfer card system.

(e)  Any cardholder whose credit card has been the subject of a violation of this section, or the issuer of such a card, may bring a civil action in the superior court against the provider who violated the provisions of this section to recover or obtain one or all of the following remedies:

(1)  Damages or expenses, or both, that the cardholder or issuer incurred due to the provider’s violation of this section;

(2)  Court costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees;

(3)  Injunctive or equitable relief, as appropriate; and

(4)  Any other relief the court deems proper.

(f)  The provisions of this section shall become effective on January 1, 2007, with respect to any cash register or other machine or device that electronically prints receipts for credit card transactions that is in use prior to January 1, 2005.

(g)  The provisions of this section shall become effective on January 1, 2005, with respect to any cash register or other machine or device that electronically prints receipts for credit card transactions that is first put into use on or after January 1, 2005.

History of Section.
P.L. 2004, ch. 211, § 1; P.L. 2004, ch. 238, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch. 528, § 22.