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SB 838FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026Died in Messages

Proposed Rules for Electronic Payment Fees on Car Loans

Original title: Electronic Payments of Retail Installment Contracts

March 13, 2026

consumer protectionfinanceretailmotor vehiclesfees

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The Frame

What this does

If enacted, this legislation would have created a legal framework for businesses to charge convenience fees for credit card or debit card payments on car loans, while ensuring consumers retain access to fee-free payment options like ACH transfers.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Motor vehicle retail buyers

They would have been subject to potential processing fees for electronic payments and granted rights to fee-free payment alternatives.

Holders of retail installment contracts

They would have been authorized to collect processing fees under specific conditions and disclosure requirements.

What changed

Last recorded activity March 13, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

This bill would have allowed companies that hold motor vehicle s to charge fees for processing electronic payments, provided they also offer a free payment alternative. It established specific disclosure requirements and prohibited companies from requiring electronic payments as the default method.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Would this bill have forced me to pay by credit card for my car loan?
No. The bill explicitly prohibited companies from establishing electronic payment as the expected form of payment and required them to offer a fee-free alternative.
What is an ACH payment under this bill?
An is defined as a payment made by an automated clearing house electronic transfer from a retail buyer’s bank account.
Did this bill pass?
No, the bill died in messages on March 13, 2026.

Why It Matters

If enacted, this legislation would have created a legal framework for businesses to charge convenience fees for credit card or debit card payments on car loans, while ensuring consumers retain access to fee-free payment options like ACH transfers.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Voting Record

Motion succeededsenate2/19/2026Official roll call ↗

Third Reading

Total

40

Yes

38

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededsenate2/17/2026Official roll call ↗

Favorable

Total

24

Yes

24

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededsenate2/4/2026Official roll call ↗

Favorable

Total

11

Yes

11

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededhouse1/13/2026Official roll call ↗

Favorable with Committee Substitute

Total

10

Yes

10

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Full roll-call analysis →

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Standardization of Convenience Fees

The bill attempted to codify the conditions under which 'convenience fees' are permissible in retail installment contracts, balancing fee collection with mandatory fee-free alternatives.

Florida Legislature

Connected Entities

otherRetail installment contractMap →
organizationFlorida LegislatureMap →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance40
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz10
    Current news / social attention level

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