MD HB237

Lenders and earned wage access providers are prohibited from accepting tips from consumers or offering consumers the option to provide a tip, replacing previous requirements that merely set default tips at zero and required disclosures

Refund timeline for tips received by lenders is shortened from 30 calendar days to 7 days to avoid violation of lending regulations

Earned wage access providers must be licensed as consumer loan lenders under Title 11, Subtitle 2 of the Financial Institutions Article and are now subject to additional consumer loan requirements under §§ 12-304, 12-305, and 12-316.1

Providers must reimburse consumers within 5 business days for overdraft or nonsufficient fund fees caused by the provider's repayment attempts and must offer at least one no-cost option for earned wage access services

Effective date: October 1, 2026