Preventable Failures Left Tens of Thousands of Economically Vulnerable Consumers Unable to Pay for Necessities

Source: www.consumerfinance.gov

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today took action against Mastercard and UniRush for breakdowns that left tens of thousands of economically vulnerable RushCard users unable to access their own money to pay for basic necessities.

"Mastercard and UniRush's failures cut off tens of thousands of vulnerable consumers from their own money, and threw some into a personal financial crisis," said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. "The companies must set things right for consumers and make sure such devastating service disruptions are not repeated."

As a result of its preventable failures, the CFPB found that Mastercard or UniRush:

• Denied consumers access to their own money
• Botched the processing of deposits and payments
• Gave consumers inaccurate account information
• Failed to provide customer service to consumers impacted by the breakdowns

Enforcement Action

Mastercard and UniRush must:

• Pay an estimated $10 million in restitution to tens of thousands of harmed consumers:
• Draw up a plan to prevent future problems:
• Pay a $3 million civil penalty