HB0959 • 2026

Electronic Payment Processing Fees for Motor Vehicle Purchases

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee ; Johnson
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: House - Died in Commerce Committee
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

There is a conflict in the provided official metadata: one field states the bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, while another lists the last action as 'Died in Commerce Committee'. The fact-check relies on the status explanation that it passed.

Electronic Payment Fees for Motor Vehicle Purchases

This law allows lenders to charge a small fee when car buyers pay their loan installments electronically if they offer free payment options and follow specific rules.

What This Bill Does

Creates new state laws about fees for electronic payments on vehicle purchases under retail installment contracts.
Allows holders of these contracts or their agents to collect a processing fee for credit card, debit card, ACH, or other electronic payments.
Limits the fee amount to either $10 or 3 percent of the payment, whichever is smaller.
Requires that the fee matches the actual cost incurred by the holder in processing the transaction.
Mandates that lenders must offer at least one free way for buyers to pay their bills.

Who It Names or Affects

Holders of retail installment contracts (lenders) and their agents
Motor vehicle retail buyers who make payments on car loans

Terms To Know

ACH payment: A transfer of money directly from a buyer's bank account using an automated clearinghouse system.
Electronic payment: Any payment made by credit card, debit card, electronic funds transfer, electronic check, or other digital method.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not take effect until July 1, 2026.
Lenders cannot charge a fee if they do not offer an alternative payment method that costs nothing to the buyer.
Electronic payments cannot be established as the expected form of payment.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

032763

Committee amendment H 959 Filed • Johnson

Adopted without Objection 2/12/2026

Plain English: This amendment creates a new Florida law that allows car loan holders to charge small fees for electronic payments only if they offer free payment options and follow strict rules.

It defines 'electronic payment' as using credit cards, debit cards, or other digital methods like ACH transfers.
It permits lenders to collect a processing fee that is no more than $10 or 3% of the payment amount, whichever is less.
It requires lenders to offer at least one free way to pay, such as cash, check, money order, or an ACH transfer without fees.
It mandates that lenders must clearly tell buyers about any fee and their option to use a free payment method before the buyer agrees.

The text does not explain how 'reasonably related' expenses are calculated or enforced beyond the dollar limits provided.
This amendment replaces all previous versions of the bill, so any earlier details about specific vehicle types or dealer requirements from the original draft are removed.

Bill History

2026-03-13 House
• Died in Commerce Committee
2026-02-16 House
• Referred to Commerce Committee • Now in Commerce Committee
2026-02-13 House
• Reported out of Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee • Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a) • CS Filed • 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
2026-02-12 House
• Favorable with CS by Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
2026-02-10 House
• Added to Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee agenda
2026-01-13 House
• 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
2026-01-12 House
• Referred to Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee • Referred to Commerce Committee • Now in Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
2026-01-05 House
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Electronic Payment Processing Fees for Motor Vehicle Purchases; Authorizes holders of retail installment contracts & their agents to collect fees for processing payments made by motor vehicle retail buyers under certain circumstances.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

CS/HB 959 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb959-01-c1
Page 1 of 2
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to electronic payment processing fees 2
for motor vehicle purchases; creating s. 520.105, 3
F.S.; defining the terms "ACH payment" and "electronic 4
payment"; authorizing holders of retail installment 5
contracts and their agents to collect fees for 6
processing electronic payments made by motor vehicle 7
retail buyers under certain circumstances; providing 8
an effective date. 9
10
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 11
12
Section 1. Section 520.105, Florida Statutes, is created 13
to read: 14
520.105 Convenience fee for processing electronic 15
payments.— 16
(1) As used in this section, the term: 17
(a) "ACH payment" means a payment via an automated 18
clearinghouse electronic transfer from a retail buyer's bank 19
account. 20
(b) "Electronic payment" means a payment made by credit 21
card, debit card, electronic funds transfer, electronic check, 22
or other electronic method. 23
(2) A holder of a retail installment contract, or its 24
agent, may collect a fee for processing a retail buyer's 25

CS/HB 959 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb959-01-c1
Page 2 of 2
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

electronic payment under the retail installment contract, 26
provided that all of the following conditions are met: 27
(a) The fee is reasonably related to the actual expense 28
incurred by the holder, or its agent, in processing the 29
electronic payment. 30
(b) The fee does not exceed the lesser of $10 or 3 percent 31
of the amount of the payment. 32
(c) The holder, or its agent, does all of the following: 33
1. Allows the retail buyer to make a payment by a method 34
other than the method that incurs a fee. 35
2. Maintains an option for a retail buyer to make an ACH 36
payment without collecting a fee. 37
3. Does not establish electronic payment as the expected 38
form of payment. 39
4. Before the retail buyer agrees to make a payment by a 40
method that incurs a fee, discloses all of the following: 41
a. The amount of the fee to be charged under this section. 42
b. The retail buyer's option to make a payment by an 43
alternative method that does not incur a fee, including by cash, 44
check, money order, or ACH payment. 45
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 46