[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 12, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 12CFR205.3]

[Page 158-159]
 
                       TITLE 12--BANKS AND BANKING
 
                   CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
 
PART 205--ELECTRONIC FUND TRANSFERS (REGULATION E)--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 205.3  Coverage.

    (a) General. This part applies to any electronic fund transfer that 
authorizes a financial institution to debit or credit a consumer's 
account. Generally, this part applies to financial institutions. For 
purposes of Secs. 205.10 (b), (d), and (e) and 205.13, this part applies 
to any person.
    (b) Electronic fund transfer. The term electronic fund transfer 
means any transfer of funds that is initiated through an electronic 
terminal, telephone, computer, or magnetic tape for the purpose of 
ordering, instructing, or authorizing a financial institution to debit 
or credit an account. The term includes, but is not limited to:
    (1) Point-of-sale transfers;
    (2) Automated teller machine transfers;
    (3) Direct deposits or withdrawals of funds;
    (4) Transfers initiated by telephone; and
    (5) Transfers resulting from debit card transactions, whether or not 
initiated through an electronic terminal.
    (c) Exclusions from coverage. The term electronic fund transfer does 
not include:
    (1) Checks. Any transfer of funds originated by check, draft, or 
similar paper instrument; or any payment made by check, draft, or 
similar paper instrument at an electronic terminal.
    (2) Check guarantee or authorization. Any transfer of funds that 
guarantees payment or authorizes acceptance of a check, draft, or 
similar paper instrument but that does not directly result in a debit or 
credit to a consumer's account.
    (3) Wire or other similar transfers. Any transfer of funds through 
Fedwire or through a similar wire transfer system that is used primarily 
for transfers between financial institutions or between businesses.
    (4) Securities and commodities transfers. Any transfer of funds the 
primary purpose of which is the purchase or sale of a security or 
commodity, if the security or commodity is:
    (i) Regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission or the 
Commodity Futures Trading Commission;
    (ii) Purchased or sold through a broker-dealer regulated by the 
Securities and Exchange Commission or through a futures commission 
merchant regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; or
    (iii) Held in book-entry form by a Federal Reserve Bank or federal 
agency.
    (5) Automatic transfers by account-holding institution. Any transfer 
of

[[Page 159]]

funds under an agreement between a consumer and a financial institution 
which provides that the institution will initiate individual transfers 
without a specific request from the consumer:
    (i) Between a consumer's accounts within the financial institution;
    (ii) From a consumer's account to an account of a member of the 
consumer's family held in the same financial institution; or
    (iii) Between a consumer's account and an account of the financial 
institution, except that these transfers remain subject to 
Sec. 205.10(e) regarding compulsory use and sections 915 and 916 of the 
act regarding civil and criminal liability.
    (6) Telephone-initiated transfers. Any transfer of funds that:
    (i) Is initiated by a telephone communication between a consumer and 
a financial institution making the transfer; and
    (ii) Does not take place under a telephone bill-payment or other 
written plan in which periodic or recurring transfers are contemplated.
    (7) Small institutions. Any preauthorized transfer to or from an 
account if the assets of the account-holding financial institution were 
$100 million or less on the preceding December 31. If assets of the 
account-holding institution subsequently exceed $100 million, the 
institution's exemption for preauthorized transfers terminates one year 
from the end of the calendar year in which the assets exceed $100 
million. Preauthorized transfers exempt under this paragraph (c)(7) 
remain subject to Sec. 205.10(e) regarding compulsory use and sections 
915 and 916 of the act regarding civil and criminal liability.