[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 12, Volume 3] [Revised as of January 1, 2003] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 12CFR223.16] [Page 64-65] TITLE 12--BANKS AND BANKING CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM PART 223--TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN MEMBER BANKS AND THEIR AFFILIATES (REGULATION W)--Table of Contents Subpart B--General Provisions of Section 23A Sec. 223.16 What transactions by a member bank with any person are treated as transactions with an affiliate? (a) In general. A member bank must treat any of its transactions with any person as a transaction with an affiliate to the extent that the proceeds of the transaction are used for the benefit of, or transferred to, an affiliate. (b) Certain agency transactions. (1) Except to the extent described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, an extension of credit by a member bank to a nonaffiliate is not treated as an extension of credit to an affiliate under paragraph (a) of this section if: (i) The proceeds of the extension of credit are used to purchase an asset through an affiliate of the member bank, and the affiliate is acting exclusively as an agent or broker in the transaction; and (ii) The asset purchased by the nonaffiliate is not issued, underwritten, or sold as principal by any affiliate of the member bank. (2) The interpretation set forth in paragraph (b)(1) of this section does not apply to the extent of any agency fee, brokerage commission, or other compensation received by an affiliate from the proceeds of the extension of credit. The receipt of such compensation may qualify, however, for the exemption contained in paragraph (c)(2) of this section. (c) Exemptions. Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, the following transactions are not subject to the quantitative limits of Secs. 223.11 and 223.12 or the collateral requirements of Sec. 223.14. The transactions are, however, subject to the safety and soundness requirement of Sec. 223.13 and the market terms requirement and other provisions of subpart F (implementing section 23B). (1) Certain riskless principal transactions. An extension of credit by a member bank to a nonaffiliate, if: (i) The proceeds of the extension of credit are used to purchase a security through a securities affiliate of the member bank, and the securities affiliate is acting exclusively as a riskless principal in the transaction; (ii) The security purchased by the nonaffiliate is not issued, underwritten, or sold as principal (other than as riskless principal) by any affiliate of the member bank; and (iii) Any riskless principal mark-up or other compensation received by the securities affiliate from the proceeds of the extension of credit meets the market terms standard set forth in paragraph (c)(2) of this section. (2) Brokerage commissions, agency fees, and riskless principal mark- ups. An affiliate's retention of a portion of the proceeds of an extension of credit described in paragraph (b) or (c)(1) of this section as a brokerage commission, agency fee, or riskless principal mark-up, if that commission, fee, or mark-up is substantially the same as, or lower than, those prevailing at the same time for comparable transactions with or involving other nonaffiliates, in accordance with the market terms requirement of Sec. 223.51. (3) Preexisting lines of credit. An extension of credit by a member bank to a nonaffiliate, if: (i) The proceeds of the extension of credit are used to purchase a security from or through a securities affiliate of the member bank; and [[Page 65]] (ii) The extension of credit is made pursuant to, and consistent with any conditions imposed in, a preexisting line of credit that was not established in contemplation of the purchase of securities from or through an affiliate of the member bank. (4) General purpose credit card transactions. (i) In general. An extension of credit by a member bank to a nonaffiliate, if: (A) The proceeds of the extension of credit are used by the nonaffiliate to purchase a product or service from an affiliate of the member bank; and (B) The extension of credit is made pursuant to, and consistent with any conditions imposed in, a general purpose credit card issued by the member bank to the nonaffiliate. (ii) Definition. ``General purpose credit card'' means a credit card issued by a member bank that is widely accepted by merchants that are not affiliates of the member bank for the purchase of products or services, if: (A) Less than 25 percent of the total value of products and services purchased with the card by all cardholders are purchases of products and services from one or more affiliates of the member bank; (B) All affiliates of the member bank would be permissible for a financial holding company (as defined in 12 U.S.C. 1841) under section 4 of the Bank Holding Company Act (12 U.S.C. 1843), and the member bank has no reason to believe that 25 percent or more of the total value of products and services purchased with the card by all cardholders are or would be purchases of products and services from one or more affiliates of the member bank; or (C) The member bank presents information to the Board that demonstrates, to the Board's satisfaction, that less than 25 percent of the total value of products and services purchased with the card by all cardholders are and would be purchases of products and services from one or more affiliates of the member bank. (iii) Calculating compliance. To determine whether a credit card qualifies as a general purpose credit card under the standard set forth in paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(A) of this section, a member bank must compute compliance on a monthly basis, based on cardholder purchases that were financed by the credit card during the preceding 12 calendar months. If a credit card has qualified as a general purpose credit card for 3 consecutive months but then ceases to qualify in the following month, the member bank may continue to treat the credit card as a general purpose credit card for such month and three additional months (or such longer period as may be permitted by the Board). (iv) Example of calculating compliance with the 25 percent test. A member bank seeks to qualify a credit card as a general purpose credit card under paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(A) of this section. The member bank assesses its compliance under paragraph (c)(4)(iii) of this section on the 15th day of every month (for the preceding 12 calendar months). The credit card qualifies as a general purpose credit card for at least three consecutive months. On June 15, 2005, however, the member bank determines that, for the 12-calendar-month period from June 1, 2004, through May 31, 2005, 27 percent of the total value of products and services purchased with the card by all cardholders were purchases of products and services from an affiliate of the member bank. Unless the credit card returns to compliance with the 25 percent limit by the 12- calendar-month period ending August 31, 2005, the card will cease to qualify as a general purpose credit card as of September 1, 2005. Any outstanding extensions of credit under the credit card that were used to purchase products or services from an affiliate of the member bank would become covered transactions at such time.