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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>372991</law_id><section_number>59.1-335.5</section_number><catch_line>Prohibited practices</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="127" identifier="59.1">Trade and Commerce</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="56" identifier="25.1">Virginia Credit Services Businesses Act</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>A <span class="dictionary">credit services business</span>, and its salespersons, agents and representatives, and independent contractors who sell or attempt to sell the services of a <span class="dictionary">credit services business</span>, shall not do any of the following:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Charge or receive any money or other valuable consideration prior to full and complete performance of the services that the <span class="dictionary">credit services business</span> has agreed to perform for or on behalf of the <span class="dictionary">consumer</span>, unless the <span class="dictionary">consumer</span> has agreed to pay for such services during the term of a written subscription agreement that provides for the <span class="dictionary">consumer</span> to make periodic payments during the agreement&#x2019;s term in consideration for the <span class="dictionary">credit services business</span>&#x2019;s ongoing performance of services for or on behalf of the <span class="dictionary">consumer</span>, provided that such subscription agreement may be cancelled at any time by the <span class="dictionary">consumer</span>; <a id="paragraph-1391296" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-335.5/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Charge or receive any money or other valuable consideration solely for referral of the <span class="dictionary">consumer</span> to a retail seller or to any other credit grantor who will or may extend to the <span class="dictionary">consumer</span>, if the credit that is or will be extended to the <span class="dictionary">consumer</span> is upon substantially the same terms as those available to the general public; <a id="paragraph-1391297" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-335.5/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="3"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> Make, or <span class="dictionary">counsel</span> or advise any consumer to make, any statement that is untrue or misleading and which is known, or which by the exercise of reasonable care should be known, to be untrue or misleading, to a <span class="dictionary">consumer reporting agency</span> or to any <span class="dictionary">person</span> who has extended credit to a consumer or to whom a consumer is applying for an <span class="dictionary">extension of credit</span>, with respect to a consumer&#x2019;s creditworthiness, credit standing, or credit capacity; <a id="paragraph-1391298" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-335.5/#3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="4"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> Make or use any untrue or misleading representations in the offer or sale of the services of a <span class="dictionary">credit services business</span> or engage, directly or indirectly, in any act, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a <span class="dictionary">fraud</span> or deception upon any <span class="dictionary">person</span> in connection with the offer or sale of the services of a <span class="dictionary">credit services business</span>; or <a id="paragraph-1391299" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-335.5/#4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="5"><p><span class="prefix-number">5.</span> Advertise, offer, sell, provide, or perform any of the services of a <span class="dictionary">credit services business</span> in connection with an <span class="dictionary">extension of credit</span> that meets any of the following conditions:
			a. The amount of credit is less than $5,000;<br/><br/>			b. The repayment term is one year or less;<br/><br/>			c. The credit is provided under an open-end credit plan; or<br/><br/>			d. The <span class="dictionary">annual percentage rate</span> exceeds 36 percent. For purposes of this section, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">annual percentage rate</span>&#x201D; has the same meaning as in the federal Truth in Lending Act (15 U.S.C. &#xA7; 1601 et seq.) and its implementing regulations, as they may be amended from time to time. <a id="paragraph-1391300" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-335.5/#5"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1989, cc. 651, 655; 2010, c. 421; 2020, cc. 1215, 1258.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
