Maryland payments and fintech laws

Payments and fintech laws enacted in Maryland

9 payments and fintech laws enacted in the Maryland Legislature in the 2025 and 2026 sessions, newest first. Each links to the legislature's own page.

• HB 191Consumer Protection - Retail Transactions for Essential Consumer Goods - Cash PaymentsTook effect 1 October 2026

  What it requires: A merchant may not prohibit cash payments, require credit or debit card use, or charge higher prices for cash versus cashless transactions when selling essential consumer goods or services in in-person retail transactions totaling at least $5 and less than $300, except for cash denominations greater than $20 or if the merchant provides a cash-to-prepaid-card device.

  Card surcharges and payment fees

• HB 1355Financial Institutions - Payment Stablecoin Services - Establishment and Regulation (Maryland Stablecoin Act)Takes effect 1 January 2027

  What it requires: Nondepository trust companies and credit union service organizations must obtain a certificate from the Commissioner before engaging in business as state issuers or payment stablecoin services institutions. Certificate holders may only offer products and services listed on their certificate and must comply with applicable state and federal law.

  Virtual currency and crypto kiosks

• HB 752Criminal Law - Theft and Fraud Crimes - Valuation and Forgery of Gift CardsTook effect 1 October 2026

  What it requires: A person may not, with the intent to defraud another, alter or tamper with a gift card or its packaging. For theft crimes, the value of a gift card is determined as the greatest of: the highest value listed on the gift card or its packaging, or $100 if no value is listed, or the value the defendant represented, or the actual loss incurred.

  Prepaid, gift cards and P2P, Payment fraud and scams

• SB 437Criminal Law – Theft and Fraud Crimes – Valuation and Forgery of Gift CardsTook effect 1 October 2026

  What it requires: A person may not, with the intent to defraud another, alter or tamper with a gift card or its packaging. For valuation purposes in theft crimes, the value of a gift card is the greatest of: the highest value listed on the gift card or its packaging, $100 if no value is listed, the value the defendant represented, or the actual loss incurred.

  Payment fraud and scams

• SB 741Financial Institutions and Activities - Virtual Currency Kiosks - AlterationsTook effect 1 October 2026

  What it requires: A virtual currency kiosk operator must ensure the kiosk operates solely for virtual currency services and does not provide the same services as an automated teller machine. The definition of virtual currency kiosk operator now includes persons who install or operate software enabling a stand-alone automated device to provide virtual currency services.

  Virtual currency and crypto kiosks

• SB 94Commercial Law - Earned Wage Access - RevisionsTook effect 1 October 2026

  What it requires: Lenders and earned wage access providers may not accept tips from consumers or give consumers the option to provide tips. Providers must offer at least one no-cost option for earned wage access, fully disclose all fees, allow cancellation without penalty, and reimburse consumers within 5 business days for overdraft fees caused by provider collection attempts. Providers may not condition access on tip payment, charge late fees for unpaid proceeds, or pursue collection through civil action or third parties.

  Earned wage access

• HB 118Maryland Money Transmission Act - Definition of Money Transmitter - AlterationTook effect 1 October 2026

  What it requires: Alters the definition of money transmitter under the Maryland Money Transmission Act to exclude a person designated as an agent of a payor providing payroll processing services if there is a written agreement between payor and agent, the payor notifies other payees of the agent's role, and the payor remains obligated to payees if the agent fails to remit funds.

  Money transmission and licensing

• HB 1294Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit ModernizationTook effect 1 October 2025

  What it requires: Providers of earned wage access must be licensed under Maryland's consumer loan law or exempt from licensing. Providers must offer at least one no-cost option, fully disclose all fees, set default tips at zero, allow cancellation without fees, and reimburse consumers for overdraft fees caused by collection attempts. Providers cannot charge late fees, interest, or penalties; condition access on tip payment; report non-payment to consumer reporting agencies; or pursue collection through civil action, third parties, or debt buyers.

  Earned wage access

• SB 305Financial Institutions and Activities - Virtual Currency Kiosks - Registration and RegulationTook effect 1 July 2025

  What it requires: Beginning January 1, 2026, virtual currency kiosk operators must register kiosks with the Commissioner of Financial Regulation before operating in Maryland. Operators must limit daily cash or credit transactions to $1,000 per person, cap fees at the greater of $5 or 15% per transaction, collect specified customer information, and display on-screen disclosures of material risks and required statements before each transaction.

  Virtual currency and crypto kiosks

Payments and fintech in Maryland, by topic

• Payment fraud and scams

  5 bills, 2 enacted. Enacted in 21 states.

• Virtual currency and crypto kiosks

  4 bills, 3 enacted. Enacted in 34 states.

• Earned wage access

  3 bills, 2 enacted. Enacted in 7 states.

• Interchange and card networks

  2 bills. Enacted in 6 states.

• Money transmission and licensing

  1 bill, 1 enacted. Enacted in 24 states.

• Card surcharges and payment fees

  1 bill, 1 enacted. Enacted in 14 states.

• Prepaid, gift cards and P2P

  1 bill, 1 enacted. Enacted in 14 states.