Washington payments and fintech laws

What it would do: Requires virtual currency kiosk licensees to report locations to the nationwide licensing system 30 days before operating, limits daily transactions to $2,000 per customer, caps fees at $5 or 15 percent, and mandates detailed disclosures and receipts for consumer protection.

What it would do: Creates a licensing and regulatory framework for earned wage access service providers under the Department of Financial Institutions, requiring licensees to obtain licenses, maintain surety bonds, comply with fee caps of $5 per transaction and $10 monthly, and submit transaction data to a common database beginning July 1, 2026.

What it would do: Requires cash transaction totals to round down to the nearest five cents if ending in 1, 2, 6, or 7 cents, and round up if ending in 3, 4, 8, or 9 cents. Does not apply to payments made by card, electronic transfer, or other non-cash instruments.

What it would do: Creates a licensing and regulatory framework for earned wage access service providers, requiring licenses from the Department of Financial Institutions beginning July 1, 2026, and establishing requirements for fees, disclosures, consumer protections, and prohibited practices.

What it would do: Prohibits employers from deducting credit card processing fees from employee tips and requires payment card networks to exclude gratuity amounts from processing fees. Establishes penalties and refund mechanisms for violations.

What it would do: Requires persons owning or operating virtual currency transaction kiosks to be licensed as money transmitters and establishes operational requirements including disclosures, net worth standards, compliance officer employment, customer support, and detailed transaction receipts.

What it would do: Creates new crimes for theft of gift cards, unlawful use of stolen gift cards, and gift card fraud. Establishes penalties ranging from gross misdemeanor to class B felony based on gift card value thresholds of $750 and $5,000.

What it would do: Prohibits issuers, payment card networks, acquirer banks, and processors from charging interchange fees on tax or gratuity amounts in electronic payment transactions if merchants report those amounts during authorization or settlement. Requires employers to not reduce employee tips by interchange fees.

What it would do: Allows regulated businesses, including registered tow truck operators, to charge consumers a transaction fee not exceeding three percent for credit card payments, provided a no-cost payment option is always available and disclosed simultaneously.

What it would do: Creates a 3.0 percent business and occupation tax rate for payment card processors and allows them to deduct interchange fees, network fees, and portions of fees retained by other processors from their tax measure, effective January 1, 2026.