BILLING RIGHTS

This notice contains important information about your rights and USC's responsibilities under the FAIR CREDIT BILLING ACT.

1. Notify us in case of errors or questions about your bill.

If you think your bill is wrong, or if you need more information about a transaction on your billing statement, notify USC as soon as possible, on a separate sheet of paper at the address listed on your bill for Notice of Billing Errors. USC must hear from you no later than sixty (60) days after they sent you the first bill on which the error or problem appeared. You can telephone USC or the USCard office, but doing so will not preserve your rights.

In your letter, please give USC the following information:

• Your name and Account number;
• the dollar amount of the suspected error; and
• describe the error and explain, if you can, why you believe there is an error. If you need more information, describe the item about which you are unsure.

2. Your rights and our responsibilities after we receive your written notice:

USC must acknowledge your letter within thirty (30) days, unless they have corrected the error by then. Within ninety (90) days, USC must either correct the error or explain why they believe the bill was correct.

After USC receives your letter, USC cannot try to collect any amount you question, nor can USC report you as delinquent. USC can continue to bill you for the amount in question, including applicable finance charges. You do not have to pay any questioned amount while USC is investigating, but you are still obligated to pay the parts of your bill that are not in question.

If USC finds that they made a mistake on your bill, you will not have to pay any finance charges related to any questioned amount. If USC did not make a mistake, you may have to pay the finance charges, and you will have to make up any missed payments on the questioned amount. In either case, USC will send you a statement on the amount you owe and the date on which payment is due.

If you fail to pay the amount USC thinks you owe, USC may report you as delinquent. However, if USC's explanation does not satisfy you and you write back within ten (10) days to notify USC of your intent not to pay that amount, USC must tell anyone they report you to that you have a question about your bill. Also, USC, must tell you the name of anyone to whom they report you to. When it is finally concluded, USC must tell anyone to whom we have reported you that the matter has been settled between us.

If USC does not follow these rules, they cannot collect the first $50.00 of the questioned amount, even if your bill was correct.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

USCARD HOLDER AGREEMENT
Please read this Agreement before using the USCard. It contains the terms and conditions of the USCard Account, some of which may have changed from earlier materials provided to you. In the event of any differences, this Agreement shall control.

1. AGREEMENT TERMS. The word "Account" means your USCard Account. The words "you ... .. your," or "yours" mean you, the cardholders who are contractually liable under this Agreement, or your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) if they have signed the agreement because you are under age 18. The word "USC" means the University of Southern California.

2. ACCEPTANCE OF AGREEMENT. Your use of your Account or your USCard means you accept this Agreement.

3. USE OF YOUR ACCOUNT AND THE USCard. You agree that you will only use your Account or the USCard for personal, family and household purposes. Your Account and the USCard may be used to purchase goods or services from participating establishments at USC.

USC is not responsible for the refusal of anyone to accept or honor the USCard. The USCard is the property of USC. You must return it to either the USCard office or a designated agent of USC upon request.

4. LIABILITY FOR UNAUTHORIZED USE. If your USCard is lost or stolen, or if you think that someone is using you Account or your USCard without your permission, notify the USCard office immediately. You can notify the office 24 hours a day by telephoning (213) 740-8709, or by writing to USCard Services, Commons Lobby, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1623. You may be liable for the unauthorized use of your Account or the USCard. After reporting, your liability will not exceed $50.00.

5. PROMISE TO PAY. You agree to pay USC in U.S. dollars for all purchases including applicable finance charges and other charges or fees you may incur on your Account.

Failure to make payments of indebtedness to USC when due is considered sufficient cause, until the debt is settled with USC, to:

• bar the student from classes or examinations;

• withhold diploma, scholastic certificate or transcript;

• bar the student from University TrojanHousing;

• suspend all University services or privileges;

• suspend the student;

• assign the account to a collection agency;

• report the student as delinquent to a credit bureau.

USC also retains the right to proceed with action through the University conduct system until your debt is settled. Permission to cancel enrollment does not constitute, not shall be construed as, a waiver by USC of your financial obligation. You are still responsible for all outstanding debts and contracts with USCard and USC. Furthermore, a student must not have any delinquent financial obligations to USC at the time classes begin or their registration may be revoked. The USCard office and USC can accept late payment or partial payments in checks and money orders marked "payment in full" without losing any of the rights under this Agreement.

6. PAYMENT OPTIONS. The entire new balance shown on your billing statement is due and payable upon receipt. All payments must be mailed or delivered to USC at the address shown on your monthly billing statement or by using the envelope enclosed with such statement. All payments will be applied in the following order: finance charges and other charges or fees, and new charges in the order made.

The payment due shall be reduced by amounts paid during the previous months which have not already been so applied.

7. CREDIT BALANCES. We will refund any credit balance within seven business days from receipt of your written request less a 5% service charge. To obtain a refund from USCard you must first meet the criteria set forth in the USCard deposit contract. USCard only issues refunds through the university billing system.

8. FINANCE CHARGES FOR APPLICABLE ACCOUNTS. We will impose finances charges as follows:

A finance charge is imposed on your Account (except as referred to in paragraph C below when your payment becomes past due.

For each billing cycle, USC multiplies the monthly periodic rate times the adjusted balance of your Account. The monthly periodic rate is 1/12 of the annual percentage rate. The adjusted balance of you Account is the previous balance of your Account less all payments and credits.

A finance charge is not imposed on:

New purchases posted during a billing cycle if

• You paid the new balance shown on the billing statement covering the preceding billing cycle by the payment due date shown on that billing statement or such new balance was zero; and

• You pay the new balance shown on the billing statement itemizing the new charges by the payment due date shown on that billing statement. and

  Old charges previously posted for a billing cycle during which you pay the new balance shown on the billing statement covering the preceding billing cycle by the payment due date shown on that billing statement.

9. MINIMUM FINANCE CHARGE. USC will charge you a minimum finance charge of $1.00 for any billing cycle in which any unpaid previous balance exists.

10. RETURNED CHECK CHARGE. USC will charge you a returned check charge of $25.00 each time you pay with a check that is returned unpaid. Furthermore, under California Civil Code Section 1719, you may be liable for the amount equal to three times the amount of the check, but not less than $100.00, plus the amount of the check.

11. DEFAULT-COLLECTION COSTS. You are in default if you fail to comply with the terms of this Agreement, including failing to make a required payment when due. If you are in default and USC refers the collection of your Account to an attorney, USC may charge you reasonable attorney's fees and court or other collection costs as permitted by law and as actually incurred by USC.

12. CANCELLATION. You may cancel your Account by notifying us in writing and returning your USCard to the USCard Office. You will still be responsible to pay any amount you owe USC according to the terms of this agreement. USCard may cancel or suspend your Account at any time within 30 days written notice. If your Account is canceled or suspended, USC may declare the entire balance or your account immediately due and payable.

13. UNUSED BALANCE POLICY:  Account with a remaining balance and no transaction activity for a 12-month period covering July 1 to June 30 will be accessed a $1.00 per month maintenance fee.  The fee will be assessed annually on June 30.  Any account with a zero balance and no transactional activity in the proceeding 12 months shall be closed.

14. PRIVACY. USC may report to credit reporting agencies and other creditors the status and payment history of your Account. USC will not release this information to any other party without your prior written permission or proper legal process.

15. CHANGE OF TERMS. USC may change any term or part of this Agreement, including any finance charge rate, fee or method of computing any balance upon which the Finance Charge rate is assessed, by sending you a written notice at least 30 days before the change is to become effective. Your expressed written Agreement to any such change or the use of your Account or USCard on or after the effective date of the change means that you accept and agree to the change. USC may apply any such change to the outstanding balance of your Account on the effective date of the change or terms and to new charges made after that date.

16. CHANGE OF ADDRESS. If you change your address you must notify either the USCard office or USC Financial Services of your new address within 15 days.

17. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the state of California for agreements to be performed in the county of Los Angeles and all applicable federal laws. If any part of this Agreement becomes unenforceable, it will not make any other part unenforceable.

18. STATEMENTS. USC may provide a web based account service that will allow you to review the transaction history for your account and the current balance. This may be accessed at www.usc.edu/uscard. You may also obtain statements by placing a written request at the USCard Customer Service Office. Faculty and staff will also have current charges posted on the paycheck stub.

19. BUSINESS DAYS. The University’s business days are Monday – Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm, excluding holidays and December 25th through January 1st.