§8-8-14. Interest surcharge on loans or credit sales; refunds; maximum interest rate indexed to prime rate; maximum interest rates for open-end credit plans.

(a) In addition to other lawful charges under various state laws, and notwithstanding any restrictions thereunder, a legal licensed lending institution, a vendor making credit sales, any financial institution operating in Alabama or any individual may, if provided in the contract, charge and collect at the time of making a loan or credit sale, on each contract of loan or credit sale, an interest surcharge of not more than six percent of the part of the amount financed, which is not in excess of two thousand dollars ($2000). In addition to any rebate to which the debtor is otherwise entitled, when any contract upon which an interest surcharge has been charged is prepaid in full by any means within 90 days of date of the contract, the creditor shall refund or credit the debtor with a pro rata portion of the interest surcharge, except that in such event an amount of no less than twenty-five dollars ($25) may be retained by the creditor.

(b) As an alternative to any other interest or finance charge allowed by state laws, and any law or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding, a lender or a vendor in credit sales, any financial institution operating in Alabama or any individual may, in connection with any credit sale, upon any type or class of loan, charge a maximum allowable rate on the amount of such loan or credit sale, not to exceed two percentage points above the prime rate at the time such loan or credit sales contract is executed; or if the debt is created under an open-end credit plan, the maximum finance charge in connection therewith shall be one and three-fourths percent per month on the first $750 or less, and one and one-half percent per month on the excess of any unpaid balance from time to time thereunder. For the purpose of this section, the prime rate shall be the average of the prime rates reported by the three largest banks in New York City as of the close of business three business days immediately preceding the date on which the loan or credit sale is made.

(c) The provisions of this section are cumulative to, and not in derogation of, rights under other provisions of state or federal law and shall not in any way repeal, amend or modify the provisions of Public Law 96-221 enacted by the Congress of the United States and approved March 31, 1980.

(Acts 1980, No. 80-738, §§1, 2, 4, 5, p. 1502; Acts 1981, No. 81-654, p. 1071, §1; Acts 1982, No. 82-271, p. 340, §1; Acts 1989, No. 89-421, p. 885; Acts 1997, No. 97-453, p. 803, §1.)