On May 19, 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB” or “Bureau”) filed a complaint and proposed consent order against PayPal, Inc. and its subsidiary Bill Me Later, Inc. (collectively, “PayPal”) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. If the court approves, the settlement will require PayPal to pay $15 million in redress to consumers and a $10 million civil money penalty. Although not the largest settlement in CFPB history, it is interesting for at least two reasons: (1) it sheds important new light on the meaning of “abusive” acts and practices, which is slowly being defined through the CFPB’s enforcement actions; and (2) it continues a recent trend of filings in federal court in lieu of an administrative proceeding.
