Promoting loans in the United States
We expect our Publishers and Advertisers to follow the OLA (Online Lenders Alliance) Best Practice:
Advertisers
- Ensure consumers are making educated financial decisions by fully disclosing all loan terms in a transparent and easy to understand way.
- Give consumers a chance to change their mind by maintaining a reasonable cancellation policy.
- Be a company in good standing with the officials and regulatory bodies that govern you. Comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
- Never engage in activities that are unfair, abusive or deceptive.
- Protect every consumer’s personal data with comprehensive website security and a privacy policy and ensure that your vendors protect consumer personal data in the same manner.
- Provide consumers with a copy of your privacy policy and an ability to opt out of information sharing.
- Help consumers help themselves by providing referrals to credit counseling, education and assistance when appropriate.
- Use advertising and marketing practices that promote the responsible use of short-term credit services. Do not engage in any false, misleading or deceptive advertising campaigns.
- Take applications from consumers and originate loans consistent with all applicable laws.
- Ensure that payments are authorized and processed consistent with federal laws and that consumers fully understand the options for sustained use of loans.
- Provide comprehensive website security and fraud prevention practices that include timely and accurate reports on loan activity, consumer notification of account use, and validation of routing numbers.
- Always treat consumers with respect and use fair, professional and non-abusive collection practices. Never use unlawful threats, intimidation or harassment to collect accounts.
- Appropriately manage third-party service providers to ensure that consumer information is shared and protected consistent with applicable law.
- There must always be details on how to contact you on the website.
Publishers
All Advertisements Must Not Be Unfair, Deceptive, or Misleading
- The name of the financial promotion or person on whose behalf the promotion is made must be clearly visible (e.g. the Affiliate name should appear in any content for SMS or email campaigns they send out).
- All promotions, websites, and communications must be easily legible.
- Do not state or imply that you are a lender.
- Do not emphasize potential BENEFITS of a product or service without also giving a FAIR and PROMINENT indication of any relevant RISKS.
- The advertisements or financial promotions must be presented in a way that is likely to be understood by the average member of the group to whom they are directed, or by whom they are likely to be received. Do not disguise, diminish, or obscure important information, statements or warnings.
- Do not falsely claim “special offer”, “limited time offer”, or use similar phrases.
- Do not claim that credit is available regardless of the customer’s financial status.
- Do not use “100%”, “guaranteed”, “pre-approved” or similar terms.
- Do not guarantee loan approval or loan amount. Only a lender can do this once an application has been approved by the lender.
- Do not use language that makes it seem like a short-term, small-sum loan is the answer to long-term debt.
- Do not refer to a person’s credit status, i.e. bad credit or good credit, without a reference to a disclosure that a lender may run a credit check.
- Examples of words not be used: In addition to the bullet points listed above, please also refer to the following list for quick reference to prohibited phrases in the Maxx Network. Again, this resource is not intended to be exhaustive.
| Term | Acceptable Substitutes |
| Bad Credit | None |
| Bad Credit ok | None |
| 100% | None |
| Guaranteed | None |
| Number of payments/period of repayment | None |
| (x)% interest | None |
| Down payment | None |
| Instant | Fast, quick, speedy |
| Immediate | As soon as/as far as the next business day |
| Within minutes | As soon as/as far as the next business day |
| Within hours | As soon as/as far as the next business day |
| Same day | As soon as/as far as the next business day |
| Tomorrow | As soon as/as far as the next business day |
| Next day | As soon as/as far as the next business day |
| One hour | As soon as/as far as the next business day |
| $1000 or more (if payday loans) | Up to $1,000 depending on the lender |
| No Faxing | None |
| Application | Registration / form |
| Apply | Register |
| Our payday loans | Lenders from our independent third party network |
| Any amount guaranteed | None |
| No credit check | None |
- Advertise loan amounts that are actually available (“available credit among participating lenders ranges between $100 and $3000”). Do not advertise loan amounts that are not available.
- No false or fake testimonials, advertisements, or endorsements.
- You must clearly state you are an Affiliate/Introducer and not a lender.
- Represent cash transfer or availability times accurately.
- Correctly state whether participating lenders will perform credit checks (“Participating lenders may perform credit checks using your social security number with credit bureaus”).
- You must not misrepresent or hide your company name.
- Advertisements must not infringe on third-party intellectual property rights.
- Do not use third-party trademarks, designs, or words that are confusingly similar to third-party trademarks without their written consent.
PLEASE NOTE
Maxx will continually monitor its network of Affiliates for suspected breaches of the rules governing financial promotions. Upon discovering or receiving a report of any breach or suspected breach, Maxx takes immediate action. Maxx will investigates all suspected breaches and either directs Affiliates to address the issues immediately or bans Affiliates from its network permanently.
This guidance is not intended to serve as a substitute for legal compliance and there may be additional laws and regulations regarding consumer finance lead generation activities that are not covered. We recommend that you consult with your own legal advisor. Affiliates are responsible for their own compliance with all applicable laws and regulations
Full range of our polices is available here