SECTION 222.21—Affiliate Marketing Opt-Out and Exceptions

(i) it is clearly and conspicuously disclosed to the consumer in writing or, if the consumer agrees, electronically, in a concise notice that you may use eligibility information about that consumer received from an affiliate to make solicitations for marketing purposes to the consumer;

(ii) the consumer is provided a reasonable opportunity and a reasonable and simple method to opt out, or prohibit you from using eligibility information to make solicitations for marketing purposes to the consumer; and

(iii) the consumer has not opted out.

(i) by an affiliate that has or has previously had a pre-existing business relationship with the consumer; or

(ii) as part of a joint notice from two or more members of an affiliated group of companies, provided that at least one of the affiliates on the joint notice has or has previously had a pre-existing business relationship with the consumer.

(i) you receive eligibility information from an affiliate;

(ii) you use that eligibility information to do one or more of the following:

(iii) as a result of your use of the eligibility information, the consumer is provided a solicitation.

(i) uses its own eligibility information that it obtained in connection with a pre-existing business relationship it has or had with the consumer to market your products or services to the consumer; or

(ii) directs its service provider to use the affiliate’s own eligibility information that it obtained in connection with a pre-existing business relationship it has or had with the consumer to market your products or services to the consumer, and you do not communicate directly with the service provider regarding that use.

(i) In general. You do not make a solicitation subject to subpart C of this part if a service provider (including an affiliated or third-party service provider that maintains or accesses a common database that you may access) receives eligibility information from your affiliate that your affiliate obtained in connection with a pre-existing business relationship it has or had with the consumer and uses that eligibility information to market your products or services to the consumer, so long as—

(ii) Writing requirements.

(i) A consumer has a deposit account with a depository institution, which is affiliated with an insurance company. The insurance company receives eligibility information about the consumer from the depository institution. The insurance company uses that eligibility information to identify the consumer to receive a solicitation about insurance products, and, as a result, the insurance company provides a solicitation to the consumer about its insurance products. Pursuant to paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the insurance company has made a solicitation to the consumer.

(ii) The same facts as in the example in paragraph (b)(6)(i) of this section, except that after using the eligibility information to identify the consumer to receive a solicitation about insurance products, the insurance company asks the depository institution to send the solicitation to the consumer and the depository institution does so. Pursuant to paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the insurance company has made a solicitation to the consumer because it used eligibility information about the consumer that it received from an affiliate to identify the consumer to receive a solicitation about its products or services, and, as a result, a solicitation was provided to the consumer about the insurance company’s products.

(iii) The same facts as in the example in paragraph (b)(6)(i) of this section, except that eligibility information about consumers that have deposit accounts with the depository institution is placed into a common database that all members of the affiliated group of companies may independently access and use. Without using the depository institution’s eligibility information, the insurance company develops selection criteria and provides those criteria, marketing materials, and related instructions to the depository institution. The depository institution reviews eligibility information about its own consumers using the selection criteria provided by the insurance company to determine which consumers should receive the insurance company’s marketing materials and sends marketing materials about the insurance company’s products to those consumers. Even though the insurance company has received eligibility information through the common database as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, it did not use that information to identify consumers or establish selection criteria; instead, the depository institution used its own eligibility information. Therefore, pursuant to paragraph (b)(4)(i) of this section, the insurance company has not made a solicitation to the consumer.

(iv) The same facts as in the example in paragraph (b)(6)(iii) of this section, except that the depository institution provides the insurance company’s criteria to the depository institution’s service provider and directs the service provider to use the depository institution’s eligibility information to identify depository institution consumers who meet the criteria and to send the insurance company’s marketing materials to those consumers. The insurance company does not communicate directly with the service provider regarding the use of the depository institution’s information to market its products to the depository institution’s consumers. Pursuant to paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of this section, the insurance company has not made a solicitation to the consumer.

(v) An affiliated group of companies includes a depository institution, an insurance company, and a service provider. Each affiliate in the group places information about its consumers into a common database. The service provider has access to all information in the common database. The depository institution controls access to and use of its eligibility information by the service provider. This control is set forth in a written agreement between the depository institution and the service provider. The written agreement also requires the service provider to establish reasonable policies and procedures designed to ensure that the service provider uses the depository institution’s eligibility information in accordance with specific terms and conditions established by the depository institution relating to the marketing of the products and services of all affiliates, including the insurance company. In a separate written communication, the depository institution specifies the terms and conditions under which the service provider may use the depository institution’s eligibility information to market the insurance company’s products and services to the depository institution’s consumers. The specific terms and conditions are: a list of affiliated companies (including the insurance company) whose products or services may be marketed to the depository institution’s consumers by the service provider; the specific products or types of products that may be marketed to the depository institution’s consumers by the service provider; the categories of eligibility information that may be used by the service provider in marketing products or services to the depository institution’s consumers; the types or categories of the depository institution’s consumers to whom the service provider may market products or services of depository institution affiliates; the number and/or types of marketing communications that the service provider may send to the depository institution’s consumers; and the length of time during which the service provider may market the products or services of the depository institution’s affiliates to its consumers. The depository institution periodically evaluates the service provider’s compliance with these terms and conditions. The insurance company asks the service provider to market insurance products to certain consumers who have deposit accounts with the depository institution. Without using the depository institution’s eligibility information, the insurance company develops selection criteria and provides those criteria, marketing materials, and related instructions to the service provider. The service provider uses the depository institution’s eligibility information from the common database to identify the depository institution’s consumers to whom insurance products will be marketed. When the insurance company’s marketing materials are provided to the identified consumers, the name of the depository institution is displayed on the insurance marketing materials, an introductory letter that accompanies the marketing materials, an account statement that accompanies the marketing materials, or the envelope containing the marketing materials. The requirements of paragraph (b)(5) of this section have been satisfied, and the insurance company has not made a solicitation to the consumer.

(vi) The same facts as in the example in paragraph (b)(6)(v) of this section, except that the terms and conditions permit the service provider to use the depository institution’s eligibility information to market the products and services of other affiliates to the depository institution’s consumers whenever the service provider deems it appropriate to do so. The service provider uses the depository institution’s eligibility information in accordance with the discretion afforded to it by the terms and conditions. Because the terms and conditions are not specific, the requirements of paragraph (b)(5) of this section have not been satisfied.

(i) A consumer has an insurance policy issued by an insurance company. The insurance company furnishes eligibility information about the consumer to its affiliated depository institution. Based on that eligibility information, the depository institution wants to make a solicitation to the consumer about its deposit products. The depository institution does not have a pre-existing business relationship with the consumer and none of the other exceptions in paragraph (c) of this section apply. The consumer has been given an opt-out notice and has elected to opt out of receiving such solicitations. The depository institution asks a service provider to send the solicitation to the consumer on its behalf. The service provider may not send the solicitation on behalf of the depository institution because, as a result of the consumer’s opt-out election, the depository institution is not permitted to make the solicitation.

(ii) The same facts as in paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this section, except the consumer has been given an opt-out notice, but has not elected to opt out. The depository institution asks a service provider to send the solicitation to the consumer on its behalf. The service provider may send the solicitation on behalf of the depository institution because, as a result of the consumer’s not opting out, the depository institution is permitted to make the solicitation.

(i) A consumer who has a deposit account with a depository institution initiates a communication with the depository institution’s credit card affiliate to request information about a credit card. The credit card affiliate may use eligibility information about the consumer it obtains from the depository institution or any other affiliate to make solicitations regarding credit card products in response to the consumer-initiated communication.

(ii) A consumer who has a deposit account with a depository institution contacts the institution to request information about how to save and invest for a child’s college education without specifying the type of product in which the consumer may be interested. Information about a range of different products or services offered by the depository institution and one or more affiliates of the institution may be responsive to that communication. Such products or services may include the following: mutual funds offered by the institution’s mutual fund affiliate; section 529 plans offered by the institution, its mutual fund affiliate, or another securities affiliate; or trust services offered by a different financial institution in the affiliated group. Any affiliate offering investment products or services that would be responsive to the consumer’s request for information about saving and investing for a child’s college education may use eligibility information to make solicitations to the consumer in response to this communication.

(iii) A credit card issuer makes a marketing call to the consumer without using eligibility information received from an affiliate. The issuer leaves a voice-mail message that invites the consumer to call a toll-free number to apply for the issuer’s credit card. If the consumer calls the toll-free number to inquire about the credit card, the call is a consumer initiated communication about a product or service and the credit card issuer may now use eligibility information it receives from its affiliates to make solicitations to the consumer.

(iv) A consumer calls a depository institution to ask about retail locations and hours, but does not request information about products or services. The institution may not use eligibility information it receives from an affiliate to make solicitations to the consumer about its products or services because the consumer-initiated communication does not relate to the depository institution’s products or services. Thus, the use of eligibility information received from an affiliate would not be responsive to the communication and the exception does not apply.

(v) A consumer calls a depository institution to ask about retail locations and hours. The customer service representative asks the consumer if there is a particular product or service about which the consumer is seeking information. The consumer responds that the consumer wants to stop in and find out about certificates of deposit. The customer service representative offers to provide that information by telephone and mail additional information and application materials to the consumer. The consumer agrees and provides or confirms contact information for receipt of the materials to be mailed. The depository institution may use eligibility information it receives from an affiliate to make solicitations to the consumer about certificates of deposit because such solicitations would respond to the consumer-initiated communication about products or services.

(i) A consumer who obtains a mortgage from a mortgage lender authorizes or requests information about homeowner’s insurance offered by the mortgage lender’s insurance affiliate. Such authorization or request, whether given to the mortgage lender or to the insurance affiliate, would permit the insurance affiliate to use eligibility information about the consumer it obtains from the mortgage lender or any other affiliate to make solicitations to the consumer about homeowner’s insurance.

(ii) A consumer completes an online application to apply for a credit card from a credit card issuer. The issuer’s online application contains a blank check box that the consumer may check to authorize or request information from the credit card issuer’s affiliates. The consumer checks the box. The consumer has authorized or requested solicitations from the card issuer’s affiliates.

(iii) A consumer completes an online application to apply for a credit card from a credit card issuer. The issuer’s online application contains a preselected check box indicating that the consumer authorizes or requests information from the issuer’s affiliates. The consumer does not deselect the check box. The consumer has not authorized or requested solicitations from the card issuer’s affiliates.

(iv) The terms and conditions of a credit card account agreement contain pre-printed boilerplate language stating that by applying to open an account the consumer authorizes or requests to receive solicitations from the credit card issuer’s affiliates. The consumer has not authorized or requested solicitations from the card issuer’s affiliates.