NMSA 58-16-14. Issuance of card; liability of cardholder; limits of liability

58-16-14. Issuance of card; liability of cardholder; limits of liability. A. No card that will actuate a remote financial service unit shall be issued except in response to a request or application therefor. The prohibition does not apply to the issuance of a card in renewal of or in substitution for a card or as an adjunct to an established account. B. A cardholder shall be liable for the unauthorized use of his card due to loss, theft or other action only if the card has been accepted by the cardholder and the unauthorized use occurs before the cardholder has notified the issuer that an unauthorized use has occurred or may occur as a result of the loss, theft or other action. If the cardholder fails to notify the issuer within two business days after learning of the loss, theft or unauthorized use of the card, the cardholder's liability shall not exceed the lesser of five hundred dollars ($500) or the sum of: (1) fifty dollars ($50.00) or the amount of unauthorized EFT that occurs before the close of the two business days, whichever is less; and (2) the amount of unauthorized EFT that the issuer establishes would not have occurred but for the failure of the cardholder to notify the issuer within two business days after the cardholder learns of the loss or theft of the card and that occur after the close of two business days and before notice to the issuer. C. For the purposes of Subsection B of this section, a cardholder shall notify the issuer by taking such steps as may be reasonably required in the ordinary course of business to provide the issuer with the pertinent information whether or not any particular officer, employee or agent of the issuer does in fact receive such information. D. Except for losses due to the unauthorized use of the cardholder's card that are governed by the provisions of Subsection B of this section, no aggrieved cardholder shall be liable for the amount of any unauthorized withdrawal from the cardholder's account or any interest lost on the unauthorized amount withdrawn, if the financial institution is notified by the cardholder of the unauthorized withdrawal within the time period specified in Section 55-4-406 NMSA 1978 of the receipt by the cardholder of a statement from the financial institution listing such withdrawal, unless the cardholder by his negligence contributed to the unauthorized withdrawal. History: 1978 Comp., § 58-16-14, enacted by Laws 1990, ch. 123, § 14.