Truthful Advertising Best Practice and Guidelines

Best Practice:

Truthful Advertising: A member will not advertise the payday advance service in any false, misleading, or deceptive manner and will promote only the responsible use of the payday advance service.

Guidelines:

1. Payday advance services provide consumers with access to regulated, short-term credit to help meet short-term financial needs.
2. Advertising and marketing of payday advance services is a legitimate activity for informing consumers about the payday advance service. Payday advance service advertising and marketing also promotes competition and spurs improved customer service.
3. As is the case with all credit services, consumers must use the product in a responsible fashion. As a community of responsible lenders, CFSA member-companies accept their obligation to ensure that all marketing and advertising materials promote only responsible use.
4. In the development of advertising and marketing materials, CFSA member-companies must adopt the perspective of a reasonable adult consumer.
5. In applying these guidelines, creative elements are to be considered in the overall context of the advertisement or marketing materials. Humor, parody, satire, and all other advertising themes and devices should be readily identifiable as such by reasonable adults.
6. While not all advertising or marketing includes specific references to the intended use of the payday advance service, in instances when a specific reference to the intended use of the product is made, such advertising and marketing materials must only promote responsible use. 
1. Examples of responsible uses of the payday advance service include, but are not limited to: payments of car repairs, utilities and other regular bills, school supplies or other educational materials, work or business related expenses, medical expenses, other miscellaneous expenses associated with a family or community emergency.
2. Examples of uses that should not be promoted in any advertising or marketing materials include but are not limited to: vacations, gambling, tickets for sporting events, nightclubs and other entertainment, expensive electronic equipment and salon/spa treatments.

7. These guidelines apply to all CFSA member-companies’ marketing materials, including television, radio, print, out-of-home and internet advertising, as well as direct mail and e-mail solicitation.
8. In the event that a member-company desires further guidance regarding specific advertising or marketing materials, or in the event that allegations are raised regarding a member-company’s compliance with these guidelines, the matter shall be referred to the Ethics Committee of the CFSA for review in accordance with all relevant CFSA by-laws and procedures.