Section 2913.21 | Misuse of credit cards.
(A) No person shall do any of the following:
(1) Practice deception for the purpose of procuring the issuance of a credit card, when a credit card is issued in actual reliance thereon;
(2) Knowingly buy or sell a credit card from or to a person other than the issuer;
(3) As an officer, employee, or appointee of a political subdivision or as a public servant as defined under section 2921.01 of the Revised Code, knowingly misuse a credit card account held by a political subdivision.
(B) No person, with purpose to defraud, shall do any of the following:
(1) Obtain control over a credit card as security for a debt;
(2) Obtain property or services by the use of a credit card, in one or more transactions, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the card has expired or been revoked, or was obtained, is retained, or is being used in violation of law;
(3) Furnish property or services upon presentation of a credit card, knowing that the card is being used in violation of law;
(4) Represent or cause to be represented to the issuer of a credit card that property or services have been furnished, knowing that the representation is false.
(C) No person, with purpose to violate this section, shall receive, possess, control, or dispose of a credit card.
(D)(1) Whoever violates this section is guilty of misuse of credit cards.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in division (D)(4) of this section, a violation of division (A), (B)(1), or (C) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(3) Except as otherwise provided in this division or division (D)(4) of this section, a violation of division (B)(2), (3), or (4) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the cumulative retail value of the property and services involved in one or more violations of division (B)(2), (3), or (4) of this section, which violations involve one or more credit card accounts and occur within a period of ninety consecutive days commencing on the date of the first violation, is one thousand dollars or more and is less than seven thousand five hundred dollars, misuse of credit cards in violation of any of those divisions is a felony of the fifth degree. If the cumulative retail value of the property and services involved in one or more violations of division (B)(2), (3), or (4) of this section, which violations involve one or more credit card accounts and occur within a period of ninety consecutive days commencing on the date of the first violation, is seven thousand five hundred dollars or more and is less than one hundred fifty thousand dollars, misuse of credit cards in violation of any of those divisions is a felony of the fourth degree. If the cumulative retail value of the property and services involved in one or more violations of division (B)(2), (3), or (4) of this section, which violations involve one or more credit card accounts and occur within a period of ninety consecutive days commencing on the date of the first violation, is one hundred fifty thousand dollars or more, misuse of credit cards in violation of any of those divisions is a felony of the third degree.
(4) If the victim of the offense is an elderly person or disabled adult, and if the offense involves a violation of division (B)(1) or (2) of this section, division (D)(4) of this section applies. Except as otherwise provided in division (D)(4) of this section, a violation of division (B)(1) or (2) of this section is a felony of the fifth degree. If the debt for which the card is held as security or the cumulative retail value of the property or services involved in the violation is one thousand dollars or more and is less than seven thousand five hundred dollars, a violation of either of those divisions is a felony of the fourth degree. If the debt for which the card is held as security or the cumulative retail value of the property or services involved in the violation is seven thousand five hundred dollars or more and is less than thirty-seven thousand five hundred dollars, a violation of either of those divisions is a felony of the third degree. If the debt for which the card is held as security or the cumulative retail value of the property or services involved in the violation is thirty-seven thousand five hundred dollars or more, a violation of either of those divisions is a felony of the second degree. In addition to any other penalty imposed under division (D)(4) of this section, the offender shall be required to pay full restitution to the victim and to pay a fine of up to fifty thousand dollars. The clerk of court shall forward all fines collected under division (D)(4) of this section to the county department of job and family services to be used for the reporting and investigation of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation or for the provision or arrangement of protective services under sections 5101.61 to 5101.71 of the Revised Code.
The Legislative Service Commission presents the text of this section as a composite of the section as amended by multiple acts of the General Assembly. This presentation recognizes the principle stated in R.C. 1.52(B) that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation.
Available Versions of this Section
- September 30, 2011 – House Bill 86 - 129th General Assembly [ View September 30, 2011 Version ]
- November 2, 2018 – Amended by Senate Bill 158, House Bill 312 - 132nd General Assembly [ View November 2, 2018 Version ]