This bill adds a new section to chapter 46.55 RCW that authorizes tow truck operators to charge a transaction fee when a consumer pays with a credit card, provided a no-cost payment option is always available and is disclosed to the consumer at the same time and in the same manner that the credit card information is taken. The transaction fee may not exceed three percent of the payment amount. The bill defines “credit card payment” as a payment by a credit card that incurs an interchange fee and explicitly excludes payments made by debit cards. Legally, this is a new statutory authorization and fee rule for tow truck operators (a regulatory/fee change rather than a criminal or penalty change). The text refers to both “tow truck operators” and “registered tow truck operators” but does not consistently define or resolve that distinction. The Department of Licensing and past 2021 legislation on electronic payment fees are cited in the findings. Important details are missing from the extracted text: no effective date is provided, there are no enforcement or penalty provisions shown, administrative procedures for implementing the fee are not described, the exact section number within chapter 46.55 RCW is not given, and “no-cost payment option” is not defined here.

If enacted, tow truck companies would be allowed to add a surcharge of up to 3 percent when a customer pays with a credit card that incurs an interchange fee, provided the company always offers and tells the customer about a free way to pay at the same time and in the same way it takes the credit card. That means customers who use credit cards can expect to pay up to 3 percent more on tow bills, while those who use the disclosed no-cost option (debit cards are explicitly excluded from being treated as credit cards here) could avoid the fee. The groups most affected are tow truck operators, who could recover some card-processing costs, and consumers who choose to pay by credit card and will see higher charges. The bill leaves key details unclear — such as whether it applies only to registered tow operators, what counts as a valid no-cost payment method, how the required disclosure must be made, and who enforces the rule or when it takes effect — so businesses and consumers may face disputes or uneven practices until those implementation details are resolved.