(205 ILCS 657/5)

Sec. 5. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the words and phrases defined in this Section have the meanings set forth in this Section.

"Authorized seller" means a person not an employee of a licensee who engages in the business regulated by this Act on behalf of a licensee under a contract between that person and the licensee.

"Bill payment service" means the business of transmitting money on behalf of an Illinois resident for the purpose of paying the resident's bills.

"Controlling person" means a person owning or holding the power to vote 25% or more of the outstanding voting securities of a licensee or the power to vote the securities of another controlling person of the licensee. For purposes of determining the percentage of a licensee controlled by a controlling person, the person's interest shall be combined with the interest of any other person controlled, directly or indirectly, by that person or by a spouse, parent, or child of that person.

"Department" means the Department of Financial Institutions.

"Director" means the Director of Financial Institutions.

"Licensee" means a person licensed under this Act.

"Location" means a place of business at which activity regulated by this Act occurs.

"Material litigation" means any litigation that, according to generally accepted accounting principles, is deemed significant to a licensee's financial health and would be required to be referenced in a licensee's annual audited financial statements, reports to shareholders, or similar documents.

"Money" means a medium of exchange that is authorized or adopted by a domestic or foreign government as a part of its currency and that is customarily used and accepted as a medium of exchange in the country of issuance.

"Money transmitter" means a person who is located in or doing business in this State and who directly or through authorized sellers does any of the following in this State:

(1) Sells or issues payment instruments.

(2) Engages in the business of receiving money for transmission or transmitting money.

(3) Engages in the business of exchanging, for compensation, money of the United States Government or a foreign government to or from money of another government.

"Outstanding payment instrument" means, unless otherwise treated by or accounted for under generally accepted accounting principles on the books of the licensee, a payment instrument issued by the licensee that has been sold in the United States directly by the licensee or has been sold in the United States by an authorized seller of the licensee and reported to the licensee as having been sold, but has not been paid by or for the licensee.

"Payment instrument" means a check, draft, money order, traveler's check, stored value card, or other instrument or memorandum, written order or written receipt for the transmission or payment of money sold or issued to one or more persons whether or not that instrument or order is negotiable. Payment instrument does not include an instrument that is redeemable by the issuer in merchandise or service, a credit card voucher, or a letter of credit. A written order for the transmission or payment of money that results in the issuance of a check, draft, money order, traveler's check, or other instrument or memorandum is not a payment instrument.

"Person" means an individual, partnership, association, joint stock association, corporation, or any other form of business organization.

"Stored value card" means any magnetic stripe card or other electronic payment instrument given in exchange for money and other similar consideration, including but not limited to checks, debit payments, money orders, drafts, credit payments, and traveler's checks, where the card or other electronic payment instrument represents a dollar value that the consumer can either use or give to another individual.

"Transmitting money" means the transmission of money by any means, including transmissions to or from locations within the United States or to and from locations outside of the United States by payment instrument, facsimile or electronic transfer, or otherwise, and includes bill payment services.

(Source: P.A. 92-400, eff. 1-1-02; 93-535, eff. 1-1-04.)