- 16 - The cardholder agreement states that the annual membership fee is nonrefundable and is paid in consideration of opening an account and establishing a credit limit. Petitioner performed all of the acts that it was required to perform in order to be entitled to the annual membership fee when it issued a credit card to the customer and established a credit limit. Petitioner does not deny that it can cancel a member’s credit card at any time, or that its rights and obligations are anything other than as stated in the cardholder agreement. Once petitioner opened an account for a customer, petitioner had an unrestricted right to that customer’s annual membership fee. Petitioner had no duty under the agreement to return any part of the fee even if petitioner or the cardholder closed the account immediately thereafter. Petitioner contends that it received the annual membership fee in payment for numerous services it provided to cardholders throughout the year. Petitioner’s contention might be well taken if we disregard the cardholder agreement. Under the agreement, all that petitioner was required to do to be entitled to keep the nonrefundable annual membership fee was to issue a card and establish a credit limit. Respondent contends that those actions are not within the scope of Rev. Proc. 71-21, 1971-2 C.B. 549, because they are not services. We need not decide respondent’sPage: Previous 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Next
Last modified: May 25, 2011