{"argument_date":"2004-02-23T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2004-02-23T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2003","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","paragraphs":["Seth Waxman argued the fee is not a finance charge.","Ms. Goldsmith argued the fee is a finance charge.","Ms. McDowell argued the regulation is a valid exercise of authority."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 29-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 29-60"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 1-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 1-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 39-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 39-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 45-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 45-37"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 41-41"}]}],"caption":"Household Credit Services, Inc. v. Pfennig","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.390762Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.396722Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Credit card issuers and consumers dispute how to classify limit-exceedance fees under federal law.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 29-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 29-60"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 1-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 1-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 39-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 39-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 45-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 45-37"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2004-02-23T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2003","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/02-857.html","primary_docket":"02-857","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T15:57:36.951121Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":1},{"correction_note":"Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.","created_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":2}],"schema_version":"1.1","sections":[{"heading":"What this case is about","paragraphs":["This case tests the Federal Reserve's rule on fee disclosure. It defines what counts as a finance charge."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 29-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 29-60"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 1-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 1-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 39-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 39-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 45-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 45-37"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on February 23, 2004."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 41-41"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["the sides that brought the case want the fee excluded from finance charge calculations.","the opposing sides want the fee included in finance charge calculations."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 29-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 29-60"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 1-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 1-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 39-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 39-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 45-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 45-37"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["the sides that brought the case argue the fee is not a finance charge.","the opposing sides argue the regulation validly defines the fee."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 29-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 29-60"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 1-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 1-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 39-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 39-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 45-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 45-37"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Rehnquist asked if the case was submitted."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 41-41"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This defines how lenders calculate interest costs. It affects consumer borrowing costs nationwide."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 29-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 29-60"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 1-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 1-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 39-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 39-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 45-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 45-37"}]},{"heading":"What happens next","paragraphs":["This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 41-41"}]}],"slug":"2003-02-857-household-credit-services-inc-v-pfennig","term":"2003","title":"Does a credit limit fee count as a finance charge?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 29-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 29-60"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 1-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 1-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 39-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 39-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 45-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-857.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 45-37"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}