Virginia Law

A. Sales of wine or beer between wholesale and retail licensees of the authority shall be for cash paid and collected at the time of or prior to delivery, except where payment is to be made by electronic fund transfer as provided in this section. Each invoice covering such a sale or any other sale shall be signed by the purchaser at the time of delivery and shall specify the manner of payment.

B. "Cash," as used in this section, shall include (i) legal tender of the United States, (ii) a money order issued by a duly licensed firm authorized to engage in such business in the Commonwealth, (iii) a valid check drawn upon a bank account in the name of the licensee or permittee or in the trade name of the licensee or permittee making the purchase, or (iv) an electronic fund transfer, initiated by a wholesaler pursuant to subsection D of this section, from a bank account in the name or trade name of the retail licensee making a purchase from a wholesaler or the authority.

C. If a check, money order, or electronic fund transfer is used, the following provisions apply:

1. If only alcoholic beverage merchandise is being sold, the amount of the checks, money orders, or electronic fund transfers shall be no larger than the purchase price of the alcoholic beverages; and

2. If nonalcoholic merchandise is also sold to the retailer, the check, money order, or electronic fund transfer may be in an amount no larger than the total purchase price of the alcoholic beverages and nonalcoholic beverage merchandise. If a separate invoice is used for the nonalcoholic merchandise, a copy of it shall be attached to the copies of the alcoholic beverage invoices that are retained in the records of the wholesaler and the retailer. If a single invoice is used for both the alcoholic beverages and nonalcoholic beverage merchandise, the alcoholic beverage items shall be separately identified and totaled.

D. If an electronic fund transfer is used for payment by a licensed retailer or a permittee for any purchase from a wholesaler or the authority, the following provisions shall apply:

1. Prior to an electronic fund transfer, the retail licensee shall enter into a written agreement with the wholesaler specifying the terms and conditions for an electronic fund transfer in payment for the delivery of wine or beer to that retail licensee. The electronic fund transfer shall be initiated by the wholesaler no later than one business day after delivery, and the wholesaler's account shall be credited by the retailer's bank no later than the following business day. The electronic fund transfer agreement shall incorporate the requirements of this subdivision, but this subdivision shall not preclude an agreement with more restrictive provisions. For purposes of this subdivision, the term "business day" shall mean a business day of the respective bank;

2. The wholesaler must generate an invoice covering the sale of wine or beer and shall specify that payment is to be made by electronic fund transfer. Each invoice must be signed by the purchaser at the time of delivery; and

3. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require that any licensee must accept payment by electronic fund transfer.

E. Wholesalers shall maintain on their licensed premises records of all invalid checks received from retail licensees for the payment of wine or beer, as well as any stop payment order, insufficient fund report, or any other incomplete electronic fund transfer reported by the retailer's bank in response to a wholesaler initiated electronic fund transfer from the retailer's bank account. Further, wholesalers shall report to the authority any invalid checks or incomplete electronic fund transfer reports received in payment of wine or beer when either (i) any such invalid check or incomplete electronic fund transfer is not satisfied by the retailer within seven days after notice of the invalid check or a report of the incomplete electronic fund transfer is received by the wholesaler, or (ii) the wholesaler has received, whether satisfied or not, either more than one such invalid check from any single retail licensee or received more than one incomplete electronic fund transfer report from the bank of any single retail licensee, or any combination of the two, within a period of 180 days. Such reports shall be upon a form provided by the authority and in accordance with the instructions set forth in such form.

F. Payments to the authority for the following items shall be for cash, as defined in subsection B of this section:

1. State license taxes and application fees;

2. Wine taxes and excise taxes on beer and wine coolers;

3. Solicitors' permit fees and temporary permit fees;

4. Registration and certification fees, and the markup or profit on cider, collected pursuant to these regulations;

5. Civil penalties or charges and costs imposed on licensees and permittees by the board; and

6. Forms provided to licensees and permittees at cost by the board.

Provided however, payments to the authority may be made directly through the authority's licensing system software.