What is the difference between a fee and a charge? What types of fees could a consumer potentially see? - Common Consumer FAQs (2024)

Article summary

Did you find this summary helpful?

Thank you for your feedback

A fee can be looked at similar to a penalty. While there are no fees attached to your contract, you can be fined for late payments or a returned payment.

A charge on the other hand, is an amount that you acknowledge you are purchasing. At origination, the amount you finance is considered a charge.

There are two types of fees/penalties that can occur over the span of your contract: Late Payment Fee and Returned Payment/NSF Fee.

Late Payment Fee:

If the consumer does not pay at least the minimum payment due for a billing cycle by its due date or any later date that may be established by applicable law, we will charge the following late payment fee to their account: If all or any portion of a payment is not paid within 15 days of its due date, the consumer will be charged a late fee equal to 5% of the payment or $15, whichever is greater, but not to exceed $50; if the payment is $25 or less, the late fee will not exceed $5.

Returned Payment/NSF Fee:

If any account payment made or attempted is returned unpaid to us for any reason, we will charge a returned payment fee of $25 to their account, subject to any legally required notices and any limitations of applicable law.

What is the difference between a fee and a charge? What types of fees could a consumer potentially see? - Common Consumer FAQs (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between a fee and a charge? What types of fees could a consumer potentially see? - Common Consumer FAQs? ›

A fee can be looked at similar to a penalty. While there are no fees attached to your contract, you can be fined for late payments or a returned payment. A charge on the other hand, is an amount that you acknowledge you are purchasing. At origination, the amount you finance is considered a charge.

What is the difference between a fee and a charge? ›

A fee is a compensantion paid for an act or service performed by someone. A charge is an amount paid for other items. For example, if you rent a car, you could have to pay a fueling fee for the act of taking the car to the station and fueling it, and a fuel charge for the actual fuel used.

What is the definition of fees and charges? ›

A fee is a fixed price charged for a specific service. Fees are applied in a variety of ways such as costs, charges, commissions, and penalties. Fees are most commonly found in heavily transactional services and are paid in lieu of a wage or salary.

What is the difference between fees and costs? ›

Lawyers usually charge their clients for their services (fees) and expenses that they have paid on the client's behalf (disbursem*nts). Disbursem*nts may include court fees. Together these charges (lawyers' fees and disbursem*nts) are known as costs.

What is the difference between a fee and a payment? ›

A fee is a cost that is given to you before work is done. An advised cost. A payment is paid after a job has been completed therefore the work has been done payment is now due.

What is the difference between charge with and charge for? ›

What is the difference between "charged with ____________" and "charged for ____________"? I think the answer is charged with a crime, e.g. "he was charged with murder." For is used for charged for committing or doing something, e.g. "charged for having sex with a dog." Am I off base?

What is charge a fee? ›

(tʃɑːʳdʒ ) verb. If you charge someone an amount of money, you ask them to pay that amount for something that you have sold to them or done for them.

What are charges vs costs? ›

Charge is the dollar amount a health care provider sets for services rendered before negotiating any discounts. The charge can be different from the amount paid. Cost varies by the party incurring the expense. To the patient, cost is the amount payable out-of-pocket for healthcare services.

Is it fees or fees? ›

Fee is singular, and fees plural, but both have almost the same meaning. A fee is the price one pays as remuneration for services, specifically payments to a doctor, lawyer, consultant, or other member of a learned profession. Fees usually allow for overhead, wages, costs, and markup.

What is the difference between fee and price? ›

Generally, a "fee" is a payment for services or for a privilege whereas "price" is the cost of something offered for sale. That's why we have a "membership fee" and "license fee" but a "suggested retail price" and "consumer price index". In any of these cases swapping "fee" and "price" doesn't work.

What type of expense is fees? ›

For example, if you are charged a monthly service fee by your bank, you may want to categorize this fee as an administrative expense. However, if you are charged a fee for each transaction you make, you may want to categorize this fee as an operating expense.

What is the difference between charges and expenses? ›

This may seem like a silly question, but what exactly are the differences between charges and expenses, and when would you use which in answering a question? Charges are levied by the provider (an income) - while expenses are incurred by the provider.

Is there a difference between a fee and a charge? ›

A fee can be looked at similar to a penalty. While there are no fees attached to your contract, you can be fined for late payments or a returned payment. A charge on the other hand, is an amount that you acknowledge you are purchasing. At origination, the amount you finance is considered a charge.

What is the difference between fee and fees with example? ›

The difference is just that fees in the plural will refer to more than one itemised fee e.g. tuition fees might include a fee for use of equipment, a fee for use of the laboratory, a fee for the tutor´s services etc. etc.

What is the difference between fee and fee simple? ›

The one we are most familiar with is “fee”. A fee, sometimes referred to as “fee simple”, is the greatest interest in a parcel of land that it is possible to own. As mentioned, land, a condominium, a PUD and other types of land can be owned in “fee”.

What is the legal definition of a fee? ›

In common parlance, a fee is a payment or charge for services rendered, usually in the form of money or property. In legal and property contexts, however, a fee can also be a heritable interest in land, such as a fee simple. [Last updated in July of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]

What is an example of a fee that you may be charged? ›

Subscription Fees: Regular payments for ongoing access to a service or product, such as software subscriptions or streaming services. d. Transaction Fees: Charges incurred for processing a transaction, often seen in financial transactions or online purchases.

What is the difference between finance charges and fees? ›

The most common type of finance charge is the amount of interest charged on the amount of money borrowed. However, finance charges also include any other fees related to borrowing, such as late fees, account maintenance fees, or the annual fee charged for holding a credit card.

What is the difference between bank charges and fees? ›

Bank Charges often relate to charges applied to personal current accounts, such as charges for exceeding authorised overdraft limits, or making payments (or attempting to make payments) where no authorised overdraft exists. Bank fees are paid in return for services provided […]

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Tish Haag

Last Updated:

Views: 5798

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (47 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Tish Haag

Birthday: 1999-11-18

Address: 30256 Tara Expressway, Kutchburgh, VT 92892-0078

Phone: +4215847628708

Job: Internal Consulting Engineer

Hobby: Roller skating, Roller skating, Kayaking, Flying, Graffiti, Ghost hunting, scrapbook

Introduction: My name is Tish Haag, I am a excited, delightful, curious, beautiful, agreeable, enchanting, fancy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.