Finance Charge

The amount owed to a lender by a purchaser-debtor to be allowed to pay for goods purchased over a series of installments, as opposed to one lump sum at the time of the sale or billing.

A finance charge, sometimes called the cost of credit, is expressed as an annual interest rate levied upon the purchase price. It does not include any amounts that the lender might require for insurance premiums, delinquency charges, attorney's fees, court costs, collection expenses, or official fees that might be incurred should the debtor default in the repayment of the debt.

Federal and state "truth-in-lending" laws mandate that the complete cost of finance charges be fully disclosed on credit agreements and billing statements.