Glossary term

Prepayment charge

An amount a lender may charge when a mortgage is paid out, transferred, broken, or prepaid beyond the contract's permitted privilege before term-end.

Plain meaning

What prepayment charge means

The charge is a possible contract-specific cost of changing or repaying a mortgage before the contract permits it without charge.

How OpenBook uses it

A transaction cost, not a universal formula

OpenBook uses a prepayment charge as a contract-specific cost that can affect sale, switching, refinancing, or early-repayment illustrations.

Common boundary

Privilege and charge are separate

A prepayment charge is not the same as a prepayment privilege. The contract and lender's disclosed method determine the actual charge.