A maintenance or servicing fee is a charge for the ongoing administration of a loan or account, such as managing payments and statements. It may be billed periodically or as part of the cost of the credit.
A maintenance fee, sometimes called a servicing or account-keeping fee, covers a lender's or servicer's ongoing cost of administering an account, which can include processing payments, sending statements, and maintaining records over the life of the loan. It may be charged monthly, annually, or built into the cost of credit, and not every loan or account includes one. Loan servicing refers to this day-to-day management, and the company performing it, the servicer, is not always the original lender, since servicing rights can be transferred. Where a maintenance or servicing fee applies, its amount and frequency are stated in the loan or account agreement.
