What Is a Grace Period?

什么是宽限期？

A grace period is a set length of time after the due date during which payment may be made without penalty. A grace period, typically of 15 days, is commonly included in mortgage loan and insurance contracts.

宽限期是到期日后的一段固定时间，在此期间可以进行付款而无需支付罚金。通常在抵押贷款和保险合同中包含15天的宽限期。

How a Grace Period Works

宽限期的作用是什么？

A grace period allows a borrower or insurance customer to delay payment for a short period of time beyond the due date. During this period no late fees are charged, and the delay cannot result in default or cancellation of the loan or contract.

宽限期允许借款人或保险客户在到期日之后的短时间内延迟付款。在此期间不收取滞纳金，且该延迟不会导致贷款或合同遭违约或取消。

In most cases, payment after the due date but during the grace period does not cause a black mark to be added to the borrower’s credit report.

在大多数情况下，在到期日之后但在宽限期内付款不会导致借款人的信用报告中被添加黑色标记。

However, it’s important to check the contract for the specifics on the grace period. Under some loan contracts, no additional interest is charged during the grace period, but the majority add compound interest during the grace period.

但是，检查合同中关于宽限期的具体规定是很重要的。根据一些贷款合同，在宽限期内不收取额外利息，但大多数在宽限期内增加复利。

When defining a grace period on a loan, it is important to note that credit cards do not have grace periods for their monthly minimum payments. A penalty for late payment is added immediately after the due date and interest continues to be compounded daily.

定义贷款宽限期时，需要注意的是信用卡每月最低还款额没有宽限期。逾期付款的罚金在到期日之后立即增加，利息继续按日复利予以计算。

However, the term grace period is used to describe one scenario in consumer credit: A period of time before which interest may be charged on new purchases on a credit card is called a grace period. This grace period of 21 days is meant to protect consumers from being charged interest on a purchase before the monthly payment is due.

但是，宽限期一词用于描述消费信贷中的一种情况：在此之前可以对利用信用卡进行新购物收取利息的一段时间称为宽限期。21天的宽限期旨在保护消费者在每月付款到期前免于支付购买利息。

Examples of Grace Periods

宽限期示例

If a consumer has a mortgage with a due date on the fifth of every month—and the contract has provided a five-day grace period—the payment can be received as late as the 10th of the month without the borrower incurring any penalties. This is an example of a loan grace period in a mortgage loan.

如果消费者的抵押贷款到期日是每月5日，而合同规定了5天的宽限期，那么最晚可以在当月10日收到还款，而借款人不会招致任何罚款。这是抵押贷款中贷款宽限期的一个实例。

The grace period for credit card purchases is a newer phenomenon and was established with the Credit Card Act of 2009. Before that consumer protection law went into effect, some lenders began charging interest on purchases immediately after they were made.

信用卡购买的宽限期是一个较新的现象，是由2009年的信用卡法案确立的。在消费者保护法生效之前，一些贷款机构开始在购买后立即收取利息。

Even a consumer who paid off a new purchase in full by the next payment date would be charged interest before the bill was even received. The act includes a provision that requires credit card issuers to give a grace period of at least 21 days for the borrower to repay the charge without incurring any interest charges on the purchase.

即使是在下一个付款日之前全额付清新购物款的消费者，在收到账单之前也会被收取利息。该法案包括一项规定，即要求信用卡发行商给借款人至少21天的宽限期来偿还费用，而不会对购物产生任何利息费用。

Notably, this grace period does not necessarily apply to cash advances or balance transfers. The terms of these are detailed in the credit card agreement.

值得注意的是，这一宽限期不一定适用于现金垫款或余额转移。这些条款在信用卡协议中载有详细说明。

Grace Period vs. Deferment

宽限期与延期

Similar to grace periods, a deferment is a period of time in which a borrower is not required to make payments on a loan, usually in cases of financial hardship. Unlike grace periods, deferment is usually not automatic; borrowers typically have to request or apply for a deferment and provide documentation to show why they are unable to make payments. In most cases, loans continue to accrue interest during a deferment, so it is wise to make any payments that you can during these periods.

与宽限期类似，延期是指通常借款人在财务困难的情况下，无需偿还贷款的一段时间。与宽限期不同，延期通常是非自动的；借款人通常必须请求或申请延期还款，并提供文件证明他们无法还款的原因。在大多数情况下，贷款在延期期间继续计息，因此在此期间尽可能付款是明智的。

Special Considerations

特殊考量

Any contract that has a grace period will also include language that explains what will happen if the payment is not made by the end of that period. Penalties can include a late payment fee, a penalty interest rate hike, or the cancellation of a line of credit. In cases where an asset is pledged as collateral, multiple missed payments can result in the seizure of the asset by the lending institution.

任何有宽限期的合同还将包括如果在宽限期结束时没有付款将会发生什么的解释性话语。处罚可能包括滞纳金、罚息利率上调或取消信用额度。在资产被抵押作为抵押品的情况下，多次错过付款可能导致贷款机构扣押该资产。

What Does Grace Period Mean?

宽限期指什么？

A grace period is the period of time after payment is due but before late fees, interest, or other penalties start to accrue. Different contracts will have different grace periods; a monthly rental contract might have a grace period of five days, while student loan contracts have a grace period of six months after graduation.

宽限期是指付款到期后但在滞纳金、利息或其他罚款开始产生之前的一段时间。不同的合同将有不同的宽限期；月租房合同可能有五天的宽限期，而学生贷款合同在其毕业后有六个月的宽限期。

What Are Some Things You Can Do During the Grace Period?

在宽限期内你可以做些什么？

For student borrowers, the six-month grace period is often used to find a job, choose a repayment plan that fits their budget, or enroll in another higher education program. This allows borrowers to establish a career before loan payments begin.

对于学生借款人来说，六个月的宽限期通常用于寻找工作，选择符合他们预算的还款计划或参加另一个高等教育计划。这使得借款人可以在贷款还款开始之前建立自己的事业。

What Is Another Word for Grace Period?

宽限期的别称是什么？

Grace periods are sometimes referred to as "forgiveness periods," although this is a misnomer. Debt obligations are not forgiven during grace periods, they are simply postponed for a short period of time.

宽限期有时被称为“宽恕期”，尽管这是一个误称。在宽限期内债务不会被免除，它们只是被推迟一小段时间。

Grace periods should not be confused for deferments or moratoriums, which are time periods in which a lender allows the borrower to miss payments due to hardships or other reasons.

宽限期不应与延期还款或延缓偿付相混淆，延期还款或延缓偿付是指贷款人允许借款人因困难或其他原因而错过还款的时间段。

What Is the Grace Period of an Insurance Policy?

保单的宽限期是指什么？

In insurance, the grace period is the time between the payment due date and the time when insurance coverage will be revoked due to nonpayment. This may be anywhere between 24 hours and a full month after payment.

在保险业中，宽限期是指付款到期日和承保范围因不付款而被取消的时间之间的时间。这可能是付款后24小时到一个月之间的任何时间。

If you miss a payment and later choose to reinstate coverage, your insurer may choose to inspect the property to make sure that there has been no new damage during the grace period. There may be additional penalties for late payment.

如果你错过了一笔付款，后来选择恢复承保范围，你的保险公司可以选择检查财产，以确保在宽限期内没有新的损害。逾期付款可能会有额外的罚款。

What Is a Grace Period for Work?

什么是工作的宽限期？

In employment, the grace period refers to the time after a new shift begins, in which a late employee will not face any penalty. A typical grace period is seven minutes, since most time clocks round to the nearest quarter-hour.

在就业中，宽限期是指新班次开始后的时间，在此期间，迟到的员工不会面临任何处罚。典型的宽限期是7分钟，因为大多数时间都四舍五入至最近的一刻钟。

There is also a grace period for foreign specialists on work visas. If an employee is terminated from their sponsoring employer, they may remain in the United States for up to two months to find a new job.

持有工作签证的外国专家也有一个宽限期。如果一名雇员被其雇主解雇，他们可能会在美国停留两个月以寻找新工作。

The Bottom Line

关键信息

Grace periods allow borrowers to miss a payment due date without suffering additional penalties. A generous grace period can be a lifeline to forgetful borrowers or those with short-term hardships. However, a grace period is not an excuse to miss a payment. It's important to carefully read the terms of any contract in order to understand your obligations and options for payment.

宽限期允许借款人错过付款到期日而不会招致额外的罚款。对于健忘的借款人或那些处于短期困难的人来说，慷慨的宽限期可能是救命稻草。但是，宽限期不是拖欠付款的借口。仔细阅读任何合同的条款都很重要，这样才能了解你的义务和付款选择。

（英文来源：Investopedia）