Break costs字面上看，可以译为违约金，也可以译为提前还款费用、利差损失。它主要指的是：在银行一些固定利率的贷款产品中，如果贷款人想要提前还款，则会给银行带来一定的经济损失（因为银行向贷款人发放的款项也是从其他渠道筹集的），因此银行会收取一些费用以弥补费用，这个费用就是break costs。例如，在一项融资贷款协议中，对break costs的定义是这样的：

Break Costs means the amount (if any) by which:

(a)the interest which the Lender should have received pursuant to the terms of this Agreement for the period from the date of receipt of all or any part of the principal amount of a Loan or Unpaid Sum to the last day of the current Interest Period in respect of that Loan or Unpaid Sum, had the principal amount or Unpaid Sum received been paid on the last day of that Interest Period;

exceeds:

(b)the amount of interest which the Lender would be able to obtain by placing an amount equal to the principal amount or Unpaid Sum received by it on deposit with a leading bank in the Hong Kong interbank market for a period starting on the Business Day following receipt or recovery and ending on the last day of the current Interest Period.

利差损失是指以下第(a)项的利息超过第(b)项利息的金额（如有）：

(a)假若收到的全部或任何部分的贷款本金或未付款项是在相关计息期的最后一日支付，贷款人根据本协议的条款就前述贷款或未付款项在自其收到前述全部或任何部分贷款本金或未付款项之日起至当期计息期最后一日止的期间本应收到的利息；

(b)如果该贷款人将相当于其收到的贷款本金或未付款项的金额存入香港银行间市场上的一家主要银行，贷款人在自其收到或收回相关款项的下一个营业日起至当期计息期最后一日止的期间能够获得的利息金额。