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fixed charge

fixed charge

3.7
A regular payment that does not change when business changes, like rent or insurance
  • noun
  • /fɪkst ʧɑrdʒ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : costo fijo
  • Every month, the restaurant owner pays a fixed charge for the lease on the building, regardless of how many customers visit.

Examples

  • Utilities have historically implemented either average-cost pricing or some form of marginal cost pricing plus fixed charges.

    Academic text (2003)
  • First, there is a fixed charge which can be thought of as a monthly connection fee.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Charge composition, I guess I think of it in terms of you either have a fixed charge or you don't.

  • There is a drive to replace fixed charges with fees tied proportionally to car use.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The utility's cost has three components: a fixed charge (S/year) that reflects the overall planning, design, and administration of the program.

    Academic text (1992)
  • My utility co-op has a fixed charge tariff for non-metered area lighting, something like $15/month since it is off-peak.

    Blog text (5)
  • For homeowners, a fixed charge for property insurance is added to the monthly budget, ensuring coverage throughout the year.

  • The gym membership includes a fixed charge each month, which remains the same regardless of how often I use the facilities.

Synonyms

fixed cost
vsfixed charge
  • Specialized
4 3.7

A regular business cost that does not change when production changes, like rent and insurance

is the same idea but used for one expense item
fixed costs
vsfixed charge
  • Specialized
1 2.9

Costs a business has to pay that do not change if production changes, like rent or insurance

is the same idea but used for multiple expense items

How Automatic

escalator
  • Jargon
1 8.4
fixed charge
  • Specialized
3.7

Surface Forms

fixed charge singular
fixed charges plural

Morphology

fixed + charge

The meaning is directly compositional: 'fixed' = unchanging and 'charge' = a fee, so a 'fixed charge' straightforwardly means a fee that does not change. This adjective+noun combination follows a regular semantic composition pattern common across languages and should be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words (aside from any specialist financial context).

Etymology

Fixed charge gives a simple picture: fixed means not moving and charge means a cost. So a fixed charge is a 'regular payment' that 'does not change' no matter how busy a business is.