surcharge
SER-chahrj
/ˈsɜːrtʃɑːrdʒ/
An additional charge, tax, or cost added to the usual price of a service or product.
Implies an extra fee that is applied due to specific circumstances, such as fuel price increases, peak delivery seasons, or remote locations.
The story behind the word. Surcharge comes from the Old French 'sourcharger' (to overload), which is a combination of 'sour-' (over, from Latin 'super') and 'charger' (to load, from Late Latin 'carricare' meaning 'to load a wagon'). Originally, it meant physically overloading a cart or horse, which later evolved into 'overloading' a bill with extra costs.
Word relationships
- extra fee: An informal term, while surcharge is the official commercial and financial term.
- levy: A levy is typically an official tax imposed by a government, whereas a surcharge can be applied by any commercial business.
- discount: A reduction in the standard price, whereas a surcharge is an increase.
- rebate: A partial refund of money paid, whereas a surcharge is an extra payment.
Commonly confused with
- charge: A charge is the standard price or cost, while a surcharge is an extra fee added on top of that standard price.
Word family
- surcharged (verb): Charged an extra fee.
- surcharging (noun): The practice of applying an extra fee.
Collocations
- fuel surcharge
- peak-season surcharge
- apply a surcharge
- subject to a surcharge
Example sentences
- "The airline added a fuel surcharge to the ticket price to offset the rising cost of aviation fuel." Travel expenses
- "Couriers often apply a surcharge for deliveries made on weekends or public holidays." Delivery fees
Memory hook
A 'surcharge' is a 'charge' that is 'sur-' (super/above) the normal price. Surcharge: An extra charge on top.
When not to use
Do not use for the base price of an item or a standard, expected fee that is not an addition to a base rate.
Fun facts
- Many credit card companies historically banned merchants from applying a surcharge for card payments, but legal changes in many countries now allow businesses to pass these processing fees to consumers.
Explore more words
premium, surge, overweight, supplementary, overhead, surplus
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