US Medical Term · financial
Deferred Interest
Interés Diferido
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Deferred Interest |
| Spanish (Español) | Interés Diferido |
| Chinese (中文) | 递延利息 |
| Korean (한국어) | 유예 이자 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Lãi suất hoãn |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Naantalang Interes |
| Portuguese (Português) | Juros Diferidos |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ดอกเบี้ยที่เลื่อนไว้ |
| Japanese (日本語) | 繰り延べ利息 |
What it means
Deferred interest is a financing arrangement commonly offered by medical credit cards—such as CareCredit—and hospital payment plan programs. Under a deferred-interest offer, interest accumulates on your balance during a promotional period (often 12 to 24 months), but it is waived if you pay off the entire balance before the deadline. If you have any remaining balance at the end of the promotional period, all of the accumulated interest—sometimes years' worth at rates of 26% or higher—is added to your balance at once. This retroactive interest charge can significantly increase what you owe. It is different from a true 0% APR offer. Always read the fine print before signing up for medical financing, and be sure you can realistically pay off the full balance before the promotional period ends.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
I almost forgot about the deferred interest on my medical credit card and would have owed $800 extra.
Casi olvido el interés diferido en mi tarjeta de crédito médica y hubiera debido $800 adicionales.
Deferred interest means all the interest hits at once if you don't pay off the balance in time.
El interés diferido significa que todo el interés se aplica de una vez si no paga el saldo a tiempo.
Ask if the hospital offers a payment plan without deferred interest before using a medical credit card.
Pregunte si el hospital ofrece un plan de pago sin interés diferido antes de usar una tarjeta de crédito médica.
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Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026