Arrangement fees
The amount the bank charges to study and set up the loan, usually a percentage of the sum borrowed with a floor and a cap. They are included in the APRC and are often negotiable, especially through a broker. Waiving them is a simple lever to optimize overall cost.
Key points
- Charged by the bank for processing and setting up the loan, included in the APRC.
- Typically between 0.5% and 1% of the borrowed amount, with a bank floor and ceiling.
- Negotiable, especially when a broker brings significant business volume to the lender.
- Waiving or reducing them is a direct saving on total cost without extending the term.
Frequently asked questions
Can you always negotiate the waiver of arrangement fees?
Not systematically, but a broker working regularly with a lender can often obtain a reduction or full waiver, especially during promotional periods or for premium profiles. Online banks frequently drop these fees to differentiate from traditional networks. The most effective lever remains volume: the more the broker contributes to the bank's portfolio, the wider the negotiating margin.
Are arrangement fees refunded if the loan is not granted?
In principle, if the bank rejects the file after assessment, no fee can be charged to the borrower before the loan offer is accepted. Arrangement fees are only due and collected at fund disbursement or upon signing the final offer, depending on each lender's practice. The broker must ensure the borrower is not billed prematurely.
What is the difference between bank arrangement fees and the broker's fee?
Arrangement fees are collected by the bank to cover its own processing costs. The broker's fee remunerates the intermediation and advisory service, and is only due if the loan is granted and accepted. Both coexist and both feed into the APRC. A borrower can therefore pay reduced arrangement fees thanks to the broker while also paying the broker's own fee.
In practice
On a €300,000 loan, standard arrangement fees amount to €1,500 (0.5%). The broker, thanks to the volume brought to the bank, secures a full waiver, saving this amount directly for the client and lowering the APRC by a few hundredths of a percentage point.
Official sources
- The annual percentage rate (APRC) · Service-Public.gouv.fr
- Mortgage credit (official guide) · Service-Public.gouv.fr