WordGarden.ioprepay
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /prɪpˈeɪ/
US
- /priˈpeɪ/
Meanings
Verb
to pay for something in advance or before it is due
Beyond the definition
Imagine you're planning a fantastic vacation! Instead of paying for your hotel after your stay, you might prepay, meaning you send the money beforehand to guarantee your reservation. It's like saying, "Here's my money now; please hold this room for me!"
It isn't just about vacations, though. You can do this for services like gym memberships, phone plans, or even funeral arrangements. Businesses often offer discounts to encourage customers to pay early. Sometimes, it's simply required; concert tickets are often paid for before the event. It's all about moving the payment to an earlier time.
To prepay means to pay for something before you receive the goods or services. It's essentially paying in advance, securing your purchase with money upfront rather than waiting until after it has been delivered.
This practice is common in many industries. Think about mobile phone contracts—you often prepay for a certain amount of service. Or consider prepaid debit cards; you load them with funds before using them. Subscription services sometimes offer discounts if you prepay for an entire year instead of paying monthly. This benefits the business by providing immediate cash flow and can benefit the customer through lower costs.
The context is important: while "pay" can describe payment in general, "prepay" specifically highlights that the payment comes before the delivery or access to what you're buying.
You might hear it used in situations involving reservations (hotels, car rentals), utilities (some energy companies offer prepayment plans), and event tickets. It's also increasingly common with digital services. For example, many online gaming platforms allow users to prepay for in-game currency.
So, if you're handing over money before getting something in return, you are likely prepaying—securing your future enjoyment or service with funds paid today.
Examples
- 1
Online tickets
You can prepay online and pick up your tickets at the door.
- 2
Hotel booking
We prepaid for three nights at the hotel, so check-in took only a minute.
- 3
Parking
Some parking lots ask drivers to prepay at the machine.
- 4
Cancellation policy
If you cancel after Friday, the amount you prepaid is non-refundable.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Phone plan
A prepaid phone plan helps you avoid surprise bills.
- 6
Loan payment
The bank lets customers prepay their loan without a penalty.
- Patternprepay a loan
pay some or all of it earlier than required
See also
Similar
- pay in advance
- pay beforehand
Shades of meaning
- pay upfront
- settle in advance
Contrast
- pay later
- postpay
Used with (collocations)
- prepay for a service
- prepay a bill
Word family
Explore
- advance payment
- deposit
Forms and spellings
7 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- prepayverb
Forms
- pre-paidpast tensepast participleverb
- pre-paying-ing formverb
- pre-paysverb
- prepaidpast tensepast participleverb
- prepaying-ing formverb
- prepaysverb