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In some cases, the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) does consider credit card rewards taxable income and in some cases, they don’t tax earned rewards. Confused? Don’t worry: Read on to learn when credit card rewards are taxable income and when they aren’t.

What Are Credit Card Rewards?

To better understand how credit card rewards are taxed, it can help to know what credit card rewards are. When a consumer uses a credit card they may earn different credit card rewards, such as points, cash back, and airline miles.

Depending on their redemption value, these rewards can be worth up to hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Your cardholder agreement should outline the credit card rules for how to earn rewards using a specific credit card, as well as how to redeem them.

How the IRS Treats Credit Card Rewards

In some cases, credit card rewards are taxable; in other cases, no. Take a closer look at which types of rewards and in which scenarios credit card rewards are counted as taxable income by the IRS.

Rewards Treated as Rebates on Spending

Luckily, cash back rewards and other rewards like miles or points aren’t considered taxable income when earned by making purchases. The IRS considers these types of rewards as rebates, discounts, or bonuses rather than income.

The trick is that the cardholder has to spend a certain amount to earn a reward in order for the IRS to not classify the rewards as income. For example, if a new credit card offers $200 in cash back when the cardholder spends $2,000 within the first six months of opening their account, that $200 would not be considered taxable income.

Rewards Considered as Income

Certain rewards are considered income. The way to identify which rewards are taxable income is by looking at how they’re earned.

As mentioned previously, if someone spends money to earn rewards, those rewards won’t be taxed. If, however, someone is given a $150 gift card simply for signing up or referring a friend for a new credit card, that $150 is viewed as taxable income — because they didn’t spend any money to earn it.

When Are Credit Card Rewards Taxed?

Again, credit card rewards that aren’t earned through spending (such as some introductory bonuses) can count as income that the IRS will expect the cardholder to pay income taxes on. Some scenarios in which credit card rewards may get taxed include:

•   If you received a sign-up bonus simply for opening a credit card or account

•   If you earn a reward for referring a friend

When Your Credit Card Rewards Are Taxable

As briefly mentioned above, any monetary rewards that a cardholder didn’t earn through spending can be considered taxable income.

Let’s look at how this can work with two different credit card bonus offers. If a cardholder is offered $100 if they spend $1,500 in the first three months of having their account open and they spend enough to earn that bonus, that reward won’t count as taxable income. On the other hand, if a cardholder is offered a $100 gift card simply for opening their new account, they will need to pay income tax on the $100.

When Your Credit Card Rewards Are Not Taxable

As briefly mentioned above, credit card rewards aren’t considered taxable income if someone spends money to earn them. When a cardholder acquires the rewards (cash back, travel miles, etc.) through purchases, then those rewards are classified as a rebate or a bonus, not taxable income.

For instance, this may include:

•   Sign-up bonuses that require meeting a spending threshold

•   Rewards earned from credit card spending

•   Miles earned through travel

Are Business Credit Card Rewards Taxable?

It doesn’t matter if the rewards are earned with a personal credit card or a business credit card — the same rules surrounding income taxes apply.

Where business credit cards can affect taxes is when it comes time to take tax deductions. For example, if someone bought $2,000 worth of equipment for their business and earned $40 in cash back rewards doing so, they can only deduct $1,960 on their taxes. In other words, they can only deduct the net cost of business expenses, which cash back reduces.

How to Know If You Owe Taxes on Credit Card Rewards

It can be hard to keep track of how much taxes are owed on credit card rewards. If someone earns a bonus without having to meet a spending requirement, the credit card company might send the cardholder an IRS Form 1099: either a Form 1099-INT or Form 1099-MISC specifying the amount of income they earned.

Whether or not you receive this form, however, you’ll need to report the bonus on your income taxes. To make doing this easier, it can be helpful to keep track of any bonuses not earned through spending. That way, if the credit card issuer doesn’t send a Form 1099-INT or Form 1099-MISC, you can still complete your taxes properly.

Reviewing old statements to look for statement credits in the form of cash back or other types of rewards can be helpful.

Recommended: How to Pay Taxes With a Credit Card

Avoiding Taxes on Your Credit Card Rewards: What to Know

To avoid taxes on credit card rewards, all the cardholder has to do is not seek out credit cards that offer bonuses for simply signing up for the credit card. If the rewards are earned through spending, they won’t run into any taxes, thus allowing them to pay less tax.

The Takeaway

In general, taxes only apply to rewards that don’t require any spending to earn. If you’ll owe taxes on your rewards, the credit card issuer typically will send a Form 1099-INT or Form 1099-MISC specifying the amount of income you’ve earned and will need to report.

Being smart about credit cards and their usage is about more than just rewards, however.

Whether you're looking to build credit, apply for a new credit card, or save money with the cards you have, it's important to understand the options that are best for you. Learn more about credit cards by exploring this credit card guide.

FAQ

Are credit card cash back rewards taxable?

Only credit card rewards that cardholders receive without having to spend money to earn them in any way are considered taxable income. If a cardholder earns cash back for spending money using their credit card, it won’t count as taxable income.

Are loyalty points taxable?

If someone spends money to earn loyalty points (such as purchasing airline tickets), they won’t have to pay taxes on those points. If, however, they received the points simply for signing up for a credit card, that would count as taxable income that they’ll need to report.

Are credit card rewards reported to the IRS?

In some cases, yes, credit card rewards are reported to the IRS. When this happens, the credit card company might send the cardholder a Form 1099-INT or Form 1099-MISC specifying the amount of income they earned that they’ll need to report.

Do you have to pay taxes on credit card rewards?

Cardholders need to pay income taxes on credit card rewards they didn’t need to spend money to earn. If they had to spend money to earn a reward, such as cash back, that won’t count as taxable income.

Photo credit: iStock/Grayscale Studio

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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If you’re asked to insert or tap rather than swipe your credit card when you go to pay, you’re using a chip credit card. A credit card chip is a small gold or silver microprocessor that’s embedded in the card and intended to offer greater security for your transactions.

Credit card chips are growing dominant in the plastic payment market. These chips — sometimes known as Europay, MasterCard, and Visa (EMV) chips — comprised about 93% of global credit card transactions in the most recent year studied, though US usage was slightly lower at 87.2%. Overall, there are almost 13 billion cards with these chips in circulation. Read on to learn more about how the credit card chip works.

What Is a Credit Card Chip?

Credit card chips are small microchips embedded in the card that collect, store, and transmit credit card data between merchants, their customers, and participating financial institutions. Each time you use a credit card, these chips generate a unique code that can only be used for that transaction.

Chip credit cards date back to the mid-1990’s, when the three titans of card payment technology — Europay, MasterCard, and Visa — collectively rolled out the first chip-based credit card to the masses. Also known as EMV chips, credit card chips were introduced as a way to enhance payment security over the existing magnetic-strip credit cards.

Today, chip credit cards continue to grow in popularity. Contactless credit cards are another advancement underway.

Magnetic Strip vs Chip Credit Cards

Magnetic-strip cards hold data on the magnetic strip that appears on the back of payment cards. Because these strips hold all of a cardholder’s information needed to make a purchase, this type of card is an easy target for thieves.

With industry-wide concerns over data fraud linked to magnetic stripe cards, credit card companies turned to advanced computer microchips as a solution to credit card data security problems, using EMV technology.

Chip-based payment cards have a big advantage over magnetic-strip cards, as each card payment transaction generates a unique data code. Because the chip’s code is a “one and done” feature that disappears after the transaction is completed, even if data fraud criminals uncover the code, they can’t use it for future transactions.

Recommended: Does Applying For a Credit Card Hurt Your Credit Score

How Does a Chip Credit Card Work?

Chip credit cards don’t work on a standalone basis. Merchants who want to conduct card payment transactions need payment processing tools, like card terminals and mobile scanners, that are compliant with EMV chip industry standards.

•   When a consumer inserts a chip credit card into a payment terminal (unlike with a contactless payment), and follows the on-screen prompts to complete the transaction, the chip and the terminal exchange the needed data in an encrypted code.

•   That code is then used to transmit the transaction details to the acquiring bank, which quickly reviews the transaction.

•   After the cardholder’s financial data is authenticated and it’s determined the consumer has the funds to cover the purchase, the payment software may run fraud filters to further authenticate the user and the transaction.

•   Then, the transaction is approved by the acquiring bank (or declined if the consumer doesn’t have the funds to cover the purchase or if fraudulent activity is suspected). The appropriate transaction confirmation codes are relayed back to the EMV payment device in real time, thus concluding the transaction.

•   Assuming the transaction is approved, the embedded card chip transmits the approval to the cardholder’s bank, which releases funds to pay for the transaction and sends it to the acquiring bank.

•   The transaction is then settled by the merchant’s payment provider and deposited into the merchant’s bank account.

Types of EMV Cards: Chip-and-Signature vs Chip-and-PIN

If you are using an EMV chip card these days, you probably know that many retailers don’t require a signature or PIN. You just tap, wave, or insert the card, and you’re all done. Many of the major card companies did away with the signature requirement.

However, you may still have another step when you use your credit card, depending on which of the two main types of chip-based cards you have:

1.    Chip-and-signature cards: The most widely used form of EMV card in the U.S. is the chip-and-signature card. With these, the cardholder simply inserts the card into the point-of-sale terminal and then provides their signature to verify the transaction.

2.    Chip-and-PIN cards: With a chip-and-PIN card, the cardholder is asked to enter a four-digit PIN, or personal identification number, at the point of sale. That process authenticates the user and allows for the card transaction process to be completed.

While each type of chip-based payment card model serves the same function — the safe and efficient completion of a transaction — chip-and-pin cards may be the safer alternative.

That’s because with a chip-and-signature card, the cashier or front of the store service provider may not ask to see the back of the card to manually authenticate the signature. That gives fraudsters a leg up, since their signatures may not be checked. With a chip-and-pin card, on the other hand, the thief would need to know the credit card PIN to complete a transaction.

Protecting Yourself From Credit Card Fraud

While chip-based credit and debit cards have been a game-changer in improving payment security, card thieves still have ways to either steal your card or lift sensitive personal data from a payment card.

Here are some ways you can protect yourself against credit card fraud:

•   Review your card statements. One of the important credit card rules to follow is checking your card statements regularly for potential security issues. If something looks suspicious, immediately contact your credit card issuer. In the case of unauthorized charges, report the fraudulent activity and follow the steps recommended by the card company, which could include freezing the card temporarily or getting a new card.

•   Keep physical possession of the card at all times. A cardholder’s best defense against physical card theft is to always know where their card is and only carry it when needed. It’s also a good idea to avoid storing your card account number on a digital device — particularly sensitive information like the credit card CVV number — that could be stolen by a savvy cyber thief.

•   Shred any documents that contain sensitive information. To further protect your account information, shred physical payment card files that include your credit card or account number once you’ve paid your monthly bill. Better yet, sign up for paperless billing, so there’s no paper trail at all.

•   Watch out for email scams. Steer clear of “phishing” scams, i.e., fraudulent emails or texts pretending to be from trusted retailers and financial institutions. If you receive an email requesting sensitive information, reach out to the company directly using the contact information listed on their website or on the back of your card.

Recommended: What Is the Average Credit Card Limit

The Takeaway

The introduction of credit card chips has greatly increased the security of credit card transactions. Credit card chips generate a unique code for each transaction, and that code cannot be used for future transactions. This makes it harder for thieves to intercept your personal data — though that doesn’t mean credit card fraud isn’t still possible.

Whether you're looking to build credit, apply for a new credit card, or save money with the cards you have, it's important to understand the options that are best for you. Learn more about credit cards by exploring this credit card guide.

FAQ

What is the chip on credit cards?

A credit card chip is a microchip embedded into a credit or debit card that securely stores transaction data. This helps to facilitate safe and efficient payment card transactions.

Are chip-and-signature cards as safe as chip-and-PIN cards?

Not necessarily. That’s because the merchant may not require a signature or verify it against the one on the back of the card. This means it may be easier for thieves to get away with signing on behalf of the actual cardholder. It’s likely more difficult for a thief to get hold of a cardholder’s PIN.

Do all retailers accept EMV cards?

A high percentage of global retailers accept chip-based credit and debit cards. Industry figures show that EMV chip cards comprised over 90% of the global credit card transactions in the most recent year reviewed.

Is tapping or contactless credit cards safer?

Both are secure ways to make transactions. That’s because both contactless and chip credit card transactions generate a new transaction code for each purchase.

Photo credit: iStock/Georgii Boronin

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

SOCC-Q224-1905628-V1

If you unintentionally overpay your credit card bill, you may see a negative balance on your account. Although overpaying a credit card isn’t ideal — that cash flow could’ve been used toward another expense, after all — it’s usually not cause for concern.

If you overpaid your credit card, interest isn’t charged on the amount; in fact, that amount is owed back to you. What you do next, whether that’s requesting a refund or applying the overpayment to next month’s bill, is your choice.

How Credit Card Overpayments Happen

Since credit cards work by providing you with revolving purchasing power up to your limit, any activity on the account can change your available balance — even after you’re issued a monthly billing statement. This includes new purchases on the account that increase your credit card balance, but also payments or credited amounts that lower the outstanding amount you owe.

If you end up making a payment to your credit card issuer for a higher amount than you owe, for instance, it results in an overpayment. This is also called a negative balance.

Recommended: When Are Credit Card Payments Due

How You Could Have Overpaid Your Credit Card

There are a few circumstances that might result in an overpaid credit card.

Manual Payments

Submitting a manual credit card payment for an amount that’s higher than your actual outstanding balance will push your account into a negative balance. This might happen if you’ve been repaying a large purchase in equal increments each month, but make a math error or have an oversight.

For example, say you used your new 0% APR credit card to purchase a laptop for $2,150 and plan to make manual monthly payments of $500. By month five, you’d only need to make a $150 payment to pay off your card balance. But if you forget what your current balance is, you might accidentally make another $500 payment. The $350 difference would be an overpayment on your account.

Paying attention to your outstanding balance on the day you plan on making a manual payment can help you avoid overpayment.

Additional Payments on Top of Automatic Payments

You might also overpay credit card balances if you made a payment to avoid credit card interest charges, but didn’t realize that you already had autopay enabled on your account.

The scheduled automatic payment will still be processed, regardless of any manual payments, unless you cancel it for the month. For this reason, a double payment can result in an overpaid credit card.

Before making an extra payment, double-check whether you’ve enacted autopay and see how another payment might affect your outstanding balance.

Recommended: How to Avoid Interest On a Credit Card

Receiving Refunds

Another common scenario resulting in an overpaid credit card is if you return a purchase to a merchant or get a refund for a service. If the amount of the purchase was credited back to your credit card and you make a payment based on what’s shown on your statement balance that arrived before this transaction, you’ll overpay your credit card bill.

If you returned an item and received a refund back on your card, remember to adjust your manual payment or autopay to reflect your new balance due.

Guide to Rectify Overpaying Your Credit Card

Now that you know what happens if you overpay your credit card, you may be wondering if there’s anything you can do to fix it. If your credit card balance is under $0, and you’re owed money back, there are a few ways to move forward.

Request a Refund

The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) protects your rights when it comes to how your credit card account is handled. It states that you have the right to request a refund if you overpay your credit card by more than $1.

The credit card rules state that the issuer must give you a refund in the payment method of your choosing within seven business days of receiving your request. Additionally, it must, in good faith, make attempts to return unapplied overpayments that have been on the account for over six months.

When requesting a refund by mail, make sure to send your request through certified mail so you have proof of the date it was received by the bank.

Allow the Negative Balance to Roll Over Next Month

Another way to address a negative balance on a credit card is simply to do nothing. If you don’t explicitly request a refund, the bank will automatically roll over the unapplied credit toward your next statement balance.

If you have a larger statement balance than your credit during the following month, the overpayment credit will be applied and the remaining balance you owe is reduced. However, if your credit is greater than your new statement balance, your adjusted credit amount will roll over again.

It will continue this way until you’ve effectively used all of your account’s overpayment credit or you ask for a refund.

Enable Autopay on Your Credit Card

If you’re not already enrolled in automatic payments, enabling autopay for your credit card bill can help prevent overpayments due to manual payment errors. Leveraging your card’s autopay feature is a responsible way to use a credit card since it ensures you pay the correct amount on your account on time.

If you set up autopay to always pay your statement balance or outstanding account balance, it also helps you avoid credit card debt that’s getting increasingly harder to pay off.

Does an Overpaid Balance Affect Your Credit Score?

Having an overpaid credit card balance is better than having a positive balance on your account. Credit card companies report negative balances as a “zero balance” when forwarding your card activity to the credit bureaus.

A zero balance lowers your credit utilization, which impacts your credit score calculation. Although it can build your credit compared to carrying an outstanding balance, the effect of an overpayment is the same as making a payment for the correct amount to reflect that you owe $0. In other words, it won’t help you build your credit score.

The Takeaway

Although overpaying credit card balances is a common occurrence, following the tips above can help you avoid a negative balance. Paying attention to this can help prevent your discretionary cash flow from getting tied up with your card issuer unnecessarily — a key to smart credit card habits.

Whether you're looking to build credit, apply for a new credit card, or save money with the cards you have, it's important to understand the options that are best for you. Learn more about credit cards by exploring this credit card guide.

FAQ

What happens if I overpay my credit card?

If you overpay your credit card, the amount is reflected as a negative balance on your account balance. You can request a refund or let the bank apply it to your next statement.

Does a negative balance have an effect on my credit score?

No, a negative balance doesn’t affect your credit score. Your bank reports it as a zero balance.

How long do you have to dispute a credit card charge?

You have 60 days to dispute a credit card charge, starting from the date it appears on your statement. The bank is legally required to acknowledge your dispute within 30 days of receiving it. A resolution must be enacted within two billing cycles or a maximum of 90 days from your dispute date.

How can I request a refund after overpaying my credit card?

Send a notification to your bank requesting a refund and specifying the method in which you’d like to receive it, such as a check or other method. Check with your bank about how to submit it. The bank is required to provide your refund within seven business days of your request.

Photo credit: iStock/Really Design

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

SOCC-Q224-1909099-V1

Late payments only make it onto your credit report if they’re late for more than 30 days. Once a payment is late for 30 days, the creditor will likely report it to the credit bureau, where it will stay for seven years from the date of the first delinquent payment. Because late payments can have a negative impact on your credit score, it’s best to avoid them when possible.

Here’s what you need to know about this important topic.

What Is Considered a Late Payment?

Most accounts have a grace period after the due date where the lender will accept payment without any penalty. The exact length of a grace period will depend on the terms of your credit card or other account, but 21 days is common.

After the grace period, your lender may charge a late fee or make other changes to your account. Once your account is 30 days or more past due, your lender will typically report it to the major credit bureaus.

When Do Late Payments Fall Off a Credit Report?

In most cases, it will take seven years for a late payment to fall off a credit report. Even if you bring your account current after the late payment has already been reported to the credit bureaus, it will still show up on your credit report for seven years after the first late payment. This is why one of the top credit card rules is to make payments on time whenever possible.

Recommended: When Are Credit Card Payments Due

How Late Payments Affect Your Credit Score

One of the consequences of a credit card late payment is that it will have a negative impact on your credit score.

Your past payment history is one of the biggest factors in what affects your credit score. As such, if you have a significant amount of late payments on your credit report, it will be tough to have an outstanding credit score.

How to Remove Late Payments From a Credit Report

It’s difficult if not impossible to remove a late payment from your credit report — unless it was reported in error.

However, the only way to find out if a late payment is reported in error is if you regularly review your credit report. If you have documentation that shows that you made the payment on time, you can contact the credit bureau and ask them to update your credit score and credit report.

What Can You Do to Minimize the Impact of a Late Payment?

If you’re willing to do the legwork, there are a couple steps you can take that could potentially minimize the impacts of a late payment.

Negotiate

One option you have for minimizing the impact of a late payment is to negotiate with your credit card issuer. This will generally be more effective if it’s only been a short time since your payment was due or if you have not had late payments previously. For example, your lender may be willing to waive any late fees or penalty interest if you enroll in autopay and/or pay any past-due balance.

Dispute Errors on Your Credit Reports

If it’s been more than 30 days and your lender has already reported the late fee to the credit bureaus, it can be difficult to remove it from your credit report. However, if you have documentation that you made the payment on time, you can contact the credit bureaus to have them update and correct your credit report.

This is why it is important to understand how checking your credit score affects your rating — generally when you are reviewing your own credit report, it does not impact your credit score. Regularly reviewing your credit report for errors and discrepancies is a great financial habit to have.

Guide to Avoiding Late Payments

Since it is difficult if not impossible to remove late payments from your credit report once they’re there, the best course of action is to avoid late payments in the first place. Here are a few tips on some of the best ways to avoid late payments.

Set Up Autopay

One great way to avoid late payments is to set up autopay from a checking or savings account. That way, you know that your payments will be made each and every month.

You can customize your autopay payments to cover the minimum amount, the full statement balance, or anywhere in between. You’ll just want to make sure you have enough funds in the attached account to cover the balance.

Set Payment Reminders

If you can’t or don’t want to set up autopay on your accounts, another option is to set up payment reminders. That way, you can get an email or text message a few days before your payment is due. Getting a reminder can help you remember to make the payment on or before its due date.

Change Your Payment Due Date

Sometimes the due date for a particular loan or credit card doesn’t line up conveniently with when you have the money to pay it. You might find that your credit card due date always seems to come a day or two before payday. If that’s the case, many lenders allow you to change your payment due date to one that’s more convenient for you.

Recommended: Can You Buy Crypto With a Credit Card

The Takeaway

Paying your credit card and other debts on time can be one of the best ways to positively impact your credit score. Late payments can be reported to the credit bureaus as soon as 30 days after the due date. Once they’re on your credit report, they will stay there for seven years from the date of the first late payment.

Whether you're looking to build credit, apply for a new credit card, or save money with the cards you have, it's important to understand the options that are best for you. Learn more about credit cards by exploring this credit card guide.

FAQ

Can I get late payments removed from my credit report?

Typically, once they’ve been reported to the credit bureaus, you can only get late payments removed if you didn’t actually pay late. If you have documentation that shows that you made the payment on time, you can submit that to each credit bureau and ask that they update your credit score.

Is it true that after 7 years your credit is clear?

Late payments and some other negative factors do remain on your credit report for seven years. That means that if you have not had any negative marks or late payments for seven years, you’ll be starting with a fresh slate.

Is payment history a big factor in your credit score?

Yes, payment history is a big factor in how your credit score is determined. While each credit bureau calculates your credit score differently, payment history is typically listed as one of the biggest factors in what affects your credit score.

Photo credit: iStock/tommaso79

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

SOCC-Q224-1910937-V1

A wrap-around mortgage is a form of seller financing that benefits the seller financially and helps buyers who can’t qualify for a traditional mortgage.

There are risks associated with this kind of creative financing, and alternatives to consider.

What Is a Wrap-Around Mortgage?

Traditionally, a buyer weighs the different mortgage types and obtains a mortgage loan to pay the seller for the home. The seller’s existing mortgage gets paid off, with any extra money going to the seller.

With a wrap-around mortgage, a form of owner financing, the original mortgage is kept intact, and the funds a buyer needs to purchase the home are “wrapped around” the current balance.

How Does a Wrap-Around Mortgage Work?

First, the seller must have an assumable mortgage and lender permission to wrap the mortgage. The seller and buyer agree on a price and down payment.

The buyer signs a promissory note, vowing to make agreed-upon payments to the seller. The seller might transfer the home title to the buyer at that time or when the loan is repaid.

The seller continues to make regular mortgage payments to their lender, keeping any monetary overage.

To make this feasible and worthwhile to the seller, the buyer typically pays a higher interest rate than what’s being charged on the original loan (on which the seller is still making payments).

Let’s say you want to sell your home for $200,000, and you still owe $75,000 on your mortgage at 5%. You find a buyer who is willing to pay your price but who can’t get a conventional mortgage approved.

Your buyer can give you $20,000 for a down payment. The two of you will then sign a promissory note for $180,000, at, say, 7%. You’ll make a profit on the spread between the two interest rates and the difference between the sale price and original mortgage balance.

If you’re crunching numbers, a mortgage payment calculator can help.

What Are the Advantages of a Wrap-Around Mortgage?

Here are ways that a wrap-around mortgage can benefit the buyer as well as the seller.

Benefits for the buyer:

•   A carry-back loan allows you to buy a house that you might not otherwise qualify for, perhaps because of low credit scores.

•   As long as a seller is willing to sell to you under this arrangement, your financing is essentially approved without your needing to do anything else.

•   You’ll pay no closing costs on the loan.

•   If you are self-employed, you likely won’t need to provide statements from past income as you would with a traditional mortgage lender. The seller may only be interested in your ability to pay now.

Benefits for the seller:

•   You don’t need to wait for a buyer to be approved for financing.

•   You can charge a higher interest rate than what you’re paying, allowing you the opportunity to create steady cash flow and make a profit.

•   In a buyer’s market, where the supply of homes for sale is greater than demand, your willingness to offer a wrap-around mortgage can make you stand out.

Are There Risks With Wrap-Around Mortgages?

Yes. Wrap-around mortgages come with risks for both buyers and sellers.

Risks for the buyer:

•   You’ll likely want to pay an attorney to review the agreement. If you don’t, then you’re assuming more of the risks as described in the next two bullet points.

•   You are putting your trust in the seller. If they don’t keep up the mortgage payments on the original loan, the home could go into foreclosure. (You could ask to make payments directly to the lender, which the seller may or may not agree to.)

•   If the seller has not told their lender about the arrangement, this could lead to problems. If the original mortgage has a due-on-sale clause, the financial institution could demand payment in full from the seller.

Risks for the seller:

•   The buyer may not make payments on time — or could stop making them altogether. If this happens, you still owe mortgage payments to your lender.

•   Any lag in making your payments can have a significant negative impact on your credit scores, making it more challenging to get good interest rates on loans.

•   Suing the buyer for past-due funds can get expensive, and if the buyer doesn’t have the money to pay you, this may not provide you with any real mortgage relief.

If you’re shopping for a mortgage, it can make sense to explore alternatives. A home loan help center is a good place to start.

Alternatives to Wrap-Around Mortgages

Alternatives can include the following:

•   FHA loans

•   VA loans

•   USDA loans

Here’s an overview of each.

FHA Loans

With loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration, FHA-approved lenders can offer low down payments while easing up on credit scores required to qualify.

VA Loans

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers low-interest-rate VA loans directly to qualifying borrowers (based on service history and duty status) and backs loans made by participating lenders.

USDA Loans

The U.S. Department of Agriculture guarantees USDA loans for qualifying rural Americans who have low to moderate levels of income. The USDA also offers funding to improve homes to safe and sanitary standards.

The Takeaway

A wrap-around mortgage could sound enticing, but buyer beware. Taking time to repair damaged credit or looking into other types of loans might make more sense. If you do enter into this transaction, you’ll probably want to involve a lawyer to make sure your interests are protected.

Looking for an affordable option for a home mortgage loan? SoFi can help: We offer low down payments (as little as 3% - 5%*) with our competitive and flexible home mortgage loans. Plus, applying is extra convenient: It's online, with access to one-on-one help.

FAQ

Is a wrap-around mortgage a good idea?

This type of mortgage has benefits and risks for both the buyer and the seller.

What is an example of a wrap-around mortgage?

Let’s say a buyer can’t get traditional financing but agrees to purchase a $250,000 house from the seller, with some down payment. The seller still owes $50,000. The buyer agrees to make payments to the seller on the purchase price, and the seller uses a portion of that money to make the usual mortgage payments. The seller profits from charging a higher interest rate than that of the original mortgage.

Who is responsible for a wrap-around loan?

The buyer will be responsible for making payments to the seller according to the agreement signed by the two parties. The seller will be responsible for continuing to make payments on the original mortgage until it is paid off. So both parties have responsibilities to fulfill.

Can wrap-around loans help a buyer purchase a home?

Yes. The key benefit for buyers is that seller financing helps them purchase a home that they otherwise may not have been able to own.

Photo credit: iStock/Tatiana Buzmakova

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*SoFi requires Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) for conforming home loans with a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio greater than 80%. As little as 3% down payments are for qualifying first-time homebuyers only. 5% minimum applies to other borrowers. Other loan types may require different fees or insurance (e.g., VA funding fee, FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums, etc.). Loan requirements may vary depending on your down payment amount, and minimum down payment varies by loan type.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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This article is not intended to be legal advice. Please consult an attorney for advice.

^¹FHA loans are subject to unique terms and conditions established by FHA and SoFi. Ask your SoFi loan officer for details about eligibility, documentation, and other requirements. FHA loans require an Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium (UFMIP), which may be financed or paid at closing, in addition to monthly Mortgage Insurance Premiums (MIP). Maximum loan amounts vary by county. The minimum FHA mortgage down payment is 3.5% for those who qualify financially for a primary purchase. SoFi is not affiliated with any government agency.
^†Veterans, Service members, and members of the National Guard or Reserve may be eligible for a loan guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. VA loans are subject to unique terms and conditions established by VA and SoFi. Ask your SoFi loan officer for details about eligibility, documentation, and other requirements. VA loans typically require a one-time funding fee except as may be exempted by VA guidelines. The fee may be financed or paid at closing. The amount of the fee depends on the type of loan, the total amount of the loan, and, depending on loan type, prior use of VA eligibility and down payment amount. The VA funding fee is typically non-refundable. SoFi is not affiliated with any government agency.

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