Processing fee not permitted in commercial loan agreements either
> September 2016

In May 2014, the Federal Court of Justice decided that processing fees are not permitted in consumer loan agreements. Since then, there has been some disagreement about whether this legal decision applies to commercial loans as well. Now the Higher District Court of Frankfurt, which is responsible for a considerable number of banks, has decided that a professional real estate developer is entitled to demand the reimbursement of processing fees which have been paid. Those who provide loans to a company are not considered to be providing a special service for which they are entitled to demand a processing fee as special compensation. Providing the value date, processing the loan application, reviewing credit ratings, recording customer demands and data, negotiating agreements, submitting loan offers or providing customers with advice do not represent special services which would justify separate compensation.