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Ticking fee meaning

What does Ticking fee mean?
A ticking fee is the commitment fee on a committed but undrawn term loan, accruing from signing (or another agreed date) until first utilisation or cancellation. It compensates the lender for setting aside funding capacity while no interest is earned. The expression is a market term, not defined by legislation or case law, and is documented in the facility agreement (often by reference to LMA drafting). Key features include: - calculated as a per‑annum percentage on undrawn commitments, accruing daily; - may step up over time if drawdown is delayed (hence “ticking”); - payable on utilisation, cancellation or at set intervals; and - distinct from commitment fees on revolving credit facilities. In UK and Irish acquisition and bridge financings, ticking fees commonly apply to term loans between signing and completion. In leveraged finance, lenders frequently waive or reduce ticking fees, particularly where the facility is drawn within a short period after completion; documentation may provide that no fee accrues if utilisation occurs within an agreed number of days. Usage and drafting are broadly consistent across England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, subject to deal‑specific negotiation and lender regulatory/capital considerations.
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View the related Practice Notes about Ticking fee

PRACTICE NOTES
Acquisition and Leveraged Finance: Practitioner’s A–Z of Terms, Covenants, Structures and Jargon

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PRACTICE NOTES
UK Banking, Finance, Capital Markets, Derivatives and Insolvency Law Glossary including Islamic finance

Banking & Finance glossary A Auditing and Accounting Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) The foremost Islamic, international, autonomous, independent, not-for-profit corporate body that develops and issues accounting, auditing, governance, ethics and Shari’ah benchmarks and standards for Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs) and the wider Islamic finance sector. Founded in Bahrain in 1991, it is backed by a number of institutional members across more than 45 countries, including central banks and regulatory authorities, financial institutions, accounting and auditing practices, and legal firms. Its pronouncements are currently applied by leading Islamic financial institutions across the world and have advanced a progressive and gradual harmonisation of global Islamic finance practice. It also delivers professional qualification programmes—notably Certified Islamic Professional Accountant (CIPA), Certified Shari’ah Adviser and Auditor (CSAA), and the corporate compliance programme—in efforts to strengthen the industry’s human capital and governance frameworks. For further details, see Practice Note: Key participants in the Islamic finance industry—Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI). Acceleration Acceleration is the formal action...

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