Glossary

Plain-English definitions of the terms that appear on your statement, your agreement, and in uPortal360.

Terms you will see on your statement, in your agreement, and inside uPortal360.

Definitions here are written for clarity, not as a substitute for your agreement. Where the two differ, your agreement governs. You can view your contract in uPortal360 under Agreement Details.

Your account

Account Number The identifier for your account with UAS. You need it, along with your Access Code, to sign in to uPortal360. It appears on your monthly statement and in your welcome letter.

Access Code The numeric code that, with your Account Number, gets you into uPortal360. It works like a password, but you cannot choose it — it is assigned. See Finding your Account Number and Access Code.

Contract / Agreement The document you signed. It sets your terms: what you borrowed, your rate, your payment schedule, and any promotional offer.

Co-applicant A joint applicant, cosigner, or co-buyer on the account. A co-applicant has the same access and authority as the primary account holder. See Co-applicant access.

uPortal360 The online portal where you view your account, make payments, manage AutoPay, and get support.

Money on your account

Amount Financed The amount you borrowed for a purchase — the part being paid off over time. If you have a promotional offer, this is the figure you must pay in full before the expiration date.

Cash Price The full price of the goods or services before any down payment.

Down Payment What you paid at the time of purchase. Cash Price minus Down Payment is the Charge Amount.

Charge Amount What was added to your balance for a particular purchase.

Charge slip The record of one purchase on a revolving account. Each charge slip has its own number, date, description, and status. See Your charges.

Minimum Monthly Payment The least you must pay each cycle to stay current. It is calculated to pay off your balance over the full term of your contract — which, if you have a promotional offer, is longer than your promotional period.

Balance What remains unpaid.

Interest

APR (Annual Percentage Rate) The yearly rate used to calculate interest on your balance. Your APR is on your agreement.

Interest charge The cost of borrowing, calculated on your balance. On these accounts interest is generally simple interest calculated daily.

Finance charge Interest and certain other costs of credit, as defined in your agreement.

Deferred Interest Charge Interest that has been calculated and posted to your account during a promotional period, shown on your statement each cycle. If you meet your promotional conditions, it is reallocated to principal and waived. If you do not, you owe it. See Assessed interest plans.

Non-Assessed Interest Charge Interest that has been calculated but not posted to your account during a promotional period. It is tracked on your statement so you can see what would be owed. If you meet your conditions it is released permanently; if you do not, the whole amount is added at once. See Accrued interest plans.

Principal The portion of your balance that is the money you borrowed, as opposed to interest or fees.

Promotional offers

Promotional Offer An opportunity to pay no interest on a purchase if you meet specific conditions before a deadline. It is not a 0% APR loan — interest is being calculated from the delivery date, and the offer is a way to avoid paying it. See What a promotional offer is.

Promotional Period The window during which you can still meet the conditions.

Promotional Period Expiration Date Your deadline. It is on your agreement and on every monthly statement.

“No Interest if Paid in Full” An assessed-interest promotional offer. Interest posts each cycle and is waived if you meet the conditions.

“No Interest Assessed if Paid in Full” An accrued-interest promotional offer. Interest is tracked but does not post, and every dollar you pay goes to principal.

Same as cash An informal name for a promotional offer. See the warning above about what it does not mean.

Fees

Late charge A fee if a payment is not paid within your grace period. The amount and the grace period vary by program — some accounts have none at all. Yours are in your Agreement details.

NSF fee / returned payment fee Charged if a payment is returned unpaid. You are charged it only once per transaction, however many times we re-attempt it.

Convenience fee Charged when an agent takes a payment over the phone. Paying in uPortal360 is free.

Payments

AutoPay An automatic monthly payment drawn from a card or bank account you have saved.

ACH An electronic transfer from a bank account. Requires a US bank account with a US routing number.

Card updater A service that lets a replaced or renewed card keep working for AutoPay without you re-entering it.

Override amount An AutoPay amount you set above your minimum monthly payment, to pay the balance down faster.

Payment method A saved card or bank account. UAS does not store your full card or account number — only the last four digits — and never stores your CVV.

Transaction statuses

Processing — received, not yet posted. Complete — posted to your account. Declined — not accepted; the payment did not post.

Charge statuses

Incomplete — pending, not yet signed. Open — signed, with a balance remaining. Paid — paid in full.

Student loans

Private education loan A loan for education costs from a private lender rather than the federal government. Sometimes called a student gap loan, because it covers the gap federal aid leaves. Yours is structured as a Retail Installment Contract — see Student loans.

In-school payment A reduced monthly payment while you are enrolled, followed by full payments after you finish. It is not a deferment and not interest-only — interest is still being charged.

Self-Certification A federally required form, obtained from your school’s financial aid office, confirming your cost of attendance and other aid. A lender must have it before releasing funds.

Cosigner Someone who guarantees your debt. If you do not pay, they must — up to the full amount, including late fees and collection costs.

Account and contract types

RIC — Retail Installment Contract A closed-end, fixed-term contract. You borrow a set amount and repay it over a set term.

RICA — Retail Installment Credit Agreement An open-end, revolving agreement. Purchases are added as charge slips against an overall balance.

Closed-end account Fixed amount, fixed term.

Open-end / revolving account An ongoing credit line you can use more than once.

Who’s who

Universal Account Servicing (UAS) The third-party billing services provider that services your account — statements, payments, and support. NMLS #1060516.

UGA Finance A finance program that helps retail sellers offer financing at the point of sale. If you financed a purchase in-store, this may be the program your contract came through. UAS services those accounts.

Retail seller The business you bought the goods or services from.

Credit bureau Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — the agencies that maintain credit files. They do not share information with each other. See Checking your credit file.