Revolving Credit

Revolving Credit

An agreement between a bank and a company or an individual to provide a certain amount in loans on demand from the borrower. The borrower is under no obligation to actually take out a loan at any particular time, but may take part of the funds at any time over a period of several years. This agreement is fairly common in situations in which a business must make payroll but does not always have the operating income in order to do so, especially when its operating income is seasonal or otherwise varies from month to month.

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Revolving credit. A revolving credit arrangement allows you to borrow up to your credit limit without having to reapply each time you need cash. As you repay the money you have borrowed, it is available to be borrowed again.

For example, if you have a credit card with a credit limit of $1,500 and you make a purchase of $400, the amount of credit you have available is $1,100. But when you repay the $400, your credit limit goes back to $1,500 -- assuming you haven't charged anything else on the card.

At any given time, your balance due may fluctuate from zero to the maximum credit limit. If you don't use the credit line in any billing cycle, no fees apply in most cases. But if you have a balance due and don't repay the full amount, finance charges are added to your next bill.

Some revolving credit arrangements, such as a home equity line of credit, may have a predetermined end date, but the majority are open-ended as long as you make at least the minimum required payment on time.