Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Important: The FAQs below are for customers that have a dedicated Business Relationship Manager.

If you do not have a dedicated Business Relationship Manager you can find FAQs for you by clicking here.

These FAQ’s should assist you in making a choice in either availing of a COVID-19 payment break for the first or second time or in guiding you through the options available to you if you are coming to the end of your second COVID-19 payment break.

 

Please note the term credit facilities and business loans are used interchangeably.

 

If you have an assigned Business Relationship Manager, please contact them directly and they will talk to you about the options available to you if you are applying for your first payment break or are coming to the end of your first or second payment break.

• 1. How do I apply for a COVID-19 payment break for my business loan?

  If you have a dedicated Business Relationship Manager, please contact them and they will be able to assist you. If you have a Business Relationship Manager, please do not apply for a COVID-19 payment break through the online form.

  Important Information: It is important to remember that a COVID-19 payment break may not be suitable for you. A payment break will only be suitable for you if the impacts on your business are temporary and if you meet our criteria which are set out below.

  Also, if you are coming to the end of your first payment break and feel you may not be in a position to return to making payments on your business loan at the end of an additional payment break period, you should contact your Business Relationship Manager directly to discuss the options available to you.

  Likewise, if you availed of an additional payment break and you feel you may not be in a position to return to making payments on your business loan at the end of the payment break you should contact your Business Relationship Manager directly to discuss the options available to you.

  By taking a COVID-19 payment break, it will mean that the total cost of credit on your business loan will be higher than it would have been if you had not taken a payment break.

• 2. Who can apply for a COVID-19 payment break?

  Businesses with Credit Facilities in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) who have experienced temporary impacts as a result of COVID-19 can apply for a payment break on their business loan. If you have not applied for a COVID-19 payment break previously, you can do so until the 30th September 2020 if you satisfy the criteria set out below.

  Important Information: It is important to remember that a COVID-19 payment break may not be suitable for you. A payment break will only be suitable for you if the impacts on your business are temporary and if you meet our criteria set out in question 3.

  Also, if you are coming to the end of your first payment break and feel you may not be in a position to return to making payments on your business loan at the end of an additional payment break period, you should contact your Business Relationship Manager directly to discuss the options available to you.

  Likewise, if you availed of an additional payment break and you feel you may not be in a position to return to making payments on your business loan at the end of the payment break you should contact your Business Relationship Manager directly to discuss the options available to you.

  By taking a COVID-19 payment break, it will mean that the total cost of credit on your business loan will be higher than it would have been if you had not taken a payment break.

• 3. Am I eligible for a payment break for my business loan?

  Covid-19 payment breaks are available to business customers with Credit Facilities in ROI who are impacted by COVID19 and meet the following criteria:

  1. Prior to the 1st of March 2020 you were not in arrears on any loan or any other BOI business or personal loan.
  2. This is a precautionary request (no cashflow reduction has occurred but a safety net is required) or reflects a temporary reduction in your cashflow.
  3. You are not in financial difficulty now and/or were not concerned about your ability to meet future repayments before COVID-19. You are not in a forbearance arrangement with the Bank or if you are, you have met all the terms and conditions for a minimum of 12 months.
  4. Your loan must have been approved or drawn down prior to the 17th March to avail of the 3 month payment break.

  If you don’t meet the criteria set out above we may still be able to help you – please call your Business Relationship Manager and they will be able to assist you.

• 4. Will a business loan payment break affect my credit record?

  Under the Credit Reporting Act 2013 we are required to provide personal and credit information for credit applications and credit agreements of €500 and above to the Central Credit Register (“CCR”). A payment break will not be marked as a missed payment and will not be reported as ‘Payments Past Due’. However, for the duration of the payment break, the ‘Date of Next Payment’ will be recorded as the date that your monthly payment ordinarily falls due on your Credit Facilities, although no payments are required during the payment break.

  You can insert a statement of 200 words or less relating to any information relating to your credit agreement/s on the CCR. Further information is available at www.centralcreditregister.ie.

  A payment break will not have an adverse impact on your Irish Credit Bureau record.

• 5. What happens to my monthly payments during a payment break?

  Once the payment break has been put in place, the standing order on your business loan will be paused until the end of the payment break and you will not be required to make repayments on your Credit Facilities during the payment break period. Repayments to your business loan will automatically recommence on the next repayment date once the payment break period has ended if your business loan is paid from a Bank of Ireland paying account.

  If you are paying your business loan from a different Bank and you cancelled your Standing Order you will have to contact your paying Bank to set up a new standing order to your business loan.

• 6. What happens at the end of my payment break?

  We will contact you in writing before your payment break expires to advise you of the next steps and your options in terms of how your business loan is repaid.

  You will need to follow the instructions in the letter that we send you promptly so that your preferred option is applied to your account before the end of your payment break period. If you are coming to the end of your additional payment break we will also write to you about your options and you should follow the instructions outlined in the letter promptly.

  Important Information: If you feel as though you will not be in a position to start making repayments to your business loan towards the end of your first or second payment break you should contact your dedicated Business Relationship Manager and they will be able to assist you with choosing an option suitable to your circumstances.

• 7. Can I make payments during the payment break period?

  During the payment break(s), you are not required to make any repayments (capital or interest) to the business loan. However, if you feel that you can make some level of repayments during the payment break(s) period you should. By doing so, it will mean that you will not pay as much interest as you would if you did not make any repayments at all.

  Important Information: There are no additional charges / costs to making full or partial payments during your payment breaks. If you wish to make full or partial payments during the payment break period, please contact your Business Relationship Manager who will be able to assist you with this.

• 8. Will I pay more as a result of taking a COVID-19 payment break?

  Yes, by taking a COVID-19 payment break, you will pay more than if you had not taken a payment break at all. It is important to remember that interest will still be applied during the payment break period. As a result, your loan balance will increase by the amount of the interest and the 3 monthly payments that are not made during the payment break period. If you avail of an additional payment break your loan balance will increase by the amount of the interest and the 6 monthly payments that are not made during the two payment break periods.

  However, by making some repayments to your business loan during the break(s), it will mean that you will not pay as much interest as you would if you did not make any payments at all.

  Important Information: There are no additional charges / costs to making full or partial payments during your payment breaks. If you wish to make full or partial payments during the payment break period, please contact your Business Relationship Manager who will be able to assist you with this.

• 9. Some points to consider when considering about a COVID-19 payment break

  The key points that you need to bear in mind in relation to taking a COVID-19 business loan payment break are as follows:

  • The balance outstanding on your business loan will be higher at the end of the payment break(s) period than it was at the start of the payment break(s); we have included some examples below to illustrate the impact on your business loan when you take a payment break(s).
  • As a result of taking a payment break(s), you will pay more interest on your business loan than you would if you did not take a payment break(s)
  • You can make full or partial payments during the period, if you do so it will result in a lower cost of credit to you than if you did not make any repayments at all during the break(s) period
  • If you are not confident that you will be in a position to make repayments at the end of the payment break period a payment break is not likely to be a suitable option for you
  • If you take a payment break(s), you can choose to extend your business loan term by the amount of the payment break period or you can choose to repay your business loan within the original term by making increased monthly payments to your business loans
  • If you have any doubts about taking a payment break, we strongly recommend you get independent legal or financial advice
• 10. Will my business loan interest rate change as a result of applying for a payment break?

  Your rate will not change due to availing of the payment break. If you have a fixed rate loan the term of the fixed rate period will be extended in line with the payment break(s) period. There are no additional charges either.

• 11. What options do I have upon expiry of my first payment break?

  At the end of your first COVID-19 payment break we will write to you to provide you with the following options:

  Option 1: You do not need another payment break and you want to return to full capital and interest payments.

  Interest will have continued to accrue over the payment break period which means you will have to pay more interest over the term of the business loan. If you choose this option, the term of your business loan will be extended by the period of the payment break. We have included some examples below which will help you to understand how much extra in additional interest you may have to pay under this option.

  Option 2: You are still experiencing a temporary reduction in your income and you want to apply for an additional three month COVID-19 payment break.

  You won’t have to make repayments to your business loan during this period; however, interest will continue to accrue on your loan which will mean that you will pay more than you would if you didn’t take a payment break. Before applying for an additional payment break, you should read the information in these FAQ’s carefully.

  Option 3: You do not need another payment break and you want us to amend the term of your Credit Facilities to clear the balance within the original term.

  By taking this option, you will need to make higher repayments each month over the term of the business loan so that the full balance is cleared within the original term of the loan, however, this option will result in a lower cost of credit to you than if you choose to pay over an extended term.

  Option 4: You are concerned that you may experience longer-term financial pressure and you would like to explore additional supports to help you to pay your Credit Facilities.

  You can speak to your Business Relationship Manager about additional supports that may be suitable to your circumstances.

  For all of these options please speak directly to your dedicated Business Relationship Manager who will be able to assist you with these options.

• 12. What options do I have upon expiry of my second payment break.

  Prior to the end of your second COVID-19 payment break we will write to you to provide you with the following options:

  Option 1: Return to full capital and interest payments.

  Interest will have continued to accrue over the two payment break periods which means you will have to pay more interest over the term of the business loan. If you choose this option, the term of your business loan will be extended by the period of the payment breaks. We have included some examples below which will help you to understand how much extra in additional interest you may have to pay under this option.

  Option 2: Increase your previous level of capital and interest payments so your credit facilities are repaid within the original term:

  By taking this option, you will need to make higher repayments each month over the term of the business loan so that the full balance is cleared within the original term of the loan, however, this option will result in a lower cost of credit to you than if you choose to pay over an extended term.

  Option 3: Further financial support is required: You are concerned that you may experience longer-term financial pressure and you would like to explore additional supports to help you to pay your Credit Facilities.

  You are concerned that you may experience longer-term financial pressure and you would like to explore additional supports to help you to pay your Credit Facilities. Under this option, a review of your circumstances and additional information will be required.

  You can speak to your Business Relationship Manager about additional supports that may be suitable to your circumstances.

  For all of these options please speak directly to your dedicated Business Relationship Manager who will be able to assist you with these options.

• 13. How much does taking a COVID-19 Payment Break cost me?

  We have provided you with some information below to show you how much additional interest could be applied to your business loan as a result of taking a payment break. The information below is for illustrative purposes only and will vary on the amount of interest that will be applied to your business loan as a result of taking a payment break:

  The below examples represents what a three and six month payment break will cost you if you return to capital and interest payments after the payment break and we extend the term. There are also some examples that show what a three and six month payment break will cost you if you return to capital and interest and you do not extend the term.

  The first 2 examples below illustrate what could be paid by you if you take a 3 month payment break on a loan of €50,000 depending on how you choose to repay your loan after the payment break ends, ie, either by repaying your loan with a term extension, or by repaying your loan within its original term.

  Illustrative example 1: You avail of a 3 month payment break and extend the term of the loan by 3 months.

  Term Remaining		Interest Rate	Outstanding loan balance	Monthly repayments due prior the payment break	Monthly repayments due after the payment break	Total amount to repay with no payment break	Total amount to repay with a payment break	Increase to the Cost of Credit
  60 months Capital & interest payments		6.48%	€50,000	€977.03	€977.03	€58,621.64	€59,737.36	€1,115.72

  Important notice: The above example illustrates that for a loan with an outstanding balance of €50,000 you could have to repay an additional €1115.72 in interest as a direct result of taking a COVID-19 payment break and extending the term of your loan.

  By extending the term of the loan by 3 months to allow for the 3 month payment period, an additional payment will be needed to clear the extra interest that results from the payment break. By referring to the above illustrative example, the figure of €1,115.72 is representative of this additional payment.

   

  Illustrative example 2: You avail of a 3 month payment break and do not extend the loan by 3 months, instead you repay it within the original term of the loan.

  Term Remaining		Interest Rate	Outstanding loan balance	Monthly repayments due prior the payment break	Monthly repayments due after the payment break	Difference in the monthly repayment due	Total amount to repay with no payment break	Total amount to repay with a payment break	Increase to the Cost of Credit
  60 months Capital & interest payments		6.48%	€50,000	€977.03	€1,037.18	€60.15	€58,621.64	€59,119.33	€497.69

  Important notice: The above example illustrates that for a loan with an outstanding balance of €50,000 you could have to repay an additional €497.69 in interest as a direct result of taking a COVID-19 payment break and repaying the loan within the original term.

  Result: For the above 2 examples you can see that repaying your loan within the original term will cost you less than if you choose to repay your loan over an extended term. The above examples demonstrate that you could pay an additional €618.03 in interest which is the difference between the cost of credit figures above.

   

   

  The next 2 examples below illustrates what could be paid by you if you take two consecutive 3 month payment breaks (6 month payment break in total) on a loan of €50,000 depending on how you choose to repay your loan after the payment break ends, ie, either by repaying your loan with a term extension, or by repaying your loan within its original term.

  Illustrative example 3: You avail of two consecutive 3 month payment breaks (6 month payment break in total) and extend the term of the loan by 6 months.

  Term Remaining		Interest Rate	Outstanding loan balance	Monthly repayments due prior the payment break	Monthly repayments due after the payment break ( if your loan term is extended )	Total amount to repay with no payment break	Total amount to repay with a payment break	Increase to the Cost of Credit
  60 months Capital & interest payments		6.48%	€50,000	€977.03	€977.03	€58,621.64	€60,872.49	€2,250.85

  Important notice : The above example illustrates that for a loan with an outstanding balance of €50,000 you could have to repay an additional €2250.85 in interest as a direct result of taking a COVID-19 payment break and extending the term of your loan.

  By extending the term of the loan by 6 months (two consecutive 3 month payment breaks) to allow for the 6 month payment period, an additional payment will be needed to clear the extra interest that results from the payment break. By referring to the above illustrative example, the figure of €2,250.85 is representative of this additional payment.

   

  Illustrative example 4: You avail of two consecutive 3 month payment breaks (6 month payment break in total) and do not extend the loan by 6 months, instead you repay it within the original term of the loan.

  Term Remaining		Interest Rate	Outstanding loan balance	Monthly repayments due prior the payment break	Monthly repayments due after the payment break	Difference in the monthly repayment due	Total amount to repay with no payment break	Total amount to repay with a payment break	Increase to the Cost of Credit
  60 months Capital & interest payments		6.48%	€50,000	€977.03	€1,104.78	€127.04	€58,621.64	€59,619.97	€998.33

  Important notice: The above example illustrates that for a loan with an outstanding balance of €50,000 you could have to repay an additional €998.33 in interest as a direct result of taking a COVID-19 payment break and repaying the loan within the original term.

  Result: For the above 2 examples you can see that repaying your loan within the original term will cost you less than if you choose to repay your loan over an extended term. The above examples demonstrate that you could pay an additional €1252.52 in interest which is the difference between the cost of credit figures above.

   

  The next 2 examples below illustrate what could be paid by you if you take a 3 month payment break on a loan of €1,000,000 depending on how you choose to repay your loan after the payment break ends, ie, either by repaying your loan with a term extension, or by repaying your loan within its original term.

  Illustrative example 5: You avail of a 3 month payment break and extend the term of the loan by 3 months.

   

  Term Remaining		Interest Rate	Outstanding loan balance	Monthly repayments due prior the payment break	Monthly repayments due after the payment break ( if your loan term is extended )	Total amount to repay with no payment break	Total amount to repay with a payment break	Increase to the Cost of Credit
  60 months Capital & interest payments		4.00%	€1,000,000	€18,410.54	€18,410.54	€1,104,632.33	€1,116,825.27	€12,192.94

  Important notice: The above example illustrates that for a loan with an outstanding balance of €1,000,000 you could have to repay an additional €12,192.94 in interest as a direct result of taking a COVID-19 payment break and extending the term of your loan.

   

  By extending the term of the loan by 3 months to allow for the 3 month payment period, an additional payment will be needed to clear the extra interest that results from the payment break. By referring to the above illustrative example, the figure of €12,192.94 is representative of this additional payment.

   

  Illustrative example 6: You avail of a 3 month payment break and do not extend the loan by 3 months, instead you repay it within the original term of the loan.

  Term Remaining		Interest Rate	Outstanding loan balance	Monthly repayments due prior the payment break	Monthly repayments due after the payment break	Difference in the monthly repayment due	Total amount to repay with no payment break	Total amount to repay with a payment break	Increase to the Cost of Credit
  60 months Capital & interest payments		4.00%	€1,000,000	€18,410.54	€19,479.30	€1,068.76	€1,104,632.33	€1,110,320.27	€5,687.94

  Important notice: The above example illustrates that for a loan with an outstanding balance of €1,000,000 you could have to repay an additional €5,687.94 in interest as a direct result of taking a COVID-19 payment break and repaying the loan within the original term.

  Result: For the above 2 examples you can see that repaying your loan within the original term will cost you less than if you choose to repay your loan over an extended term. The above examples demonstrate that you could pay an additional €6505.00 in interest which is the difference between the cost of credit figures above.

   

  The next 2 examples below illustrates what could be paid by you if you take two consecutive 3 month payment breaks (6 month payment break in total) on a loan of €1,000,000 depending on how you choose to repay your loan after the payment break ends, ie, either by repaying your loan with a term extension, or by repaying your loan within its original term.

  Illustrative example 7: You avail of two consecutive 3 month payment breaks (6 month payment break in total) and extend the term of the loan by 6 months.

  Term Remaining		Interest Rate	Outstanding loan balance	Monthly repayments due prior the payment break	Monthly repayments due after the payment break ( if your loan term is extended )	Total amount to repay with no payment break	Total amount to repay with a payment break	Increase to the Cost of Credit
  60 months Capital & interest payments		4.00%	€1,000,000	€18,410.54	€18,410.54	€1,104,632.33	€1,129,149.19	€24,516.86

  Important notice: The above example illustrates that for a loan with an outstanding balance of €1,000,000 you could have to repay an additional €24,516.86 in interest as a direct result of taking a COVID-19 payment break and extending the term of your loan.

   

  By extending the term of the loan by 6 months (two consecutive 3 month payment breaks) to allow for the 6 month payment period, an additional payment will be needed to clear the extra interest that results from the payment break. By referring to the above illustrative example, the figure of €24,516.86 is representative of this additional payment.

   

  Illustrative example 8: You avail of two consecutive 3 month payment breaks (6 month payment break in total) and do not extend the loan by 6 months, instead you repay it within the original term of the loan.

  Term Remaining		Interest Rate	Outstanding loan balance	Monthly repayments due prior the payment break	Monthly repayments due after the payment break	Difference in the monthly repayment due	Total amount to repay with no payment break	Total amount to repay with a payment break	Increase to the Cost of Credit
  60 months Capital & interest payments		4.00%	€1,000,000	€18,410.54	€20,667.19	€2,256.65	€1,104,632.33	€1,116,028.30	€11,395.97

  Important notice: The above example illustrates that for a loan with an outstanding balance of €1,000,000 you could have to repay an additional €11,395.97 in interest as a direct result of taking a COVID-19 payment break and repaying the loan within the original term.

  Result: For the above 2 examples you can see that repaying your loan within the original term will cost you less than if you choose to repay your loan over an extended term. The above examples demonstrate that you could pay an additional €13,120.89 in interest which is the difference between the cost of credit figures above.

   

• 14. How long will it take to put the payment break in place after I apply?

  We are dealing with unprecedented demand for payment breaks and we are processing breaks as quickly as possible.

  If you are availing of a payment break for the second time and a standing order/payment has been taken from your current account in the intervening period, we will back-date your payment break by paying the money back to your current account. You won’t have to do anything.

  If it is your first time requesting a payment break, it will commence from your next due payment date after we process your payment request. For example if you apply to us on 20th June and your repayment is on 28th June, we will apply your payment break from 28th July to 28th September and your payments will commence on 28th October as we would not have sufficient time to put a payment break in place for 28th June repayment. We will endeavour to write to you within 5 days of processing your payment break, however we apologise if we are a little later due to high volumes of applications from our customers.

  Once we have verified your application, we will send you an email via DocuSign requesting you and any signatories to the account to sign to accept your payment break. On receipt of your returned document we will put your payment break in place within 2-3 days of receipt of your returned correspondence.

• 15. Will I be told when the payment break has been applied to my business loan?

  When you apply for a payment break you will receive an emailed letter which will be in the form of a DocuSign email, we will ask you to confirm your acceptance of the terms of the emailed letter by providing your electronic signature to acceptance page as requested.

• 16. If I have more than 1 loan will I need to apply for each payment break separately?

  Contact your Business Relationship Manager directly to discuss the request and outline to them which loans are you are seeking payment breaks for.

• 17. What can I do if I am still unsure what to do about my payment break options?

  If you are still unsure about what to do next after reading these FAQ’s, please contact your dedicated Business Relationship Manager.

• 18. I am reaching the end of my additional payment break; can I avail of a third payment break?

  No. A further COVID-19 payment break is not available. However, we encourage you to consider your options which will be sent to you before the end of your additional payment break. It is important to get in touch as soon as possible so that the review can be completed prior to the expiry of your additional payment break if you are availing of this option.

  Please note if you experience longer term financial difficulty and you avail of additional measures with us to help you manage your Credit Facilities payment, we will treat this assistance as forbearance (i.e. a special arrangement) and it will be recorded under your credit records as such with the Central Credit Register and the Irish Credit Bureau.

• 19. What options do I have upon expiry of my additional payment break?

  Option 1 – Return to your previous level of capital and interest payments: You do not need any further assistance and you want to return to full capital and interest payments.

  Option 2 – Increase your previous level of capital and interest payments to repay your Credit Facilities within the original term: You do not need any further assistance and you want us to amend the term and payment amount of your Credit Facilities to clear the balance within the original term.

  Option 3 – Further financial support is required: You are concerned that you may experience longer-term financial pressure and you would like to explore additional supports to help you to pay your Credit Facilities. Under this option, a review of your circumstances and additional information will be required.

• 20. What actions are required by me prior to the expiry of my additional payment break?

  If you have an assigned Business Relationship Manager please e-mail the address at the bottom of the letter you received. This action should be completed as soon as possible following receipt of the options letter that we will send you to allow the option that has been chosen by you to be applied before the end of the additional payment break period.

• 21. What happens if I do not respond at the end of my additional payment break?

  If you do not take any action on receipt of the letter that we will send to you before the end of your additional payment break your normal capital and interest payments to your Credit Facilities will automatically resume on the date of expiry and the term of your Credit Facilities will be extended.

• 22. What should I do if I have life assurance or payment protection cover in respect of the Credit Facilities?

  If you have life assurance or payment protection cover in respect of the Credit Facilities, you should review it in line with the additional payment break that you have taken so as to ensure that you continue to have the appropriate cover in place. An additional payment break could mean that your cover will need to be adjusted so as to ensure that you continue to have enough cover in place for the extended term.

• 23. Will my loan be in arrears as a result of availing of payment breaks?

  Your Credit Facilities would not have gone into arrears as a result of availing of the initial or additional Covid-19 payment breaks. If you were in arrears already before taking the initial or additional payment breaks, these arrears will not have increased as a result of availing of the initial and additional payment breaks.

• 24. What if I cannot afford to resume payments?

  If you cannot afford to resume payments we would encourage you to explore option 3 (Further financial support is required) If you are concerned that you may experience longer-term financial pressure and you would like to explore additional supports to help you to pay your Credit Facilities. This may be most suitable for you if you are concerned that the impact on your finances of COVID-19 could be longer-lasting or that you may not be able to meet full capital and interest payments on your Credit Facilities after your additional payment break ends. Under this option, a review of your circumstances and additional information will be required. We would advise you to contact your Business Relationship Manager.

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