Meaning & use
on costs
Last updated
Meaning
nounpluralBritishbusinessfinance
Extra costs added to the basic price of something, such as taxes, insurance, or delivery charges.
Grammar: Used as a plural noun; it usually follows words like plus, including, or cover.
Patterns
- plus on costs
- cover on costs
- on costs of something
The price is £200 plus on costs such as insurance and delivery.
Our budget must include the on costs of importing the raw materials.
The contract says the buyer pays all on costs.
Common combinations
- plus on costs
- Tickets cost $50 plus on costs.
- include on costs
- The final bill will include on costs.
- cover on costs
- The grant does not cover on costs like shipping.
- total on costs
- We need to calculate the total on costs before signing.
Synonyms and how they differ
- overheads
- Overheads are regular running costs of a business, while on costs are extra charges added to a specific price.
- surcharges
- Surcharges are extra fees for a particular reason; on costs is a broader term for any added costs.
Word family
Commonly confused: on costs or oncost?
on costs vs oncost
Some writers spell it as one word 'oncost', but the plural 'on costs' is more common in British business English.
Practice
The quoted price is $1,000, ______ on costs such as tax and insurance.
Choose one answer.
'Plus on costs' means the extra costs are added to the price. 'Minus' would mean they are taken away, and 'except' or 'without' would mean they are not included.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “on costs”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.