Defera terms, explained
Here's what the words you'll see around Defera mean, in plain English. Terms in bold are buttons and menus you'll tap in the app.
If you're new to paying for travel over time, start with the first table. It covers how your plan and your payments work.
Plans and payments
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Defera Installments | Defera Installments is our default plan: you pay a deposit when you book, and the rest is charged in automatic weekly or bi-weekly payments. It works on any fare on the airlines we support, and on Flight + Hotel packages. |
| Defera Zero | Defera Zero is a plan with nothing due when you book, paid in equal weekly or bi-weekly payments. It's available on refundable fares from American, United, Southwest, JetBlue and Virgin Atlantic. |
| Refundable fare | A refundable fare is a fare the airline lets you cancel for your money back, and it's the only kind of fare Defera Zero works on. |
| Deposit | A deposit is the part of your trip price you pay upfront, when you book with Defera Installments. Your deposit options depend on how far away your trip is, and can be as low as 5% on trips more than 90 days away. |
| Payment | A payment, also called an installment, is one of the automatic charges that pay off your trip after you book. |
| Weekly or bi-weekly | Weekly payments are charged every week, and bi-weekly payments are charged every two weeks. |
| Card on file | Your card on file is the debit or credit card saved for your payment plan, and it's the card your payments are charged to. |
| Trip total | Your trip total is the full price of your trip: the airfare, plus taxes, plus Defera's fees. |
| Price Breakdown | The Price Breakdown is the panel on your checkout page that lists every part of your trip total. |
| Service fee | The service fee covers dedicated support throughout your payment plan, and it's included in your trip total. |
| Hold fee | The hold fee covers the cost of letting you pay over time, and it's included in your trip total. |
| Price protection | Price protection means that once your booking is approved, your agreed-upon trip price doesn't go up when airfares do, as long as you stay in good standing. |
| Good standing | Being in good standing means keeping up with your payment plan, and it's what keeps your trip price protected. What "good standing" means explains more. |
| Past due | A payment is past due when it was scheduled but didn't go through, and you can catch up from Make a Payment on your trip. |
| Paid in full | Your trip is paid in full once your whole trip total has been paid, and that's when your confirmation number is released. |
Your trip
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Trips | Trips is the page in the main menu that lists your bookings: upcoming, past and incomplete. You tap a trip to open it. |
| Payment schedule | Your payment schedule is the section of your trip page that shows your payments and holds the buttons for managing them. |
| Make a Payment | Make a Payment lets you pay ahead, pay any extra amount or pay off your trip in full. |
| Change Schedule | Change Schedule switches your payments between weekly and bi-weekly, with no fee, on plans that show this option. |
| Pick my own dates | Pick my own dates, inside Change Schedule where your trip offers it, lets you choose your next payment date for a $25 fee that covers every date change you make that day. |
| Skip Payment | Skip Payment skips your next payment for a $20 fee, on plans that show this option. |
| Update Card | Update Card is where you change the card your payments are charged to, and it's the only place to do it. |
| Flight Options | Flight Options is the menu on your trip page for changing your flight, buying seats or bags, and cancelling. |
| Booking reference | Your booking reference is Defera's code for your trip, shown at the top of your booking confirmation email, and it isn't your airline confirmation number. |
| Confirmation number | Your confirmation number is the airline's code for your reservation, which you use to check in. It's released once your trip is paid in full and appears on your trip page. |
| Confirmation Number Release | A Confirmation Number Release is the request sent to our team for you, automatically, when your final payment goes through. It shows as a card on your trip page while our team works on it. |
| Trip Statement | Your Trip Statement is a PDF of your trip that you can download from your trip page, with your itinerary, travelers, pricing and payment history. |
| Flight + Hotel package | A Flight + Hotel package is a flight and hotel booked together as one trip, by tapping Stays when you search, and it's paid with Defera Installments. |
| Operated by | On a codeshare flight, one airline sells the seat and a partner airline flies the plane. You'll see "Operated by X as Y", which means X flies the plane and Y sold the seat. |
Credit, rewards and help
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Defera Credit | Defera Credit is credit on your Defera account that you can use toward any future Defera booking, for you or someone else. It never expires and can't be exchanged for cash. |
| Defera Miles | Defera Miles are rewards you earn on completed trips: 2 Miles per $1 on the final amount you pay for a trip, and more at higher Defera Status tiers. A Mile is worth 1.25¢ toward a Defera booking, or 1¢ as an e-gift card. |
| Defera Status | Defera Status is our tier program, with Member, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond tiers. Your tier is based on the qualifying dollars you spend on completed trips in a calendar year. |
| Defera Concierge | The Defera Concierge is our AI concierge. You can chat with it, or call +1 (415) 319-8553, where it answers by voice 24/7. |