If you are careless, paying bail may harm your credit. Your credit score may be impacted if you take out a personal loan, charge the total amount of your bail on a credit card, or pay the bail bond agent’s fees with a credit card. Your credit score will also suffer if you don’t pay the bail bond agency fees, and they end up in the hands of a debt collector.
To prevent this, make sure to pay all fees when they are due, and if you are paying bail yourself, make sure you have the money available in case the defendant fails to show up for court. A defendant may attempt to use a private bail bond company if they cannot pay the court-set bail amount. In exchange for a nonrefundable fee, known as a bond premium, typically 10 to 15 percent of the bail sum, these businesses agree to be in charge of the defendant’s bail obligation.
Collateral, such as a car, house, jewelry, etc., is used to secure the balance. The bond company will use the collateral to recover the total amount if a defendant skips a court date and the company pays. Those accused who lack the money to pay a bond premium must stay in jail while they await trial. The outcome of a defendant’s case suffers gravely from pre-trial confinement.
