活期什么意思？

中文版

“活期”在银行业务中通常指的是一种存款方式，与“定期”相对应。活期存款是指客户可以随时存取、不受固定期限限制的存款。这意味着，客户可以在任何时间将资金存入活期账户，并在需要时随时取出，无需提前通知银行。这种存款方式的流动性非常高，因此被称为“活期”。

活期存款与定期存款的主要区别在于存期的灵活性。定期存款通常有固定的存款期限，如三个月、六个月、一年等，在存款期限内，客户通常不能提前取出资金，或者需要支付一定的违约金。而活期存款则没有这个限制，客户可以根据自己的需要随时存取资金。

活期存款的另一个特点是其利率通常较低。由于活期存款的存取非常灵活，银行需要随时准备支付客户的取款请求，这增加了银行的运营成本。因此，为了弥补这部分成本，银行通常会给予活期存款较低的利率。

英文版

What Does "Current" Mean in Banking?

In banking, the term "current" typically refers to a type of deposit account that contrasts with "fixed" or "term" deposits. A current account or current deposit allows customers to deposit and withdraw funds at any time, without restrictions on a fixed term. This means customers can deposit money into a current account at any point and withdraw it whenever needed, without advance notice to the bank. Due to its high liquidity, it is referred to as "current."

The key difference between a current account and a fixed deposit is the flexibility of the deposit term. Fixed deposits typically have a set duration, such as three months, six months, one year, etc. During this term, customers are typically unable to withdraw funds early or may face penalties for doing so. By contrast, a current account places no such restrictions, allowing customers to deposit and withdraw funds based on their needs.

Another characteristic of a current account is that it usually offers a lower interest rate. The flexibility of withdrawing funds at any time means banks need to be prepared to pay out customer withdrawals at any given moment, increasing their operational costs. To compensate for these costs, banks often offer lower interest rates on current accounts.