Heildargjald

Heildargjald is an Icelandic noun meaning the total charge or gross price for a service or product. It is the amount stated on an invoice or price list before deductions such as discounts, taxes, subsidies, or insurance adjustments. In everyday use, the term helps distinguish the full price from amounts paid or covered later through discounts, refunds, or third‑party payments.

Etymology: The word is built from heildar- meaning total and gjald meaning fee or charge. Gjald derives from Old Norse and is cognate with similar terms in other Nordic languages. In English, the closest equivalents are “gross price” or “total charge.”

Usage: The term appears across sectors including retail, services, and healthcare. Examples: “Heildargjald fyrir þjónustuna er kr. 12.000.” In contexts involving insurance or subsidies, the heildargjald may be reduced by coverage or government aid, yielding a net payment by the consumer.

Relation to related terms: Heildargjald is distinct from nettóverð (net price) and from kostnaður (cost) in that it denotes the gross amount charged before adjustments. It is often encountered together with the gjaldskrá (pricing schedule) and other price descriptors in invoices and quotations.