How to Pay Extra EMI for Home Loan - Tips for Home Loan Borrowers

Paying extra EMI for a home loan, or prepayment, significantly reduces the principal balance and interest, shortening the loan tenure. Effective strategies include paying one extra EMI per year, increasing the EMI amount annually, or making lump sum payments from bonuses.
Home Loan
2 min
15 November 2025

Paying extra EMIs towards your home loan can be a savvy financial strategy, helping you reduce your loan tenure and save on interest payments. However, navigating the process of making additional payments efficiently requires a clear understanding of the steps involved and the potential benefits. This guide is designed to provide you with comprehensive insights into how to pay extra EMIs for your home loan, ensuring you maximise your financial resources and move closer to owning your home outright.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can effectively manage your extra EMI payments, whether through online platforms or offline methods. Understanding the impact of these additional payments on your loan tenure and interest can empower you to make informed decisions about your financial future. Moreover, leveraging the features and benefits offered by lenders like Bajaj Housing Finance Home Loan can further streamline your homeownership journey, providing you with tailored loan solutions and flexible repayment options.You might already be eligible; check your offers now by entering your mobile number and verifying it with an OTP.
 

How to pay extra EMI for your home loan?

  • If you wish to pay an additional EMI towards your home loan, you can either make a one–time part prepayment or request your lender to increase your monthly EMI permanently.
  • The most important point is to clearly tell your lender that this extra amount must go directly towards the principal, not treated as advance EMI for the coming months. This ensures you actually reduce your outstanding balance and save on interest.

Step-by-step guide

  • Check your loan terms: Go through your loan agreement to understand the rules related to part prepayments.
  • Know the charges: Floating-rate home loans usually have no prepayment penalty. Fixed-rate loans may involve a fee based on a percentage of the amount you prepay, and some may have a lock-in period.
  • Minimum payment rules: Certain lenders require a minimum prepayment amount (for example, Rs. 25,000) or may restrict how many times you can prepay in a year.
  • Contact the lender: Reach out through customer care, the bank’s online services, or by visiting the branch.
  • State your purpose clearly: Mention that the extra EMI must be adjusted towards the principal amount only.
  • Choose your payment method:
    • Online banking/app options labelled “Part Prepayment” or “Principal Reduction”
    • In-branch payment over the counter
  • Confirm the update: After paying, check your loan account to ensure your principal has reduced and request an updated repayment schedule.
  • Other helpful approaches:
    • Ask for a higher regular EMI to speed up repayment
    • Pay every two weeks to add one extra month’s worth of EMI yearly
    • Use bonuses, incentives, or other windfalls for prepayments

Benefits of paying extra EMI on home loan

Paying extra Equated Monthly Instalments (EMIs) on your home loan offers a multitude of benefits, empowering you to expedite your journey towards debt-free homeownership and unlock significant financial advantages:
 

  1. Reduced interest burden: By paying additional EMIs, you effectively reduce the outstanding principal amount of your home loan. As a result, the interest component of subsequent EMIs decreases, leading to overall interest savings over the loan tenure.
  2. Accelerated loan repayment: Paying extra EMIs enables you to expedite the repayment of your home loan. By reducing the loan tenure, you can become debt-free sooner, saving you considerable interest costs in the long run.
  3. Enhanced financial freedom: With each extra EMI payment, you inch closer to owning your home outright. Achieving debt-free homeownership provides you with enhanced financial stability and peace of mind, allowing you to allocate your resources towards other financial goals and investments.
  4. Increased equity: As you pay off your home loan faster, you build equity in your property at an accelerated pace. This increased equity can be leveraged for future financial endeavours, such as renovations, upgrades, or even additional property investments.
  5. Improved credit score: Consistently making extra EMI payments demonstrates financial discipline and responsibility, which can positively impact your credit score. A higher credit score not only strengthens your financial profile but also opens doors to better loan terms and financial opportunities in the future.
  6. Potential tax benefits: While the primary focus of paying extra EMIs is to reduce interest costs and expedite loan repayment, it's essential to note that you may also enjoy additional tax benefits. Under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, you can claim deductions on the principal repayment component of your home loan, thereby reducing your taxable income.
     

Steps to pay extra EMI for home loan

To understand how to pay extra EMI for home loan, follow these steps:
 

  1. Review your financial situation: Ensure you have sufficient surplus funds without compromising on other financial goals.
  2. Contact your lender: Discuss the process and any possible impacts or penalties.
  3. Choose the payment method: Decide whether to make payments online or offline.
  4. Make the payment: Follow through with the chosen method to pay the extra EMI.

Top Ways to Pay Extra EMI

Paying a little extra towards your EMI can help you close your loan faster and reduce the total interest burden. Even small, consistent efforts can make a big difference over time. Here are some simple ways to do it effectively:

One Extra Payment Yearly: Try paying 13 EMIs in a year instead of 12. This reduces your loan tenure and cuts down interest costs over time.

Voluntary Top-up (Part-Prepayment): Use bonuses, incentives, or unexpected income to make lump sum payments. This directly lowers your principal and future interest.

Increase Monthly EMI: Ask your lender to increase your EMI by a fixed percentage every year, especially after salary hikes.

Bi-weekly Payments: Split your EMI into two payments every two weeks. This results in one extra EMI annually.


Tips to manage extra EMI payments

  • Budget wisely: Ensure extra payments do not impact your essential expenses.
  • Set up automatic payments: Automate the extra EMI payment to avoid missing it.
  • Review periodically: Assess your financial health regularly to adjust the extra payments as needed.
     

Consider Bajaj Housing Finance Home Loan

When exploring financing options for your dream home, Bajaj Housing Finance Home Loan stands out as a reliable choice that aligns with your homeownership aspirations. With Bajaj Housing Finance, you not only gain access to competitive interest rates and flexible repayment options but also benefit from a range of value-added features designed to enhance your borrowing experience.
 

  1. Enjoy the flexibility of repayment options with extended durations up to 32 years, enabling you to choose a plan that aligns best with your financial circumstances and eases the repayment process.
  2. Embark on your journey to homeownership with appealing interest rates starting at just 7.15%* p.a., and EMIs as affordable as Rs. 687/lakh*, making it more feasible and economical to own a home.
  3. Tailor your home loan to fit your specific needs with variable loan amounts, and repayment terms, affording you enhanced control over the process of becoming a homeowner.
  4. Increase your financial versatility with a top-up loan facility that allows access to extra funds of Rs. 1 crore* or higher, complete with competitive interest rates and minimal documentation, enhancing your ability to efficiently manage a home loan balance transfer facility.
     

Apply for a home loan by visiting the Bajaj Finserv website today! To start, check your pre-approved offers by entering your mobile number and OTP.

Helpful resources and tips for home loan borrowers

What is Home LoanHome Loan DocumentsHome Loan Sanction Letter
Home Loan Processing FeesJoint Home LoanHome Loan Eligibility Criteria
Home Loan Tax BenefitsHome Loan SubsidyHousing Loan Top Up
Rural Home LoansHome Loan ProcessDown Payment for Home Loan
Pre-approved Home LoanHome Loan Tenure 


Popular calculators for your financial calculations

Home Loan CalculatorHome Loan Tax Benefit CalculatorIncome Tax Calculator
Home Loan Eligibility CalculatorHome Loan Prepayment CalculatorStamp Duty Calculator

Bajaj Finserv app for all your financial needs and goals

Trusted by 50 million+ customers in India, Bajaj Finserv App is a one-stop solution for all your financial needs and goals.

You can use the Bajaj Finserv App to:

  • Apply for loans online, such as Instant Personal Loan, Home Loan, Business Loan, Gold Loan, and more.
  • Invest in fixed deposits and mutual funds on the app.
  • Choose from multiple insurance for your health, motor and even pocket insurance, from various insurance providers.
  • Pay and manage your bills and recharges using the BBPS platform. Use Bajaj Pay and Bajaj Wallet for quick and simple money transfers and transactions.
  • Apply for Insta EMI Card and get a pre-qualified limit on the app. Explore over 1 million products on the app that can be purchased from a partner store on Easy EMIs.
  • Shop from over 100+ brand partners that offer a diverse range of products and services.
  • Use specialised tools like EMI calculators, SIP Calculators
  • Check your credit score, download loan statements and even get quick customer support—all on the app.

Download the Bajaj Finserv App today and experience the convenience of managing your finances on one app.

Do more with the Bajaj Finserv App!

UPI, Wallet, Loans, Investments, Cards, Shopping and more

Disclaimer

1. Bajaj Finance Limited (“BFL”) is a Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC) and Prepaid Payment Instrument Issuer offering financial services viz., loans, deposits, Bajaj Pay Wallet, Bajaj Pay UPI, bill payments and third-party wealth management products. The details mentioned in the respective product/ service document shall prevail in case of any inconsistency with respect to the information referring to BFL products and services on this page.

2. All other information, such as, the images, facts, statistics etc. (“information”) that are in addition to the details mentioned in the BFL’s product/ service document and which are being displayed on this page only depicts the summary of the information sourced from the public domain. The said information is neither owned by BFL nor it is to the exclusive knowledge of BFL. There may be inadvertent inaccuracies or typographical errors or delays in updating the said information. Hence, users are advised to independently exercise diligence by verifying complete information, including by consulting experts, if any. Users shall be the sole owner of the decision taken, if any, about suitability of the same.
For customer support, call Personal Loan IVR: 7757 000 000

Frequently asked questions

How does an extra EMI help?

When you pay more than your scheduled EMI, the extra amount goes directly towards reducing your principal balance. Since your loan interest is calculated on the outstanding principal, lowering it early reduces your future interest burden significantly. Over time, this results in faster loan closure and substantial savings. Even small additional payments can create a compounding effect, helping you become debt-free sooner than planned.

What is the "1 Extra EMI" rule?

The “1 Extra EMI” rule means paying one additional EMI every year apart from your regular 12 payments. This simple habit can significantly reduce your loan tenure. For example, a 20-year home loan could be reduced to around 17 years. It’s an easy and disciplined way to save on interest without drastically impacting your monthly budget.

How do I actually make the payment?

Most banks offer convenient ways to make part-prepayments through their mobile apps or net banking platforms. You simply need to choose the “prepayment” or “principal repayment” option and enter the amount. Alternatively, you can visit your bank branch and submit a cheque with clear instructions for principal prepayment. Always ensure the payment is adjusted towards the principal and not future EMIs.

Are there any "Prepayment Charges"?

For floating rate home loans, the RBI has mandated that lenders cannot charge prepayment penalties for individual borrowers. This makes it easier to pay extra without worrying about additional costs. However, for fixed rate loans, banks may charge a fee, typically around 2% to 3% of the prepaid amount. It’s always best to check your loan agreement or confirm with your lender.

Is there a minimum amount?

Yes, most banks set a minimum threshold for part-prepayments. This is usually equivalent to one EMI or a fixed amount such as Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 25,000. The exact limit varies from lender to lender. Checking your loan terms or contacting your bank will give you clarity. Planning your extra payments accordingly ensures they are accepted and processed smoothly.

Should I reduce the EMI or the tenure?

If your goal is to save money, always choose to reduce the loan tenure. Keeping your EMI constant while lowering the principal helps you repay the loan much faster and reduces total interest paid. Reducing EMI may ease your monthly burden, but it extends the loan duration and increases overall interest costs. Tenure reduction is the smarter long-term strategy.

When is the best time to pay?

The earlier you make extra payments, the greater the benefit. Loan interest is front-loaded, meaning you pay more interest in the initial years. Making a prepayment in the early stage reduces a larger portion of interest compared to doing so later. For example, a lump sum payment in Year 2 will save much more than the same amount paid in Year 15.

Can I automate extra payments?

Some lenders allow you to set up standing instructions to pay a higher EMI than required. This automates the process and ensures consistency. If automation is not available, you can plan manual payments using bonuses, incentives, or other extra income. This disciplined approach helps you regularly reduce your principal without relying on reminders.

Does it affect my tax benefits?

Yes, slightly. Paying extra towards your principal can help you fully utilise your Section 80C deduction in that year. However, since your overall interest liability reduces, your deductions under Section 24(b) may decrease in later years. While tax savings are beneficial, reducing your total interest outgo is often more financially advantageous in the long run.

Can I pay small amounts frequently?

Absolutely. Many borrowers follow the “round-up” method, where they pay slightly more than their EMI every month. For example, if your EMI is Rs. 27,400, you can round it up to Rs. 30,000. These small, consistent additions gradually reduce your principal and shorten your loan tenure. It’s a simple and effective strategy that doesn’t strain your finances.

Show More Show Less