Free of charge

Free of charge, at no charge, at no cost, complimentary, gratis, and the like are phrases or terms used to indicate that a thing for which a monetary cost is normally assessed is being provided without any payment being required.

Such expressions are commonly used in commerce and public administration to indicate that no payment is required from the immediate recipient. However, the adage that there is "no such thing as a free lunch" reflects the economic principle that resources used to provide a good or service must ultimately be supplied by someone. Even where the recipient pays nothing directly, circumstances may result in a cost being imposed on the recipient at some future point.