What is the purpose of a Purchase Option?

• A. To provide the lessee with the option to acquire ownership of the equipment at the end of the lease term.
• B. To set the early termination fee.
• C. To govern maintenance responsibilities during the term.
• D. To specify the insurance requirements.

Answer: (A)

The purpose of a purchase option is to give the lessee the right to acquire ownership of the equipment at the end of the lease term for a predetermined price. This creates a potential path to ownership if the asset still fits the lessee’s needs or if the all-in cost of leasing plus the option price makes buying attractive. The option price is usually fixed or linked by a simple formula, and in some cases is a bargain purchase option designed to encourage exercising the purchase. Other lease terms handle things like early termination penalties, maintenance responsibilities, or insurance requirements, not the end-of-term purchase choice. So the purchase option is specifically about providing that end-of-lease option to own the equipment.