Choosing to split the cost of your season ticket might seem like the sensible option for football fans without a few hundred (or even thousand) pounds to spend in one go.
In fact, more than one fan in three (37%) said that without this type of loan they wouldn’t be able to afford a season ticket.
But an analysis by CreditKarma.co.uk, shared exclusively with Mirror Money, show some clubs are applying hefty charges to fans asking for a little help.
And with season ticket waiting lists operating at many top clubs, it can feel like you don't have an option - choosing either to give up your ticket for potentially years or pay the extra to split it.
Eight clubs in the Premier League and 11 in the Championship charge fans extra to split the cost, with "admin fees" as high as 9.2% being added to the ticket price.
Blackburn Rovers has the highest bill, at 9.2%, followed by Birmingham City (9%), Huddersfield Town (8.85%) and Cardiff City (8.7%).
In the Premier League, West Ham charged the most at 6%, followed by Aston Villa (5.95%) and Liverpool (5.25%).
Other clubs charge a fixed amount - with Spurs applying an admin fee of £129.84, for example.
A Credit Karma spokeswoman said: “Fans need to be careful when taking out a season ticket loan. Many offered by their clubs carry additional charges, which can dramatically increase the overall cost of the ticket. Fans should therefore shop around before taking out credit."
Some clubs are also credit checking fans before letting them split their bill - meaning they might not only get rejected when asking to split their ticket, but have a mark left on their credit report making it harder for them to get other loans.
But there is some good news if you're one of the fans hit by a charge - while it might feel unfair that football clubs worth billions are charging some fans extra to get hold of a season ticket, they're also charging incredibly low rates.
Chelsea, for example, charge just 3.75% to split the cost of your ticket. That adds just £28.13 to the cost of as season ticket in the Matthew Harding stand.
If you tried to take out a loan for that amount you could easily pay many times that amount - with short term loans under £1,000 frequently having rates of close to 50% adding more than £150 to the cost.
The only way to get a better rate than the clubs are offering is to either take out a 0% purchase card, which is only possible if you have a good credit rating, or to save up.
