Deferred interest
Deferred interest is a promotion, common on store cards, where interest builds up quietly and is charged back to the purchase date if the balance isn't paid in full by the end of the promotion.
Offers read "no interest if paid in full in 12 months". Pay off every dollar in time and you owe no interest; miss by a dollar and all the interest since the purchase is added at once.
A true 0% intro APR never charges interest for the promotional months, even if a balance remains when it ends.
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Related terms
Sources: CFPB: Regulation Z, 12 CFR 1026.16 · CFPB: Regulation Z, 12 CFR 1026.7