fee vs payment

fee

noun
  • An additional monetary payment charged for a service or good that is minor compared to the underlying cost. 

  • A right to the use of a superior's land as a stipend for certain services to be performed, typically military service. 

  • Synonym of fief: the land so held. 

  • An inheritable estate in land, whether absolute and without limitation to potential heirs (fee simple) or with limitations to particular kinds of heirs (fee tail). 

  • An inheritable estate in land held of a feudal lord on condition of performance of certain services, typically military service. 

verb
  • To reward for services performed, or to be performed; to recompense; to hire or keep in hire; hence, to bribe. 

payment

noun
  • Antonyms: non-payment, nonpayment 

  • An instance of that act; a sum of money paid in exchange for goods or services, or the transaction that conveys it. 

  • The act of paying. 

How often have the words fee and payment occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )