Prestación and prestar have many different meanings in legal contexts. Prestar appears in several common expressions such as prestar consentimiento (“to consent” or “to give consent”), prestar servicios (“to provide services”), prestar juramento (“to take an oath”), prestar caución (“to post a bond”) or prestar fianza (“to post bail”). Prestación is used similarly in these same expressions: prestación de servicios (“provision of services), prestación de juramento (“taking an oath”), prestación de fianza (“posting bail”), etc.

In the law of obligations (Derecho de obligaciones), prestación refers either to “performance” owed or to a “payment” that is due, while in the context of labor law (Derecho laboral) prestación extrasalarial denotes a “fringe benefit” or “perk” afforded employees.

Prestación is likewise rendered as “benefit” when referring to protections provided through a social security system: prestación de la Seguridad Social (“social security benefit”). Common examples include, among others, prestación por desempleo (“unemployment benefit”), prestación por jubilición (“retirement benefit”), prestación por hijo a cargo (“dependent child benefit”) and prestación por accidente laboral, known as “industrial injuries disablement benefit” in the UK, but called “workers’ compensation” in the US.