1. The income received by an investor who sells or "writes" an option contract to another party. 2. The current price of any specific option contract that has yet to expire. For stock options, the premium is quoted as a dollar amount per share and most contracts represent the commitment of 100 shares. Taobiz explains Option Premium 1. Investors who "write" covered calls or puts use option premiums as a source of current income in line with a broader investment strategy to hedge all or a portion of a portfolio. 2. Option prices quoted on an exchange such as the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) are considered premiums as a rule because the options themselves have no underlying value. The components of an option premium include its intrinsic value, its time value and the implied volatility of the underlying asset. As the option nears its expiration date, the time value will edge closer and closer to $0, while the intrinsic value will closely represent the difference between the underlying security's price and the strike price of the contract.