Can a loan that charges a fee of any kind be considered a "simple interest" loan?

My understanding of a simple interest loan is that it is one that charges only interest and principal. There are no fees involved and repayment is only of principal and interest.

If a customer is charged a fee that is spread out over the life of the loan, then that loan is not a simple interest loan, and an APR is disclosed in the paperwork.

Am I thinking this through correctly? I’ve been in banking for a while now and this is what I remember being taught. I’ve been proofreading a document and I think they have the definition wrong.