If your center has passed along processing fees, then this article will give a little explanation as to why a center may choose to do so with their families.

Fees are part of daily life, whether it is realized or not. Child Care Centers are not exempt from them. Child Care Centers have many fees they pay to keep the center clean, safe, happy, and stable.  From the fuel surcharge many centers get charged for food delivery to the fee to receive a paper bill/statement in the mail, these fees are everywhere.  

When centers choose to accept credit/debit card payments, as well as ACH transactions, there are associated fees, just the same as bigger retailers. To keep costs down for families overall, and to keep the convenience of being able to run a card for payment or to have an ACH transaction, passing along the fees to families is becoming more of a standard that centers are adopting, and centers are making this choice every day. When centers choose to pass along the fees to families, they do this for many reasons, as an example it may be to help keep tuition from rising and to keep center operations at the same standard parents have come to expect.  

Communication is imperative when centers choose to have families pay the processing fees, and informing families on exactly how much you will be charged for credit card payments and or ACH transactions ahead of time is key. This way, everyone is on the same page and there are no surprises when it comes to the time to pay. If possible, they may offer alternative payment options.