As part of our commitment to help organizations streamline their operations, CampDoc/SchoolDoc is introducing the option to include a convenience fee. This feature empowers organizations to manage costs more effectively while maintaining a seamless and transparent payment experience for families.
Important: Convenience fees must adhere to rules set by state and federal laws, and card association rules and regulations. As convenience fees vary by state, we strongly recommend reviewing your state’s laws regarding convenience fees.
Please note that convenience fees through the CampDoc / SchoolDoc registration system are only available to organizations using our registration system. If you are interested in more effectively handling your registration process and payment processing, please reach out to your Client Success Manager.
In this article:
Overview
Convenience fees are additional charges applied during a transaction when participants use specific payment methods. For example, when families make payments for registration, tuition, or other services through your organization’s CampDoc or SchoolDoc account, a small fee can be added for payments made by credit card or ACH.
This feature allows your organization to apply a convenience fee based on the participant’s chosen payment type (Credit Card or ACH). You have the option to select a variable rate (%) or flat fee, or a combination of both, to pass on to participants. Your Client Success Team will work with you to set up convenience fee rates in your account.
On the participant side, families will see a clear breakdown of their payment, including the convenience fee. They are notified up-front of convenience fees during the registration process, including in the event they choose to set up a payment plan or make a donation. Additionally, they are given itemization of payment breakdown in their participant’s Account tab for full transparency.
Convenience Fee Options for Organizations
Your organization has the option to charge a full fee, share the cost with participants and families, or charge a flat fee, offering flexibility to match your organization's needs. See below for more information about each convenience fee option.
|
Convenience Fee Option |
Description |
| Full Amount | Include a full convenience fee for all electronic payments. |
| Shared Cost | Keep fees manageable for participants by including a partial convenience fee. |
| Credit Card Only | Encourage families to use ACH for cost-effective payments. Implement a convenience fee for credit card payments only. |
| Flat Fee | Charge a one-time fee annually rather than per transaction, offering simplicity for both your camp and families. |
Important: Processing fees are calculated based on the total transaction, including the convenience fee. Convenience fees are calculated based on the total amount charged to the participant.
Please see the example below:
| Camp Maple Leaf Session 1 Tuition | $100.00 |
| Payment Method accepted | Credit Card |
| Convenience Fee | 3.95% (variable rate %) + $0.30 (flat fee) = $4.25 |
| Total Participant Pays | $100.00 + $4.25 = $104.25 |
| Processing Fee | (3.95% of $104.25) + $0.30 = $4.41 |
For Participants
Whether your organization decides to charge a full fee for all electronic payments or share the cost with participants and families, you can rest assured that their registration and payment processing experience will be met with complete transparency. Please note that convenience fees account for any add-ons, coupons, and donations.
In their Participant Portal, participants and families will be notified up-front of convenience fees in two primary areas of the application:
- Registration
- Account
Registration
As part of their registration process, participants and families will have the following options:
- Register and pay in full with convenience fees
- Register and pay partially with convenience fees
- Set up a payment plan that includes convenience fees per payment
Regardless of the option, they will be notified up-front of convenience fees. The estimated convenience fees will automatically adjust based on payment method. Additionally, the fees will adjust if sessions are no longer available, or if a participant gets on a waitlist list for a session.
Account
Once participants are registered for session(s), the information in their Account tab will reflect the incurred convenience fees. Specifically, participants and families will be able to view the convenience fees in the following areas:
- Itemization of payment breakdown in main Account tab, including the ability to search/filter by date
- When setting up a payment plan that includes convenience fees per payment
- When making a payment or donation
- When printing or exporting the Account History
For Providers
Charging convenience fees gives organizations greater flexibility and control over registration costs. From the Provider Portal, you can continue to manage participant registrations and payments, and see where convenience fees are applied.
In your Provider Portal, convenience fees will be reflected in two areas of the application:
- Participant Account Tab
- Financial Ledgers
Participant Account Tab
When you make an electronic payment in a participant’s Account tab, convenience fees will be applied and adjusted based on the payment method selected (credit card or ACH). Additionally, you can search/filter for convenience fees by date, and export the Account tab to a PDF or CSV file format to view all line items, including any convenience fees that were applied. When setting up a payment plan for a participant, a convenience fee is included per payment.
Note: Our system will automatically apply a default General Ledger (GL) Code to convenience fees (DEFAULT-CONVENIENCE FEE).
Financial Ledgers
With this feature, you can view a clear breakdown of payments and their respective convenience fees in your Participant Ledger Exports. These exports reflect the correct convenience fee amount associated with each payment.
Best Practices
We understand the importance and sensitivity of financial matters, and we are committed to ensuring the clarity, efficiency, and transparency for both organizations and the participants and families you serve.
We recommend the following payment management best practices when implementing this feature:
- Determine the appropriate convenience fee for your organization, whether it be designed to share with participants and families, or include a full fee for all electronic payments.
- Streamline payment tracking and processes by encouraging electronic payments and reducing reliance on cash or checks.
- Communicate proactively with participants and families if you are planning to include convenience fees. For example, you can add custom text via our Branding feature on the Participant Portal’s Registration page, or we can add an authorization to the registration process to share the types of payments you currently accept, the use of convenience fees, and any cancellation or refund policies.