Myschoolbucks - usurious fees!!!

[Anonymous]

I wanted to set up a weekly $10 recurring payment for school lunches and it looks like I will be billed a $1.95 fee each week! That is cray cray. Does anyone know if it is DCPS or Heartland that is behind this fee?

[Anonymous]

Per week, regardless of whether you make a payment that week? I'm in APS, and we have to pay a $2 fee per deposit into the account, so I just make larger deposits so I don't have to make as many and incur as many fees.

[Anonymous]

It looks like they charge the fee for every transaction, so every week or month or however often you do it. They don't disclose this anywhere on the site so it is impossible to tell.

[Anonymous]

You may be able to give a check to your school and avoid the fees. I did that with the old system, those fees offend me. We do not, however buy lunch every day. I have not figured out the new system yet but I understand that the balances were moved.

[Anonymous]

OP, just send in a check for $100 periodically. Those fees are outrageous.

[Anonymous]

Payment systems aren't free, if you don't like it use cash

[Anonymous]

They make this very clear on their website. They have to pay a percentage of every credit card transaction so the fees help pay for that. I only put money in the account twice per year. Last year, I had $25 left over so it's still in the account for this year.

[Anonymous]

The fees are specifically there to discourage small recurring payments. Make a payment that will last several months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They make this very clear on their website. They have to pay a percentage of every credit card transaction so the fees help pay for that. I only put money in the account twice per year. Last year, I had $25 left over so it's still in the account for this year.

Where? Maybe I missed that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Payment systems aren't free, if you don't like it use cash

That may be true but:

1) there may be cheaper payment systems out there
2) the fees may be used as a cash cow for the school or the payment company - not reflective of the actual cost
0r 3) the fees are a way to pass on payment processing costs that previously the school shouldered. That may be fair, but I'd like more say in how I donate money to the school. Who knows if the Myschoolbucks fees are going to help my school in particular, or to DCPS central office?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The fees are specifically there to discourage small recurring payments. Make a payment that will last several months.

If that is true, it should be spelled out and explained in advance on the website. Billing for school lunches should not be a deceptive gotcha game! I don't expect to have to have my consumer protection goggles on when I deal with my kid's school lunch, jeez.

[Anonymous]

As usual, the poor are at a disadvantage. The ones just above the free meals range who can't pay large sums into the system.

[Anonymous]

If you are paying with a credit card, the CC company charges them at least 3% so that's right off their bottom line plus some $1 per charge fee I think

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They make this very clear on their website. They have to pay a percentage of every credit card transaction so the fees help pay for that. I only put money in the account twice per year. Last year, I had $25 left over so it's still in the account for this year.

Where? Maybe I missed that.

This is interesting. I logged into my account and there seems to be a specific message at the top of the page from my county school system (Howard) saying that you are limited to a max payment of $120 with a service fee of $2.25 per transaction. I guess it was very clear for me but may not be true for other school systems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
As usual, the poor are at a disadvantage. The ones just above the free meals range who can't pay large sums into the system.

Last I heard you can use cash. I assume you want a free loan.