Step 3: Manage your Fees (Tuition)

Welcome to Step 3 of your Kangarootime onboarding journey! In this step, you'll learn how to set up and manage your fee structure, including tuition, early drop-off / late pick-up fees, and billing cycle set-up.

📋 Prerequisites

Before starting this step, make sure you have completed:

🎯 What You'll Accomplish

By the end of this step, you'll have:

✅ Created a comprehensive fee structure
✅ Set up tuition rates for different programs
✅ Configured payment schedules and billing cycles
✅ Set up late fees and payment policies

📚 Fee Management Overview

Managing fees in KangarooTime involves setting up a flexible pricing structure that can accommodate various programs offered by your business.

Key Concepts:

Tuition: Regular recurring payments for ongoing programs
Payment Schedules: How often parents pay (quarterly, monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly)
Discounts: Family discounts, sibling discounts, early payment discounts
Late Payment Fees: Penalties for overdue payments
Early Drop-off /Late Pick-up Fees: What parents are charged (per child) when they drop off early or pick up late

🚀 Getting Started

1. Navigate to Fee Management

From your dashboard, click on the Billing tab located in the main navigation
Select Fees

2. Create or Manage Existing Fees

Establish your core tuition rates:

Creating a New Fee
1. Click the + Add Fee button
2. Name the Fee (Infant, Toddler, Before School)
3. Assign a Center Level tag(s) to the fee (choose all of the tags that you have assigned to your school profiles that this tuition should be involved in)
4. Select the Fee Type and Structure
  1. Session Fee - The tuition is calculated as a daily charge rate. Flat Rate Fee - The tuition is calculated for a particular time period based on your billing cycle, i.e. Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly, and Quarterly. Per Week - The tuition is calculated on a weekly service period (Sunday to Saturday). Per Month - The tuition is calculated on a monthly service period (August 1st - 31st).
  2. Single Session Fee Structure - This fee will charge per individual session.

Session - Number of Days Fee Structure - This fee applies with a sliding scale based on the amount of scheduled sessions.

Single Flat Rate Fee Structure - This fee will charge this amount no matter how many days a child is scheduled.

Flat Rate Number of Days - This fee applies on a sliding scale based on the amount of scheduled days.

1. Set the Start and End times for the tuition fee
  1. Please Note: These are the times your Early Drop-off and Late Pick-up fees will respect
2. Set the Cost
3. (Optional) Set the Early Drop-off or Late Pick up Fees
  1. Set the Max Amount for the Early Drop-off fee, and/or the Late Pick-Up fee.
  2. Add rules to either section by clicking the +Add Rule link.*
  3. Set the timeframe you would like to begin charging based on the fee start and end times.**
  4. Once rules are set for Early Drop-off fees, Late Pick-up fees, or both - click the Save button.

*Multiple rules may be added to each fee type, but their set timeframe must not overlap.

For example, I can set a late pick-up fee that will charge a child a maximum of $75.00 - which means that the child will not be charged no more than $75.00 no matter how late they are picked-up. If no maximum price is set, then the system will respect the rules and charge down to the minute. Then, I can set my grace period to allow families not to be charged right after my fee end time - meaning that if my fee ends at 5:00 PM, and my grace period is set to 5 minutes, then charges will not begin until 5:06 PM. Then, I can set the rules to respect a $1.00 charge per minute for the first thirty minutes and then increase the rate to a $2.00 charge per minute for the following thirty minutes. Those set rules will charge a $20.00 total when a child is picked up at 5:25 PM (factor in the 5-minute grace period) and will charge a $55.00 total when a child is picked up at 5:45 PM (5-minute grace period + $1.00 per minute up until 5:30 (($25.00)) and then $2.00 per minute charge up until 6:00 PM (($30.00)).

Click the Save button

Manage an Existing Fee

Click on the Default Per Week Fee option
Select the Plus button located in the Schedule column
Select the date you would like to have these new changes take place
Enter in changes
Click the Save button

3. Configure Billing Cycles

(Need Definition....)

Navigate to the Billing Cycles configuration page:
1. While under the Billing tab > Click into the Settings sub-tab
2. Click the Cycles Tab
Create a Billing Cycle(s)
1. Complete the billing cycle prompt by selecting the following
  1. Families will be billed (in advance, arrears, or current)
  2. Payments are due (Weekly, Bi-weekly, Monthly, Quarterly) + day of the week
  3. A bill will be sent out (1-6 Days, Weeks, Months) before the payment due date
  4. If a bill is unpaid (enter days amount) after the due date, a late fee will be charged (enter cost).
2. Click the Save button
  1. Name the Billing cycle
  2. Save the Billing cycle to the entire business or to specific school locations
3. Click the Save button
Manage Existing Billing Cycles
1. Locate the Billing cycle you wish to manage
2. Click the three-dot action button
  1. Select View Info to view the details
  2. Select Edit to make changes
  3. Select Delete to remove it
Assign a Billing Cycle to your Enrollment Process
1. Click into the Configuration tab located on the navigation menu
2. Click Center Profiles
3. Select the School you wish to manage
4. Select the Billing tab
5. Set the Billing cycle(s) for the enrollment form
6. Set a Default Billing cycle for the school
7. Click the Save button

🎥 Video Tutorial

Play Video Tutorial (opens in a new tab)

🆘 Need Help?

If you encounter any issues while setting up your fees:

Check the Documentation: Review our detailed guides in the help section
1. How to Create and Manage Fees – Kangarootime (K2)
2. How to Set Up a Billing Cycle – Kangarootime (K2)
Schedule a Call: Book a one-on-one session with our experts

✅ Verification Checklist

Before moving to the next step, verify you have:

Created base tuition rates for all programs
Configured payment schedules and due dates
Configured late fee policies

🎉 Great Job!

You've successfully set up your fee management system! This foundation will ensure smooth billing operations and clear expectations for families.

What's Next?

Step 4: Create a Class → - Learn how to create classes within your School(s)

Step 2: Manage Your School(s)Step 4: Configure Your Classes