Flux gives private schools recurring billing for tuition, hosted fields for enrollment, and one integration for cards and ACH so families can choose.
Why private schools choose Flux
Recurring tuition
Bill tuition and fees automatically instead of chasing checks.
ACH for big balances
Route larger tuition payments over ACH to keep the cost down.
Trustworthy checkout
Hosted fields keep family card data off your systems.
How private schools get paid
Private Schools run tuition on recurring billing, take enrollment deposits by card, and accept ACH for larger balances, all through Flux.
A typical Flux setup for private schools
Tuition is the anchor, and most families want it broken into a 10-month plan rather than one annual charge. ACH is the natural rail for those drafts because the tickets are large, and it settles in 1-3 business days. Enrollment deposits and re-enrollment fees usually arrive by card in the January to March season, since families want instant confirmation that a seat is held. Cards settle in 1-2 business days.
Everything around tuition runs smaller and faster: aftercare, lunch accounts, athletics fees, field trips, and uniform sales, mostly card on file so the business office is not chasing checks. Annual fund gifts and auction payments can run through the same account, keeping donor records clean. The QuickBooks sync matters here because a school tracks tuition, fees, and gifts in separate ledgers, and the flat 2.9 percent plus 30 cents applies across all of it.
What private schools should watch
The risk profile is unusual: chargebacks are rare, but a single failed payment is a month of tuition, not a forgotten subscription. ACH returns surface in days, not instantly, so the business office should treat a draft as pending until it clears. Mid-year withdrawals are the other pressure point. Publish the proration and deposit policy in the enrollment contract, because a refund argument in April goes much better when the family signed the terms in March.
Some schools want families who insist on cards to carry the card cost. Flux supports consumer pass-through where local surcharging rules allow it, and tuition is exactly the ticket size where that choice matters, so check your state's rules before enabling it. On the compliance side, stored family cards never touch your servers: hosted fields run in origin-isolated iframes under SAQ-D Level 2 PCI DSS, which keeps the school's audit surface small.
Simple, transparent pricing
Flux charges a flat 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction, with volume discounts for higher-volume private schools and the option to pass the fee to the customer at checkout where local surcharging rules allow. No setup fees and no contracts. Accounts processing under $100,000 a year in card volume may be subject to a $20 monthly account fee.
Frequently asked questions
How do private schools accept payments with Flux?
Private Schools accept credit and debit cards, ACH bank transfers, and stablecoins through one Flux integration, with drop-in hosted fields that keep card data off your own systems.
What does Flux charge private schools?
A flat 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction, with volume discounts for higher-volume merchants and no setup fees or contracts. Accounts processing under $100,000 a year in card volume may be subject to a $20 monthly account fee. You can also pass the processing fee to the customer at checkout where local surcharging rules allow.
How fast do private schools get their money?
Card payments settle in one to two business days and ACH in one to three business days. Stablecoin payments go to your wallet instantly.
Can families pay tuition on a 10-month plan instead of all at once?
Yes. Set up a recurring plan and each installment drafts automatically, with ACH as the usual rail for larger amounts. The plan can start and end on your school calendar, so billing stops cleanly in June.
Should we steer tuition to ACH instead of cards?
Many schools do for the core tuition plan, since ACH suits large recurring drafts and settles in 1-3 business days. Cards still make sense for deposits, incidentals, and giving, where families value instant confirmation. Flux runs both from the same account.
Can we pass the card fee to parents who choose to pay tuition by card?
Where local surcharging rules allow it, yes: Flux supports a consumer pass-through option. You would disclose it at checkout and leave ACH as an unsurcharged path. Check your state's rules first, since surcharging tuition is regulated at the state level.
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