Like most businesses engaging in transactions, preschool and childcare centers may encounter disagreements with families regarding tuition payments. These disagreements are typically the result of missed communication or an unintentional mistake caused by human error. This article lays out approaches to help families avoid these situations and resolve them quickly if they do occur.
How to avoid payment disagreements:
Talk to your school. If you’re worried about making a payment or if you disagree with a certain policy, the best place to start is with a conversation. We have seen many of the schools we work with go out of their way to support their families. Talk to your school often and early.
Double-check before you submit any payments: 1) Ensure you or a spouse haven’t already paid, 2) Make sure there aren’t extra zeroes, and 3) Make sure you selected the correct payment source. If autopay is On, make sure your automatic payment will be charged to the proper account, 4) Check any processing fees - if there is a high credit card fee, consider switching to direct bank transfers for payments.
Submit a support request with brightwheel. We are here to help you! We can take a look at your account and your school’s account and let you know if a charge seems accidental. We can also let you know the status of any payment or help explain dates of service, autopay, or other aspects of a charge/payment that might be confusing. We will work with you to make sure you fully understand what is going on and whether or not there is an issue.
If you accidentally submitted a payment and the status is now “pending” you should let your school know & then wait for the payment to complete. Once you submit a payment and it is pending, there is no way for brightwheel or your school to stop it. After the payment has cleared, your school can refund it.
What to do if there is a payment disagreement:
Talk to your school. Your school is going to need to be involved to help sort out any disagreements. They also likely have a significant interest in working with you to come to a good resolution. Share your situation or concerns with the school and be clear about what a successful outcome would look like for you.
Submit a support request with brightwheel. If there is a problem, we can talk you through your options - what we can do, what your school can do, and what you can do if that’s not enough. We will even help you reach out to your school so we can all work together until the issue is resolved.