Tuition Express
Billing software for childcare centers and preschools
4,9 /5 (151 reviews) Write a Review!
Fast and easy way to collect and track payments.
Pros
We like how simple it is to set up , track and collect payment from parents. Clients can use a credit card by swiping it at the front desk, or can pay online with credit card or directly from their checking or savings account. It provides a print-out for on-sit users and sends an email to online users. An automatic withdrawal can easily be programed for client who provide account information that is not stored onsite.
Cons
Some people are reluctant to use automatic withdrawals from their accounts. It does charge clients a small fee for credit card use, but any system does that.
Great software
The benefits we’ve realized by using TE is that we get emails to see when payments are made before they even post to the account. This allows us to better budget when payments are coming in.
Pros
The best thing I like most about TE is the convenience of processing tuition payments along with electronic deposits of online payments.
Cons
The least thing I enjoy is the extra processing fees charged regardless of the amount of business you process.
Valuable tool for payment processing
It isn't the cheapest but it makes up for the cost in the time you save by not having to manually input payments to the ProCare accounts. You can only book out charges two weeks in advance which is good and bad. I have no plans on ever switching as we are huge fans of ProCare and Tuition Express is a valuable feature that supports that program.
Pros
This software keeps us organized with payments and integrates with ProCare software so payments get posted directly into the parent accounts. If you have the ProCare software then Tuition Express is a must. It is a huge time saver.
Cons
It isn't easy to refund families if an overcharge occurs. We find it easer to just write them a check or post a credit to their account. This hasn't been too problematic but is a feature I would like addressed some day.
An easy to use billing software
overall it is a good platform for billing and payments.
Pros
It has an excellent quality that allows the users to save time and man power. and it is also easy to access the software remotely.
Cons
the turnover time or feedback corresponding to the transactions is very late...even it takes more than 48 hours sometime.
Easy tuition processing
It is well worth the savings in time it would take counting checks and cash, making bank deposits etc
Pros
I like how easy and convenient Tuition express is. It is almost effortless to collect tuition electronically.
Cons
Some credit card processing fees are really high. Some are upwards of 10%. Most are between 2-5%. Wish there was. Way to know what the fee is before running a card.
Response from Procare Software
Hi Lenka, thank you so much for your feedback! We are so happy to hear that Tuition Express has made collecting child care payments almost effortless. The Procare Payments team would be happy to do a rate review with you to go through acceptance strategies that can help reduce processing fees. Someone from our team will be in touch. Thank you!
Made my job easier
Overall, the benefits definitely outweigh the con. Since we had more than half our parents enrolled in automatic withdraws through TuitionExpress, it greatly decrease the beginning of the month rush of parents paying their bills.
Pros
As a former childcare director, I love that Tuition Express can be set up to automatically withdraw from a parent's account. In the day and age of convenience, it's nice for parents to have one less payment to have to remember to pay. The best part: their bill gets paid!
I also like that I have the option of parents paying in person if they prefer. Being able to swipe their card using the card reader is handy and saves me time so I don't have to manually type in card numbers.
Cons
We did have the system glitch on the office manager one time. She was trying to charge a customized amount rather than the whole balance and the customer ended up getting charge for the full balance due to this glitch-the screen went black for half a second. (It's hard to say if that was the internet or the software however)
Unfortunately, there isn't a way to add the balance back onto the account so our company owner could only reimburse the customer via a check.
Tuition Express
AMAZING! We would have remind the same families to pay their tuition weekly and now it is all collected automatically.
Pros
Tuition Express has made the office more efficient. There is less time spent collecting outstanding tuition balances. The parents have access to their account information around the clock!
Cons
Nothing! I can not think of anything negative about the program. Its easy to set up and easy to use!
Tuition Express works wonders!
My experience has been great, so far!
Pros
I like the fact that you can do multiple billing cycles and that you can go in and make changes to a payment as long as it has not posted yet.
Cons
The fact that you can only take up to $3,000 at one time for families. I sometimes have to do 2 transactions for families that have more than one child for a 5 week month due to it exceeding the $3,000 limit.
Response from Procare Software
Jody - We're so glad to hear that Tuition Express works wonders for your center and that you enjoy the flexibility of multiple billing cycles. It's true there are limits to the amount you can draft in a single transaction for one family as a protection to both the parents and the center. The good news is parents can pay any amount they choose when they initiate the payment themselves either online or at a check-in computer.
Our rep Needs a Raise!
Tech Support was awesome. Great personality. Made my call enjoyable. If our rep ever ceases to work for you, I'd hire him.
Pros
It helps me to run multiple businesses and locations.
Cons
Sometimes the Cloud doesn't connect. Also, when I am at multiple locations, I have to hope I remembered to log out at my last location or I am stuck.
Receivables tool
Overall our experience has been great.
Pros
This software makes it very easy to process payments. Clients are able to log in and process their own payment as well.
Cons
Clients have the availability to change the date the payment comes out.
Response from Procare Software
Hi Heather, thank you for the review! We are happy to hear the software and payments platform is working well for you.
We use Tuition Express to process our weekly income and love it!
Pros
Tuition Express saves time and man hours. It is flawless in helping us acquire payment from each of our families. The creators and software managers at T.E. really know the world of Learning Centers and have created and maintain an effective tool for helping us charge for enrollment, registration, weekly tuition and other miscellaneous charges in a manner that is time effective and thorough. The customer service is top notch!
Cons
The turnover time involved in notifying us of a decline could be more immediate. We are not notified until two days after posting.
Response from Procare Software
Lori - We're glad to hear that Tuition Express saves you so much time and that working with our customer service has been such a positive experience for you. As to notifications on declined payments, it depends on the type of payment and the bank. With credit cards, you are notified immediately for Point of Sale transactions and same day for failed batch payments; however, for ACH transactions some banks report more quickly than others. You are notified about declines as soon as we receive a confirmation from the parent¿s bank. Also, sometimes the notifications are sent to the owner of the center, rather than the person who is responsible for making sure everything is reconciled--that¿s something we can easily remedy.
Great Software, very difficult to get customer support
Over all, I will continue to use Tuition Express.
Pros
Tuition Express provides seamless interaction between Procare and billing. The system is easy for my staff and our parents to use. As a business owner, it is great to be able to access the software remotely via the cloud. In addition, the reports are easy to pull and easy to understand.
Cons
I don't have a con about the software. However, it is nearly impossible to get customer support. There are always long wait times on the phone and when you opt to leave a message for an agent to call you back it is typically and hour or more before someone returns your call.
Response from Procare Software
Jennifer - We're glad to hear how easy Tuition Express is for your staff and parents to use. We're sorry you've found it challenging to reach support. Hold times do vary and it can often be easier to get through early in the morning or later in the afternoon. Tuition Express Support is available from 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific. If your question is Procare-related you also have the option of calling our main Tech Support number or submitting a question online. Hope that helps. See: http://procaresupport.com/contact-procare-support/
Tuition Express works as Advertised
Tuition Express works as advertised for sure, however, understanding all the charges, fees and credit limits configured in the program could be presented in a clearer format. For example, a mere matrix explaining the different fees for ACH vs. al the different types of incentive credit cards has been a hard and expensive lesson for us as we watched all the HIGH fees drawn from our revenue stream. All this should be in a 3 page slide presentation given by the on-site Procare/Tuition Express systems engineer.
Pros
Tuition Express works as advertised and has very knowledgeable technical support of the product
Cons
Procare software's model for rolling out their products (Procare & Tuition Express) doesn't work. Merely phone support when standing up a brand new system was unbearable. Having an on-site roll-out person would have saved HUNDREDS of hours of WAITING on HOLD to have questions answered. In our case for example, we choose to go with a Cloud based solution and multiple Touch stations. Wow. So many pieces to figure out ranging in scope from H/W installation and configuration to being frustrated the KES system doesn't interface to the Procare database. One day's on-site Procare system Engineer would have saved this organization a VERY LARGE amount of time, effort and frustration.
Fast, Professional, Easy-to-Understand
Wonderful experience with my customer service representative- or should I say expert. My questions were addressed with ease and I was even given tips and advice to make my navigation with the software even easier than it was before.
Pros
I love that Tuition Express is overall self-explanatory and easy to get used to. It’s a plus that their customer service is excellent and makes me feel confident that any issues or questions our center comes upon will be solved almost immediately.
Cons
If I had to choose anything to not love about the software is the small hiccups our center comes across when we need to update the system. Sometimes the “Update” button pops up even after we have updated already. It’s a simple click to get it to go away and thankfully it does not interrupt the program or any tasks we have to complete.
Response from Procare Software
Jessie - We're glad you've had such a wonderful experience both in using Tuition Express and with the team that supports it and offers advice. The issue with the "Update" button coming up on screen was a very short-term event and has been resolved. Thanks for letting us know.
Rare Deposits
Most of all, I am not posting payments, writing out deposits, driving to bank all the time, which gives me extra time for other responsibilities. I love the fact that the receipts are emailed, it saves on paper. My parents LOVE the emailed receipts, how fast they can check out their children, swipe their card, and be done!
Pros
I rarely make deposits any more. At first we had only a few parents sign up for Tuition express, but now I only have maybe 2 payments a week that I need to deposit. Sometimes we go a week to 2 weeks without a payment by check or cash. It gives me time to focus on other things.
Cons
Well, sometimes a parent needs a specific receipt or letter with our letterhead having specific information listed for their work childcare account. It can take some time getting that put together, but mostly because It isn't something I do over and over.
Grear ROI
Overall, my experience with Tuition Express has been positive. The customer service has been excellent as well as the product and results.
Pros
Tuition Express is easy to use and provides a great ROI! It helped our early care and education centers ensure that tuition was billed on time, the correct tuition amount was billed, that tuition was collected on time, and that proper late fees and discounts were assessed. This made budgeting and auditing so much easier. Parents appreciated the convenience of being able to make tuition payments with a credit card and being able to pay remotely.
Cons
What I like least about Tuition Express is the credit card processing/service fees that we are charged because Tuition Express is proprietary; it is expensive! We are a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) and our board of directors and auditors closely watch how much money is spent on processing tuition payments. As a non-profit, our funds are limited and are service directed.
Tuition Express Review
Accounts Receivables are so much easier with the online pay options and the pay at the check-in station. Overall experience with Tuition Express would be a 5 star.
Pros
It is user-friendly and very easy to move around within the program. Customer service is great! Every time I have to call it is a quick and easy fix.
Cons
The one thing that I dislike about the software is that in the beginning, I made a few mistakes that I can't correct due to money being attached. I have several open accounts that are duplicated because of this.
Response from Procare Software
Gigi - We're so glad you find Tuition Express and Procare user friendly and easy to get around in. As to removing accounts that have financial transactions, you typically will just make their balance zero and mark them as a hidden account. Note: you may eventually remove them, once you're ready to purge old accounting entries from all your accounts. See how to remove/delete a family: http://procaresupport.com/remove-delete-a-family/
Easy to Use
We are still learning about Tuition Express with Credit Card Options and am sure are not using it to the fullest extent. So far it has been pretty easy to use and parents are overall satisfied. There do seem to be some kinks here and there, like one credit card kept getting billed months later even after the child had been changed to withdrawn and had no activities in the billing box. If those can get worked out, it would be wonderful!
Pros
Tuition Express is easy to use. It has been time saving in collecting payments.
Cons
We did not realize that our center would be charged 3-3.5% in Merchant Fees when average is about 2%. If Tuition Express had a way of estimating that better during the sales process, we would have better accounted for the cost increase.
Response from Procare Software
Veronica - We're glad you've found Tuition Express easy to use and a time-saver. As to rates, they vary based on the type of transaction (batch processing versus point-of-sale) and the types of cards people use. We'll have one of our consultants get in touch with you to consider the best strategies for your situation. And, regarding withdrawn children, as long as the family still owes you money batch payments will continue to be made; however, you may disable processing for that account if appropriate. You may also opt to allow the parent to pay on their own through MyProcare (the parent portal).
Childcare Manager Best Friend
When I called about the program I did not think I would be affordable. My sale rep. (shelly) was great and told me she could make it affordable and step up payments. If I have a problem I call up support the walk me thought step by step, log on my computer, and talk there time to help me with what ever I need. My parents love that they can go on line and pay or use there credit card at the school. Not only is the program GREAT but the staff is GREAT to I have never had a bad experience yet and it has been 2 1/2 years now.
Pros
Everything. Able to work away from the office, does everything I need for report, billing, shots updates, parent check in, sign-in sheets, to taxes.
Cons
nothing love everthing
Simple To Use
This software is easy to use for both center and families, but does have a couple minor issues.
Pros
This software allows our families to make payments on their accounts online. It is very user friendly and easy to use and set up.
Cons
It doesn't allow parents to use American Express or Discover as advertised. It also won't let parents see the entire billing charges line by line.
Response from Procare Software
Crystal - We're so glad you and the families find Tuition Express simple to use and an easy way for parents to pay online. As to using AmEx or Discover, those are options the center can choose to allow. Our Tuition Express support team can help you with that at (888) 419-5033. Also, parents can indeed see their billing charges line by line through the MyProcare parent portal --either clicking 'View Account Ledger' or going to `Reports¿.
Tuition Express
Tuition Express makes our billing and collection process go much quicker and with more accuracy and consistency. Employee time delegated to making bank deposits has been reduced because of the reports we can generate in Procare.
Pros
I love the way the entire TE system integrates with Procare; this makes it easy to bill accounts, process payments, and do returns which are automatically added to each account ledger.
Cons
Sometimes I feel I have to click too many buttons to find the one I want; buried in layers. However, I understand that to have the integration I love and to be able to run the reports I need, this is necessary. Also, Procare/TE provide extremely clear instructions when you need to look something up. Customer support is the best!
Happy Customer
This is a good addition to existing Software.
Pros
The frequently used features are easy to use. The software provides excellent nonfictions to the customers and the client. Also has several reports that are easy to access and review.
Cons
The refund process and the documentation process for denials is too difficult to perform without technical support.
Navigating different screens
Anytime we call they are extremely helpful and explain everything. They usually call back in a timely fashion.
Pros
There usually is a way to correct errors
Cons
Don't like that you get locked out of lines in the ledger
Response from Procare Software
Lucille - We're glad you find the support team so helpful. As to having locked lines in the ledger, you may be referencing one of two things both of which you have control over. First, it could be you want to be able to post a date farther in the past or future. To do so see: http://procaresupport.com/how-can-i-post-past-or-future-dates-on-the-ledger-card/. Second, you may be referring payments that have a lock icon because they have been closed in a deposit report. If it's a cash or check payment you can unlock the item, see: http://procaresupport.com/deposit-correction-unlock-ledger-card/. Hope that helps!
Game Changer!
Fantastic experience using Tuition Express. CSR continues to deliver excellent service each and every time. He highlights all the features and benefits that our business has overlooked which provides a value based perspective to what we have purchased. Keep up the great work CSR!
Pros
Ease of use.
Cloud service.
Parent portal
Cons
The only thing that will bring this great software together will be a mobile app for providers and parents alike.
Response from Procare Software
Javier - We're so pleased you've had such a fantastic experience with Tuition Express. Our MyProcare parent portal can run on any device: phone, tablet, desktop--and you can enhance parent engagement even further with Procare's KidReports which includes apps for parents and teachers! See: https://www.procaresoftware.com/products-and-services/services/kidreports/
Overall great product
Generally a great tool. Wonderful for keeping track of students and staff.
Pros
It's relatively user friendly. The fingerprint log-in is great.
Cons
It has so many functions that it can get confusing or difficult to find things because they aren't in the user manual.
Response from Procare Software
Amy - We're glad you're so happy with the fingerprint check-in option for parents and staff. As to the many functions available in Procare, we do strive to make it fully featured while also keeping it easy to use. It's true the printed manual does not cover every possible topic (it's meant to help you get started), but you'll find every feature meticulously covered (often with a short video clip) at ProcareSupport.com. Just click the question mark on any Procare screen to go to the appropriate online article.
This program has helped us collect weekly fees much easier, and it has cut down the late payments we were plagued with. Many families appreciate the ease of use and email receipts.