Convenience Fee

What are convenience fees and surcharges?

Overview

In Jumbula, convenience fees and surcharges both add costs to the base program price, but they serve different purposes and apply under different conditions. Understanding the difference helps with accurate billing and clear communication with families.

Who is involved

  1. Administrators: Admins can enable, disable, and configure fees.
  2. Registrants/Families: Families see these fees as separate line items during checkout and on receipts.

Convenience fee

  • Applies to: Online payment methods only (credit/debit card, PayPal, ACH/eCheck)

  • Purpose: Covers payment processing costs

  • Offline payments: Not applied

  • How it works: Applicable fee is automatically added when an eligible payment method is selected


Quote
Calculation example:
Program Price: $100
Convenience Fee: $3
  1. Total if paying online: $103
  2. Total if paying by cash/check: $100

Surcharges

  1. Applies to: All registrations, regardless of payment method
  2. Purpose: Covers general operating expenses
  3. Offline payments: Applied
  4. How it works: Added to the cart at the start of checkout
Quote
Calculation example: 
Program Price: $100
Surcharge: $5
  1. Total for all payment methods: $105

Managing fees

To configure fees, go to: Classic Admin Dashboard > Settings > Checkout > Additional Charges



Select the configuration settings based on your needs and click Save.
You may enable one or both fees. 

How Fees Are Applied

Convenience Fee Flow
Registrant selects program > Enters checkout > Chooses online payment method > Fee is added


Surcharge Flow
Registrant selects program > Enters checkout > Surcharge is added automatically > Any payment method is used

The following table outlines how each fee behaves within the system and its impact on the final transaction total:
FeatureConvenience FeeSurcharge
Application TriggerTriggered only by online payment methods (Credit Card, PayPal, or ACH).Triggered by the creation of an order, regardless of payment method.
Business PurposeRecovers merchant processing fees incurred from online transactions.Offsets general operating expenses, including facilities, supplies, and staff costs.
Family VisibilityDisplayed as a separate line item at checkout (online only).Displayed as a separate line item at checkout (all orders).
Offline PaymentsNo. Not applied to cash or paper check payments.Yes. Applied to all orders, including those paid offline.
Financial Example$100 Base + $3 Fee = $103 Total (Applies only if paying online).$100 Base + $5 Surcharge = $105 Total (Applies to every registrant).