Understanding your payment

When you pay through DeanDesk, your total may include charges from your school, an applicable card fee, and a DeanDesk service fee. Each line item has a different purpose. Review the payment breakdown and total before confirming your payment. You can share this guide with students, parents, and members who want to understand their payment.

​

What each line item means

Not every payment includes every line item. Your school’s charges, available payment methods, and the fees shown for your payment determine your total.

​

DeanDesk’s service fee

The service fee is added to your payment as a separate line item. You pay it on top of the amount owed to your school; the new fee is not deducted from the school’s charge. For example, a $100 school charge with a $3 DeanDesk service fee means you pay $103 before any other applicable charges. The new service fee does not reduce the school’s $100 charge. Existing payment processing fees remain separate. The DeanDesk service fee is non-refundable, except where a refund is required by applicable law. A refund of a school charge does not automatically refund the DeanDesk service fee.

​

Card fees and payment processing

A school-configured card surcharge is separate from the DeanDesk service fee. It may appear only for an applicable card payment. Your school controls its configured amount; there is no single school card-fee rate for every DeanDesk payment. Stripe processes your payment securely. Its processing fees are also separate from DeanDesk’s service fee. A processor fee is not necessarily an extra line item you pay: whether a cost is included in your payment depends on the charges shown for your checkout. Do not add a published Stripe rate to the total yourself. If another payment method is available, review its total before choosing it. A bank payment may avoid an applicable card surcharge, but it does not automatically remove the DeanDesk service fee.

​

Example payment breakdowns

These examples are hypothetical and use US dollars. They are not a quote for your school. For illustration, the service fee is 3% of the school-charge subtotal, and the example card surcharge is 2% of that subtotal plus $0.30. Use the actual amounts displayed for your payment.

​

Example 1: An application fee

Your school charges a $100 application fee. This example has no separate card surcharge. The application fee is a school charge. The $3 service fee is a separate DeanDesk charge.

​

Example 2: A course and application fee paid by card

Your school charges $250 for a course and $25 to apply. In this hypothetical checkout, both the example card surcharge and DeanDesk service fee apply. The subtotal is a summary of the two school charges, not an additional charge. Your school’s actual card surcharge may differ or may not apply.

​

Example 3: The same school charges without a card surcharge

Suppose the same $275 school charges are paid using an available method that does not add a separate payment-method fee. There is no card surcharge in this example. The DeanDesk service fee still applies to the eligible new transaction.

​

Existing payments and subscriptions

The October 14 service-fee change does not add a charge to payments you have already completed. Existing subscriptions keep their current fee treatment. A separate new purchase on or after October 14 may include the service fee even if you already have a subscription. For a new payment plan, review both Due today and the future payment schedule. A fee or application charge due today is not necessarily charged again on every installment.

​

Receipts, refunds, and questions

Open My Profile → Billing History to review your payment and any available receipt or invoice. See Billing & payments for help finding these records. Your school sets the refund policy for its tuition, courses, products, and application fees. Ask the school which school charges and any school-configured card fees are refundable. The DeanDesk service fee has its own refund treatment, described above. Contact your school if a charge looks unfamiliar, a discount is missing, or you need help with a refund. Include the payment date, amount, and receipt or invoice reference. Do not send your full card number or banking credentials.