> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.deandesk.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Understanding your payment > A guide for students, parents, and members to school charges, application fees, card surcharges, and DeanDesk's service fee. > [!NOTE] > > **School-level payments** — this guide explains payments you make through your school portal at `yourschool.deandesk.com`. Your institution's DeanDesk subscription is separate. 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 | Line item | Who sets it? | What it covers | | - | - | - | | **Tuition, course, program, or product** | Your school | The education, activity, membership, ticket, or item you are purchasing. | | **Application or registration fee** | Your school | A charge for applying or registering. Your school decides the amount and when it is due. An application fee does not by itself guarantee admission. | | **Discount or financial aid** | Your school | A reduction in eligible school charges. Check which items the reduction applies to. | | **Credit card surcharge / transaction fee** | Your school, when applicable | A separate charge associated with paying by card. Your school may configure a percentage, a flat amount, or both. The label may appear as **Transaction fee** or **Credit Card Transaction Fee**. | | **DeanDesk service fee** | DeanDesk | A 3% fee on eligible new online transactions, supporting platform hosting, infrastructure, customer support, and ongoing operations. | | **Total / due today** | Calculated from the applicable items | The amount you pay now. Future installments or recurring payments are separate from the amount due today. | 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 > [!NOTE] > > **Effective Wednesday, October 14, 2026:** the 3% DeanDesk service fee applies to eligible new online transactions. Previously completed transactions and existing subscriptions are not affected. 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. | Line item | Amount | | - | -: | | Application fee set by your school | \$100.00 | | DeanDesk service fee: 3% of \$100 | \$3.00 | | **Total due today** | **\$103.00** | 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. | Line item | Amount | | - | -: | | Course set by your school | \$250.00 | | Application fee set by your school | \$25.00 | | **School-charge subtotal** | **\$275.00** | | Example card surcharge: 2% of \$275 + \$0.30 | \$5.80 | | DeanDesk service fee: 3% of \$275 | \$8.25 | | **Total due today** | **\$289.05** | 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. | Line item | Amount | | - | -: | | Course set by your school | \$250.00 | | Application fee set by your school | \$25.00 | | **School-charge subtotal** | **\$275.00** | | DeanDesk service fee: 3% of \$275 | \$8.25 | | **Total due today** | **\$283.25** | 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](/sis/billing.md) 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. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.