1、 CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU|JULY 2024 Costs of Electronic Payments in K-12 Schools Issue Spotlight 1 CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU Table of Contents 1.Executive Summary.3 Key Findings.4 2.Background.6 2.1 School Lunch Payments.7 2.2 Relevant Federal Authorities.8 3.Market Overview.1

2、0 3.1 School District Contracts.12 3.2 Payment Platform Features and Fees.14 3.2.1 Product Features.14 3.2.2 Product Fees.14 3.2.3 Costs of Electronic Transactions.15 4.Sample Findings.16 4.1 Sample Market Composition.16 4.2 Fee Rates.17 4.2.1 Transaction Fees.17 4.2.2 Other Fees.18 5.Costs and Diff

3、iculties for Consumers.20 5.1 Inaccessible Fee-Free Options.20 5.2 Difficulty Canceling Automatic Payments.22 5.3 Difficulty Accessing Timely Refunds.22 5.4 Fee Burden.23 6.Conclusion .27 Appendix A:Methodology.28 2 CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU Sample Construction.28 Variables.28 Appendix B:

4、Ownership Structures of Payment Processors.31 3 CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU 1.Executive Summary As of Fall 2023,more than 52 million students were enrolled at public schools throughout the United States.1 Over a school year,students incur a series of expenses for school meals,bus passes,aft

5、er-school programs,and technology and materials needed for class,among other costs.As the broader payments ecosystem continues shifting towards more digital options in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,school districts are increasingly contracting with payment processing companies to provide an aven

6、ue for families to pay school-related expenses online.While convenient for both families and school districts,electronic payment options present new costs and challenges for the families using them.For example,in many schools,families can electronically load funds into an account that students can d