TuitionPingKeep your payment method · Schedule monthly texts
Daycare tuition reminders for cash, checks and bank transfers
If families already pay you by cash, check or a transfer service, you can keep that arrangement and add scheduled reminder texts. TuitionPing handles monthly reminders and parent PAID reports; you receive the money through your existing method and check your records before confirming it.
One reminder process, with your existing way to pay
- Save the family's monthly tuition amount, due day, phone number and message language.
- Put your agreed payment instructions into the reminder templates. Add an existing HTTPS payment link if you have one.
- TuitionPing sends scheduled before-due, due-date and overdue texts. The family pays through your usual method.
- The parent replies PAID. Review that report against the payment itself, then confirm receipt in your dashboard.
- Update your ledger and issue a receipt for the amount you have verified.
Families use ordinary texts. TuitionPing does not connect to your bank, match transfer transactions, deposit checks, provide autopay or charge a tuition-processing percentage. Your chosen bank or payment provider sets its own terms and charges; your TuitionPing subscription is separate.
What to check for each payment method
| How families pay | What the reminder should explain | What you check before confirming |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | The agreed handoff location or person, amount and due date. | Count the cash received, match the family and billing period, and record the amount and date. |
| Check | The payee, agreed delivery method and billing period to reference. | Record the check reference and verify receipt/payment status according to your program's policy before confirming. A parent's message that a check was mailed is only a report. |
| Bank transfer | The usual agreed transfer method and the reference to include. | Check your own receiving account or provider records for the correct amount, sender and period. Resolve pending, missing or mismatched payments before confirming. |
| Zelle or another existing transfer service | Your established instructions for that service, if your account and program permit that use. | Review receipt in your own account. TuitionPing does not integrate with or independently verify transactions from these services. |
Choose one consistent place to record bills, credits, partial payments and verified receipts. The free payment spreadsheet can serve as that manual record alongside your reminder dashboard.
Sample wording for your reminder templates
These are manual examples with fictional details. Replace the program, amount, date and instructions before using them. Keep the opt-out language in your actual templates, and preview the final message in Settings.
Cash tuition reminder
TuitionPing: Hi Alex, $800 tuition for Sunshine Daycare is due November 1. Please bring payment to the office using our agreed cash-payment process. Reply PAID once handed over. Reply STOP to opt out.
Check tuition reminder
TuitionPing: Hi Alex, $800 tuition for Sunshine Daycare is due November 1. Please make your check payable to Sunshine Daycare and include the billing period. Use our agreed delivery method. Reply PAID once sent. Reply STOP to opt out.
Bank-transfer tuition reminder
TuitionPing: Hi Alex, $800 tuition for Sunshine Daycare is due November 1. Please use your usual agreed transfer method and include the billing period. Reply PAID once sent. Reply STOP to opt out.
For reusable dates and amounts, edit the existing template placeholders rather than saving the fictional $800 example as a live template. Use the free reminder generator if you only need to draft and copy one message today.
Set it up when you do not have a payment link
Leave Existing payment link (optional) blank in Program details. Put your standard payment instructions into the reminder templates in Settings, keeping the family, amount and due-date placeholders. Preview both the wording and the sending hours, then send a test to your own phone.
If all families use the same method, the program's shared wording can describe it directly. If families use different methods, use a shared instruction such as “Please use your usual agreed payment method” and keep each family's detailed instructions in your existing agreement. Templates are shared at the program level; TuitionPing does not automatically choose a separate payment-method template for each family.
Follow the complete setup walkthrough and download the family CSV template.
A parent's PAID reply starts your review
Match the family, actual amount received and billing period before selecting Confirm payment received. A transfer screenshot, an envelope on its way or a text saying “sent” can help you investigate, but check your own records before treating the period as paid.
For example, if $800 is due and you verify $300 received, enter that $300 in your ledger and follow up on the remaining $500. Do not use a full-period confirmation to imply the other $500 arrived. The invoice and receipt generator can document the actual amount you verified and the balance still due.
For an unresolved report, follow up privately and keep the outstanding balance accurate. Use a past-due tuition letter when the family needs a written account summary.
Watch the reminder → PAID report → provider confirmation video.
Is this a fit for your daycare?
It fits a program with an established way to receive payments and monthly tuition due dates, where sending each reminder by hand is the recurring task. Plans start at $9/month for up to 10 families.
If you need bank reconciliation, automatic charges, payment plans or a full attendance and enrollment system, compare those requirements with a broader platform. See TuitionPing and brightwheel or TuitionPing and Procare. Scheduled tuition texts do not replace those features.
Can I use Zelle?
You can continue using your existing service under its own terms and use TuitionPing for reminder texts. There is no Zelle connection or transaction sync; check the receiving account yourself. The same separation applies to other transfer services.
Can different families keep different methods?
Yes. Use shared wording that refers to each family's agreed method, then verify each payment in the appropriate records. Keep the method-specific details in your family agreement or ledger.
Will this schedule weekly cash payments?
The subscription schedules monthly due-day reminders, regardless of the way you collect payment. For manually managed weekly bills, use the free tracker and reminder templates.
Set up your program
Start with your program details, add families, review the reminders and send yourself a test text. Micro is $9/month for up to 10 families; compare all plans for larger rosters and multiple locations.
The real trial requires a card at secure checkout. Your selected subscription starts after 30 days unless you cancel. The interactive demo needs no account or card and sends no texts.