A report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shows that as schools adopt cashless payment systems, districts often charge fees up to $3.25 or 4% to 5% per transaction. The CFPB found that 87% of the 300 largest U.S. Public school districts use payment processors, which charge an average of $2.37 or 4.4% per transaction.
Families qualifying for free or reduced lunch incur fees up to 60 cents per dollar when making electronic payments for school lunches, raising costs disproportionately.