Speaking as a parent, I can say life without my smartphone would be nearly impossible. At the touch of a few buttons, I can check weather, buy groceries, pay bills, order diapers, and more–anywhere I am. Why do I love this? Because managing my day and my life through my phone allows me to get back to the important things: my family.
There’s only one problem: My daughter’s school doesn’t take mobile payments, let alone online payments.
The woes of paying by check
So, what happens? I usually forget to pay for her school tuition. The ‘mom guilt’ isn’t enough to drive me to find my checkbook, lost in the junk drawer, as I forget day after day, racking up late fees, and causing ill-will with her school’s business office. Even as the Director patiently reminds me again to bring this month’s tuition check, it’s already slipped my mind by the time I return to my car thinking about the rest of the day.
Now, if her school accepted mobile payments, I could have paid tuition that very same morning well before reminder slips went from white to yellow to a menacing shade of red. Even better, if her school was on trend with digital payments, I could have relied on automatic recurring payments. No more late payments, written reminders or baking another dozen “I’m sorry I keep forgetting to pay you” cupcakes.
Rising expectations for digital payments
Here’s what we know. According to a 2018 study by the Pew Research Center, 77% of adults in the US own a smartphone. That percentage is magnified when you narrow the view to 30-49 year old’s—90% own one.[1] While desktop and laptop ownership is decreasing, smartphone ownership is up year-over-year and with this trend are rising expectations for its use.
With nearly 252 million people in the U.S. owning a smartphone, schools are seeing more moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, who are smartphone-dependent. The average age of parents is hovering around 31, so it’s safe to assume that 90% of parents and adults at your school use, own, and carry a smartphone. These tech-savvy parents expect to accomplish things on the go, on the fly, and with ease. Otherwise, we risk losing their business entirely.
Giving parents the convenience of online and mobile payments
Our K-12 payment experts at Community Brands are working hard to make sure your school can keep up with today’s digital payment demands, all the while helping you avoid the hassle of chasing down parents (like me) for their tuition payments. Through our K-12 school tuition and payment solutions, Diamond Mind makes it easy for you to collect online and mobile payments from parents with a few simple clicks. It’s never been more convenient for you and for your families.
Even better, digital payment options mean that all your payment data is in one convenient, centralized place. No more lost checks, missing deposits, or reconciliation nightmares when parents (like me) give up and try sending you this month’s lunch payment via carrier pigeon.
Buying retail goods and services online and with our smartphones is getting easier and easier. Shouldn’t making payments to your school be just as easy? Learn more about moving to online tuition and using a mobile payment app for your families.
[1] http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/mobile/