---
title: "Pricing — what NestliCare costs (and doesn't)"
description: "NestliCare is 100% free daycare management software. No subscriptions, no per-staff or per-child charges. The only cost is a standard online-payment convenience fee, the same kind every payment processor charges."
type: overview
updated: 2026-08-01
canonical_url: https://help.nestlicare.com/getting-started/pricing
roles: ["center_admin", "super_admin"]
platforms: [web]
---
NestliCare is **free**. No subscriptions, no tiers, no credit card required to sign up. Unlimited children, unlimited staff, every feature included, whether you have 3 kids or 300.

## What you actually pay

| | Cost |
|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | **$0** |
| Per-staff or per-child charge | **$0** |
| Cash and check payments collected outside the app | **$0** |
| Online payments (cards) | Convenience fee, **2.9% + $0.50** |
| Online payments (bank transfers / ACH) | Convenience fee, **1%, capped at $6** |

The convenience fee is the standard online-payment processing rate, the same kind every payment processor charges anywhere online. By default, the parent covers it at checkout (the same way they pay a service fee on most online checkouts), so the daycare's payout equals the invoice amount.

If your daycare doesn't collect tuition online through NestliCare (you use cash, check, or a separate tool), the platform genuinely costs $0. There's nothing else to charge for.

## How the convenience fee shows up

When a parent pays online, the convenience fee is added to the tuition total at checkout and shown on a separate line. The parent sees, for example:

- Tuition: $200.00
- Convenience fee (bank transfer): $2.02
- **Total: $202.02**

Stripe processes the payment and the daycare receives **$200.00** in their bank account.

## Who pays the convenience fee

Each daycare picks in their finance settings:

| | Default | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Convenience fee | **Parent pays** at checkout | Daycare absorbs from settlement |

Most daycares leave parents on the default. A few states encourage absorbing card processing instead, and the absorption setting handles that with one toggle. Either way the rate is the same. Change it in **Billing & Payments → Finances → Settings** any time. New payments use the new setting; payments already in flight keep the split they were created with.

## Common questions

**Is NestliCare really free?** Yes, 100%. Sign up, run your daycare, never pay us a subscription. The convenience fee only applies when a parent makes an online payment, and the rate is the same as any online payment processor.

**Is there a free trial?** No trial because there's no paid plan to trial. Every feature is on every account from day one.

**Will you add paid plans later?** We won't gate core features behind a subscription, and we'll never charge per child, per staff member, or per location. If we ever build optional premium add-ons, they'll be transparently priced and clearly marked.

**Are there setup fees, cancellation fees, or minimums?** None. Sign up, set up, stop using it any time. Your data stays available for export if you want to leave.

**What about transaction limits?** No limit on number of transactions, invoices, or total dollars processed.

**What payment methods are supported?** Online payments are processed by Stripe. We support every Stripe payment method in your country: cards, ACH bank transfers, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Link. [See Stripe's payment methods page](https://stripe.com/docs/payments/payment-methods/overview) for the full list.

**Do you accept checks or cash?** Yes. Record them as manual payments inside the invoice. No convenience fee applies because no money flows through online processing.

## How we compare

Most daycare platforms stack **two separate charges**:

1. A **monthly subscription**, typically $100 to $300/month for a 50-child center, with extras for messaging, payroll, or advanced reports.
2. A **per-transaction processing fee**, separate from the subscription.

NestliCare removes the subscription entirely. The convenience fee on online payments is the only platform cost, and it's the same standard online-processing rate parents see on most checkouts.

### Side-by-side math (50-child center, weekly $200 ACH tuition)

200 transactions/month, parents covering processing at checkout (the default on both platforms):

| Platform | Subscription | Convenience fee to daycare | Daycare's monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical competitor | $200/mo | $0 (parents cover) | **$200/mo** |
| NestliCare | $0/mo | $0 (parents cover) | **$0/mo** |

### If the daycare absorbs the convenience fee instead

200 transactions/month at $200 ACH (1%, $2.00 per charge):

- Competitor: $200/mo subscription + $400/mo processing = **$600/mo**
- NestliCare: $0 subscription + $400/mo convenience fee absorbed = **$400/mo**

Even when the daycare absorbs processing, NestliCare wins because there's no subscription stacked on top.

### If you don't collect tuition through the app

A growing number of daycares run hybrid: some families on direct deposit, others on check. NestliCare's convenience fee only applies to online payments. Record check or cash payments as manual entries: no fee, ever.

Competitors charge their monthly subscription whether or not payments flow. NestliCare only charges when a real online payment happens.

## Ready to get started?

Sign up at [nestlicare.com](https://nestlicare.com), takes about 5 minutes. Then work through the [Getting Started checklist](/getting-started/your-first-week) to go from empty account to running your day.

Questions about pricing that aren't covered here? Email [support@nestlicare.com](mailto:support@nestlicare.com).