---
title: "Is NestliCare really free?"
description: "Yes, for daycares. No monthly fee, no per-child or per-staff charges, no trial that expires. The regular cost is the convenience fee on online payments."
type: overview
updated: 2026-10-09
canonical_url: https://help.nestlicare.com/owners/faq/is-nestlicare-really-free
roles: ["super_admin", "center_admin"]
platforms: [web]
---
Yes, genuinely, for daycares. No monthly fee, no tiers, no per-child or per-staff charges, no setup or cancellation fees, and no trial that expires, because there is no paid plan for daycares to trial. Every feature is on every account from day one, whether you have 3 children or 300. A few features depend on where you are (for example, online payments and the AI assistant aren't offered in every country).

The only regular cost is the **convenience fee on online payments**: for US daycares, 2.9% + $0.50 for cards and 1% capped at $6 for bank payments. In most of the US and Canada the parent covers it at checkout by default. In a few states, Quebec, and outside the US and Canada, the daycare pays it. Rates and rules: [Who pays the online payment fee?](/owners/faq/who-pays-the-processing-fee).

Rare processor fees, such as a bounced bank payment or a card dispute, are listed on **Invoices & Finances → Finances**. If your families pay by cash or check, the platform costs your daycare nothing.

Families can choose optional paid extras for themselves in the app. Your daycare never pays for them.

How is that sustainable? The convenience fee on online payments is where most of our revenue comes from, so we don't charge daycares a monthly fee on top of it.

Your data is never held hostage either: you can [export it](/owners/faq/how-do-i-get-my-data-out) and leave any time.

Related: [Pricing](/getting-started/pricing), [Do parents pay anything to use the app?](/owners/faq/do-parents-pay-to-use-the-app).