US consumer watchdog finds that school lunch fees are taking a toll on parents

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. consumer watchdog has found that low-income families typically pay as much as 60 cents per dollar in fees when paying for school lunches electronically. As more schools turn to cashless payment systems, more school districts have contracted with payment processing companies that charge fees of as much as $3.25 per transaction. Though legally there must always be a fee-free option to pay by cash or check, there’s rarely transparency around it. Payment companies maintain that school districts may negotiate the fees when they form their contracts.