How do I pay?
Kids' City offers high quality childcare at low prices and we do this by keeping administration costs firmly under control by requiring a payment of the first instalment a month in advance. We do not offer credit but we can exceptionally provide assistance for families facing unusual circumstances such as a delay in tax credits, or starting a new job etc. Please contact us if you are facing unusual hardships to discuss your situation. You can pay using any of the following: (1) debit and credit card, (2) childcare vouchers, (3) student grants and (4) cash.

1. Debit and Credit Card We accept all types of cards except American Express and make no charge for debit card payments. We pass on the cost of credit card charges which are personal credit cards 2%, premium credit cards 3% and business credit cards 3.25%. Payment can be made in full or by monthly instalment and once you give us your authority we will take your payments automatically in up to three equal monthly amounts during the first three months of term. If the selected instalment date falls on a Saturday or Sunday please allow up to the following Monday for the payment to be taken.
2. Childcare Vouchers We are very happy to receive childcare vouchers to help parents benefit from tax-free childcare. There is a handling charge for every voucher transaction which is a contribution towards our administration costs. Voucher payments can be made by instalment however they must keep to a strict and regular payment schedule.
3. Grants and Funded Places If you are claiming a grant from Student Finance England, JobCentre Plus or any other funder, please contact our Business team on 020 8678 5966. They will take you through a step-by-step procedure to ensure your claim is accurate and will be paid on time.
4. Cash We do not accept cash payments however, in exceptional circumstances, we may temporarily accept them for a limited period by prior arrangement at our office, 1-4 Brixton Hill Place , London, SW2 1HJ. We charge an administration fee for every cash transaction as a contribution towards our administration costs.

For more information about our payment plans by debit card, credit card or childcare vouchers please call any of the following numbers: 020 8678 5968 and 020 8678 5958. Please have your booking reference number to hand.

Why must I pay in advance?
There is a high demand for a limited number of places in our services. To make sure that our services are used by parents/carers who really need them, we require advance payment or a payment plan being set up.

Can I spread the cost?
Yes, you can spread the cost if you are unable to pay in full upfront. You have the option to pay monthly in up to three equal instalments during the school term. The first instalment must be paid at the time of booking and the following instalments can be set up on any date you choose in the following two months (if booking at the start of term). Final payment of the full fees must be paid by the 15th of the third month of term (Spring = Mar, Summer = Jun, Autumn = Nov).

Are the fees reduced if I am on a low income?
The government provides subsidies to low income families to meet the cost of childcare providing you use an Ofsted childcare provider. This is the childcare element of the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC). We can assist you in accessing this government service.

How can I get a subsidised place?
From September 2014, parents in receipt of one of the following can access one place per week at a subsidised rate per session:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit

Parents in receipt of Working Tax Credit are not eligible and where someone other than you is paying for the service (for example, Student Finance England, local college, university, Jobcentre Plus, Social Care or any other statutory service). To access a place at the subsidised rate, parents will need to provide Kids’ City with evidence of the benefit they receive that is dated within the last three months. Please contact info@kidscity.org.uk and send evidence of the benefit you receive (dated within the last three months).

Can I get a discount for siblings?
Due to our already low costs we are unable to offer discounts for siblings.

Can I get a receipt?
A statement can be downloaded from your online account and this shows a record of all the payments you have made to us.

Can I get a letter for the benefits office?
The booking system produces statements and invoices which are sufficient evidence of payment for most agencies. If you prefer or require something more tailored, we can provide a letter from Head Office on letter headed paper and we charge an administration fee for this.

Can I carry forward credit on my account from one term to the next?
Credits will be automatically carried forward on your online account. We recommend however that you do not overpay your fees for any term as we charge an administration fee for issuing a refund.

What happens if I'm a student waiting for funding from my university/college/NHS/Student Finance and I can't pay in advance?
We offer two options: (1) regular parents rate, and (2) flexible statutory rate. If you can’t pay the regular rate with our usual terms and conditions, you can opt for the flexible rate, which is not discounted because of the costs incurred through:

• financial risk if the student should stop attending or proves to be ineligible for grant
• changes relating to course timetables, work placements, training, etc.
• changes relating to fees if any
• helping parents complete their paperwork
• providing regular letters when requested
• waiting on average 4 months before payment which ties up our cash resources (effectively a loan to the government)
• being involved in complex auditing tasks and/or monitoring requirements and
• additional conversations with parents and often SFE or college

We are pleased to offer flexibility for parents to access the childcare they need but we must ensure that we do not take risks relating to our own financial stability.

What happens if my payment doesn't go through?
If your payment doesn’t go through because your bank declined the payment or there were insufficient funds, you will be charged an administration fee for each instance. The charges were set, after careful consideration, by our Trustees, to cover our costs relating to declined payments. The charity passes on the costs of additional and avoidable administration because the alternative is that these costs would have to be shared by all parents through fee increases. If there are extenuating circumstances, we are very happy to help and please contact us to explain the reason. If your bank is liable for the charges we will provide evidence that you were charged so you can reclaim it from your bank.

My tax credits are paid weekly, can I pay weekly after I receive them?
We do not offer weekly payments because this increases the Charity's costs which we want keep low so we can offer the lowest possible childcare fees. We may however make an alternative payment arrangement for weekly amounts for one term only. This might be, for example, if you are experiencing financial difficulties or have started a new job and are waiting for tax credits to come through. If you want a weekly payment arrangement this must be requested in writing, by email to info@kidscity.org.uk and if agreed, we will charge an administration fee for each cash payment. If you would like to discuss this in more detail, please call the Business Team on 020 8678 5966.

Can I cancel after I book?
Yes, you can however we charge an administration fee for this. The fee is a contribution towards altering our records; sending a new hard copy of registers to the school and to our manager; conducting phone calls with you and the manager; recording the request in a file for auditors; changing the child’s online record; cancelling or altering any payments; issuing refunds if any; and tracking this change until the end of the term. If we have a waiting list we will contact the next families on that list until the space is filled.

How much notice do I need to give, to cancel a booking?
We require 2 weeks' notice in writing to cancel a booking. Please complete a cancellation form and email it to info@kidscity.org.uk.

Will I get a refund if I cancel?
If you paid the fees in full you may be entitled to a refund, once the administration fee has been deducted. Kids' City is a charity and charges for any aspect of our service or additional services are set at rates which reflect the real costs involved. The basic service is offered for a fixed period contract until the end of term. We pass on the costs of ending that contract which involves:

• Verifying refund requests
• Calculating refunds
• Creating audit trails
• Bank transactions
• Removing child(ren) from class registers, collection registers and attendance registers
• Informing schools of the changes
• Informing our staff of the changes
• Cancelling resources accordingly
• Office staff and local staff costs to action the above
• Admin resources for the above, phone, paper, etc

Can I get a refund for inset days?
We don’t charge for inset days provided we know about it in advance and we are usually informed of these at the start of an academic year. However, if we aren’t aware of an inset day which you have booked and we have charged you for, this will be cancelled and a credit applied to your account.

Can I get a refund if my child is sick?
We do not issue refunds when your child is sick unless it is for a minimum two-week time period.

What do I do if I need to change a day?
If you want to change the days from one point in the term for the entire remainder of the term, we need one week notice and there is an administration charge for us to do this. We will only grant one change once the term has started. We are unable to swap days from one week to another and the Superheroes service is available to parents who may need an additional day.