Payment Terms

Introduction#

These Payment Terms ("Payment Terms") govern all payment transactions on the LearningSense platform ("Platform"), operated by LearningSense LLC. These Payment Terms are incorporated into and form part of the LearningSense Terms of Service. By creating an account, subscribing to the Platform, or enabling payment collection features, you agree to these Payment Terms.

1. Platform Subscription Fees#

Co-op Directors pay a monthly or annual subscription fee based on the plan selected, listed at https://www.learningsense.org/pricing.

• Free trial: new co-ops start with a 14-day trial of the Grow plan, beginning when the Director signs up. No payment method is needed for the trial, and no subscription fee is charged unless the Director chooses a paid plan. The Grow plan's platform fee applies to Co-op Payments during the trial. If the trial ends without a paid plan, the co-op moves to the Free plan automatically. A co-op on the Free plan with more than the Free plan's family limit keeps its existing families and their data, but cannot add families, send new invitations, import families, or approve join requests until it upgrades. We may extend a trial at our discretion.
• Promotions: a promo code or promotion applies only to the subscription fee, not to platform fees or processing fees, unless the offer says otherwise, and works as described in Addition 9 of the Terms of Service.
• Billing cycle: monthly or annual, as chosen, beginning on the date you first subscribe ("Billing Date").
• Subscription period: one (1) month or one (1) year, automatically renewing until cancelled.
• Non-renewal notice: none required. Cancel before the end of your current subscription period to avoid being charged for the next period.
• No prorating on cancellation: subscription fees are not prorated when you cancel. If you cancel mid-period, you retain access through the end of the current billing period. No partial refunds are issued for unused days. When you change plans, the change takes effect right away and the difference is prorated for the rest of the period.

2. Automatic Billing and Payment Authorization#

By providing a payment method and subscribing, you authorize LearningSense to automatically charge your payment method on each Billing Date without further approval. You are responsible for ensuring your payment method is valid and has sufficient funds. You must update your payment method promptly if it expires or is no longer valid. LearningSense will send a receipt to your registered email following each successful charge.

3. Failed Payments and Account Suspension#

If your subscription payment fails:

• LearningSense will notify you by email.
• We will attempt to reprocess the payment up to three (3) times over a seven (7) day grace period.
• If payment is not collected within the grace period, LearningSense may suspend the Director's account. While it is suspended, the Director and any co-op administrators can still use Billing, data export, account deletion, and logout, but may not be able to use other Director features until the balance is paid.
• Families and Teachers are not locked out by a suspension. Families can still view and pay invoices the co-op has already sent and manage their children's information, and payouts of those payments to the co-op continue. Teachers can still see their class rosters and the health, safety, and pickup details shared with them.
• To reactivate, update your payment method and pay any outstanding balance in full.

LearningSense is not liable for any loss of data, co-op disruption, or damages resulting from a suspension due to a failed payment.

4. Cancellation and Refund Policy (Platform Subscription)#

You may cancel at any time through account settings or by contacting support@learningsense.org. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period; you retain access through the period already paid. LearningSense does not issue refunds for monthly subscription fees already paid, including partial months, unused features, or mid-period cancellations. Annual subscription fees are refunded in full if you cancel within 14 days of the first annual charge and have not used the Platform to collect Co-op Payments in that time; after that, annual fees are not refunded except as Section 18 of the Director Agreement provides when LearningSense ends the agreement for convenience. Following cancellation, co-op data will be available for export for 30 days, after which LearningSense may permanently delete it.

5. Price, Plan, and Feature Changes#

LearningSense may change subscription prices, plans, and features at any time. We will tell you about a subscription price increase by email or by a notice in the Platform. A price increase takes effect at the start of your next subscription period after that notice. If you do not agree, cancel before your next subscription period begins. Changes work as described in Addition 8 of the Terms of Service.

6. Co-op Payment Facilitation#

Directors may enable payment collection to collect co-op fees from Families ("Co-op Payments"). LearningSense collects Co-op Payments on behalf of Directors through Stripe Connect. Key roles:

• How Co-op Payments are processed: each Co-op Payment is charged through LearningSense's Stripe platform account and the amount, less the platform fee and the payment processing fee (section 7), is transferred to the Director's connected Stripe account. The Director remains responsible for the fees charged, the services provided, refunds, and chargebacks on Co-op Payments (sections 9 and 10).
• Director responsibility: Directors are solely responsible for setting fee amounts, communicating payment expectations, and ensuring compliance with applicable law.
• LearningSense role: LearningSense provides technical infrastructure to process payments and disburse funds and is not liable for failed, disputed, or uncollected Co-op Payments.
• Stripe Connect: by enabling Co-op Payments, Directors agree to create a Stripe Connect account and to be bound by Stripe's Connected Account Agreement at https://stripe.com/legal/connect-account.
• Stripe KYC: Directors must complete Stripe's identity verification process before receiving payouts. LearningSense cannot override Stripe's verification requirements.

7. Platform and Processing Fees on Co-op Payments#

Two fees are deducted automatically from each Co-op Payment before disbursement to the Director. Families always pay exactly the amount the Director set: no fee is ever added to a Family's total, whichever payment method the Family uses. The co-op pays both fees out of its payout.

Platform fee. LearningSense charges a platform fee on co-op payments that varies by your subscription tier, as published at https://www.learningsense.org/pricing and shown in your billing settings. The exact fee applied is the rate for your active subscription tier at the time the payment is processed. Platform fees are deducted automatically from Co-op Payments before disbursement to the Director. When a Co-op Payment is subsequently refunded to a Family, in whole or in part, the platform fee on that payment is returned to the Director in proportion to the amount refunded. Any payment processing fee deducted from a Co-op Payment is retained by the payment processor and is not returned on a refund. LearningSense may change platform fee rates at any time. A new rate applies only to Co-op Payments started after we notify you of it by email or by a notice in the Platform.

Payment processing fee. Each Co-op Payment also carries the cost charged by Stripe to process it. LearningSense passes this cost through at Stripe's standard rates, with no markup, and deducts it from the Co-op Payment together with the platform fee:

• Bank payments (ACH): 0.8% of the payment, capped at $5.00 per payment.
• Card payments: 2.9% of the payment plus $0.30 per payment.

Families may pay by bank account or by card, for one-time payments and for automatic payments. The processing fee deducted is the one for the payment method the Family actually used. Processing fees follow Stripe's published pricing and may change when Stripe changes its pricing. Stripe does not return its processing fee when a payment is refunded, returned, or disputed, so processing fees are non-refundable.

For every payment, the Payments page of your dashboard shows the amount the Family paid, the platform fee, the processing fee, and your net payout.

8. Director Payouts#

LearningSense disburses collected Co-op Payments to Directors through Stripe Connect.

• Payout timing: subject to Stripe's standard payout schedule, typically two (2) business days after payment is received, but may vary.
• Payout holds: Stripe or LearningSense may place a hold on payouts if suspicious activity is detected, a high volume of disputes occurs, or as required by applicable law.
• Payout currency: all payouts are in US Dollars (USD).
• Director bank account: Directors are responsible for providing accurate bank account information; LearningSense is not liable for misdirected payouts resulting from incorrect information.
• Minimum payout: Stripe may apply minimum payout thresholds; any unpaid balance below the threshold rolls over to the next payout cycle.

9. Refunds on Co-op Payments#

Refund policies for Co-op Payments are set entirely by the Director. LearningSense does not determine, enforce, or guarantee any refund policy for Co-op Payments. Directors are responsible for communicating their refund policy to Families before collecting payment. Directors issue refunds to Families from their dashboard, or LearningSense will process a refund at the Director's written request, subject to available funds. LearningSense cannot process a refund exceeding the original payment amount or available funds. Families seeking refunds must contact their Director directly; LearningSense is not party to refund disputes. When a Co-op Payment is refunded, the platform fee on that payment is returned to the Director in proportion to the amount refunded; any payment processing fee is retained by the payment processor and is not returned (section 7).

10. Chargebacks and Disputes#

A payment dispute occurs when a Family reverses or disputes a Co-op Payment, through an ACH return or dispute for bank transfers, or a chargeback for card payments. Directors bear full financial responsibility for all such reversals, returns, and chargebacks, including any associated fees.

• Reversal deductions: if a payment is reversed, returned, or charged back, the disputed amount plus any associated fees will be deducted from the Director's future payouts or collected from their payment method on file.
• Chargeback response: LearningSense will notify Directors of chargebacks and provide available evidence to contest the dispute. Directors may be asked to provide documentation.
• Chargeback reserve: LearningSense reserves the right to establish a rolling reserve on Director payouts if the Director's account experiences an elevated chargeback rate.
• Fraudulent chargebacks: Directors who knowingly facilitate fraudulent transactions may have their account permanently suspended without refund of subscription fees.

11. ACH Payments and Returns#

If Families pay via ACH bank transfer:

• ACH payments typically take 3 to 5 business days to settle.
• ACH payments may be returned due to insufficient funds, incorrect account information, or account closure.
• Returned ACH payments and any associated fees will be deducted from the Director's payout balance.
• LearningSense is not responsible for losses resulting from returned ACH transactions.

11A. Family Payments and Automatic Payments#

Your co-op, not LearningSense, sets your fees and decides refunds; contact your co-op first about any charge. When you pay an invoice, you authorize your co-op, through LearningSense and Stripe, to charge the bank account or card you choose for that invoice. If you turn on automatic payments, you authorize your co-op, through LearningSense and Stripe, to charge your saved bank account or card for each invoice your co-op sends you, on or after the charge date shown on the invoice and in the email we send you before the charge. Automatic charges run once a day, so a charge may be taken the morning after the date shown. You can turn automatic payments off, or change the saved payment method, in your account at any time before a charge runs. If a charge fails or is returned, the invoice stays owed to your co-op, and your co-op may ask you to pay another way. Your receipts name your co-op as the seller. Families never pay a platform fee or processing fee; the co-op pays those out of its payout.

12. Stripe as Payment Processor#

All payment processing is performed by Stripe, Inc. LearningSense does not store credit card numbers, debit card numbers, or bank account details on its own servers. All payment data is transmitted directly to and stored by Stripe in accordance with Stripe's privacy policy at https://stripe.com/privacy and Stripe's security standards. By using the Platform's payment features, you agree to Stripe's Terms of Service at https://stripe.com/legal. LearningSense is not responsible for any errors, delays, losses, or damages arising from Stripe's services, outages, or policy changes. Stripe may refuse to process payments, suspend accounts, or withhold payouts in accordance with its own policies. LearningSense has no authority to override Stripe's decisions.

13. Taxes#

You are solely responsible for determining and paying any taxes applicable to your use of the Platform or to Co-op Payments collected through the Platform. LearningSense's subscription fees do not include applicable sales, use, VAT, or other taxes, which may be added where required by law. Directors are responsible for determining whether Co-op Payments they collect are subject to any tax obligations and for remitting any applicable taxes to the appropriate authorities. LearningSense does not provide tax advice; consult a qualified tax professional.

14. Fraud Prevention and Account Holds#

LearningSense reserves the right to delay, hold, or cancel any payment or payout if we have reason to believe it is fraudulent, violates these Payment Terms, or violates applicable law. In cases of suspected fraud, LearningSense may suspend the associated account pending investigation without prior notice. Directors must not use the Platform's payment features for any purpose other than collecting legitimate co-op fees from enrolled Families. Use of the payment feature for any other purpose is grounds for immediate account termination. LearningSense cooperates with law enforcement and regulatory authorities in cases of suspected financial fraud or money laundering.

15. Limitation of Liability#

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, LearningSense's total liability arising from or relating to Co-op Payments is limited to the platform fees collected by LearningSense on the specific transaction(s) giving rise to the claim. LearningSense is not liable for:

• failed, delayed, or misdirected payments resulting from incorrect information provided by Directors or Families;
• losses resulting from Stripe outages, system failures, or policy changes;
• chargebacks, ACH returns, or other payment reversals;
• tax liabilities arising from Co-op Payments;
• disputes between Directors and Families regarding co-op fees or refunds;
• any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from payment processing.

16. Changes to These Payment Terms#

LearningSense may change these Payment Terms, our fees, and our plans at any time. A change takes effect when we post it, or on a later date we state. For a material change, we will also tell you by email or by a notice in the Platform. Your continued use of the Platform's payment features after a change takes effect, or clicking to accept it in the Platform, is your acceptance of the change. If you do not agree, you must disable payment collection and cancel your subscription. A change does not apply to a dispute that arose before it took effect. A subscription price increase takes effect at the start of your next subscription period after we notify you (section 5), and a platform fee rate change applies only to Co-op Payments started after we notify you (section 7). Addition 8 of the Terms of Service also applies.

17. Contact#

For questions about these Payment Terms or your account billing, contact:

LearningSense LLC
Email: support@learningsense.org
2057 104th St, Lubbock, TX 79423, United States