Electronic Billing and Payment FAQ's

What is Electronic billing (E-Bill) and why does the College use this method of delivery?

What is Electronic payment (E-Pay)?

What is the convenience of offering E-Pay?

How has the offering of E-Pay affected me?

Why did the College make this change?

How was the 2.75% convenience fee charged on a credit card transaction determined?

Is the 2.75% convenience fee refundable?

Why do you no longer accept VISA for student account payments?

What if all I have is a VISA to pay my student account?

What are my other payment options if I choose not to use the online payment methods?

Why can't I use my credit card at the cashier's desk or over the phone?

Does the College charge for online billing and payment?

Is there any verification proving that my payment went through electronically?

How do I log in to pay my account electronically?

How can my parents log in to pay my account electronically?

 

What is Electronic billing (E-Bill) and why does the College use this method of delivery?

Electronic billing (E-Bill) is a convenient, secure way of delivering Schedule/Bills and statements to students. The College began using E-Bill in December, 2007 in an effort to provide a paperless, streamlined delivery process to meet the needs of our students. This process has provided time and monetary savings to both the students and the College.

What is Electronic payment (E-Pay)?

Electronic payment (E-Pay) offers an alternative to sending checks through the mail. It is no longer necessary to write a check, swipe a credit card or handle paper money. E-Pay is a kind of payment that doesn't involve a paper check. The College accepts both credit card payments and ACH (electronic checks) payments online.

What is the convenience of offering E-Pay?

• The site is private and secure, meeting PCIDSS (payment card industry data security standards) requirements
• Convenient and easy to use
• Online access virtually 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Saves money; no more paying postage to mail a check
• Saves time; no waiting in line to pay your account
• Real time processing; posts to your student account immediately
• Offers the ability to set up a guest user for authorized payers

How has the offering of E-Pay affected me?

As of April 20, 2009 the following policies are in place at The College of St. Scholastica:

• The only means of paying on your student account with a credit card is online through the secure SmartPay website, accessed via your Banner Web account. The Business Office is not able to accept credit card payments over the telephone or at the cashier's desk. There is a kiosk available in the Business Office for use during business office hours.
• VISA is not accepted for tuition related payments charged on your student account.
• A convenience fee of 2.75% will be charged on the total payment when using the credit card option. This fee is retained by the credit card processor.
• To avoid the convenience fee but utilize the ability to pay online, students and parents can use the ACH payment option.
• Accepted credit cards include American Express, Diner's Club, Discover and MasterCard.

Why did the College make this change?

In an effort to comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCIDSS), the College needed to make some changes to the way credit card payments were processed. PCIDSS was implemented by the credit card industry to protect the security of your credit card account information. Furthermore, the College was incurring high credit card transaction fees due to the rising cost of bank fees charged for processing credit card transactions. The rising cost of bank fees results in reduced dollars available for academic programs and services for students. Many colleges and universities do not accept credit card payments at all. However, we recognize that many students and parents appreciate the convenience of using a credit card, and the College has found alternatives to offering this service.

How was the 2.75% convenience fee charged on a credit card transaction determined?

The College of St. Scholastica has contracted with a third party service provider that is compliant with the PCIDSS to process credit cards on our behalf. The 2.75% rate charged by the service provider is determined as the cost of providing the service. The fees collected are retained by the service provider.

Is the 2.75% convenience fee refundable?

The 2.75% convenience fee is non-refundable, even if your student account payment is refunded.

Why do you no longer accept VISA for student account payments?

VISA does not allow the option to assess a convenience fee that varies with the amount of the tuition bill. Universities and colleges have not been able to negotiate an acceptable method of assessing a convenience fee to the transactions.

What if all I have is a VISA to pay my student account?

VISA is no longer accepted for payment of student account charges. However, if you are unable to use one of the accepted credit cards, we offer the ability to make payments by using the new ACH (electronic check) option. All that is needed is your bank/financial institution routing and account number information.

What are my other payment options if I choose not to use the online payment methods?

The College of St. Scholastica continues to accept cash and check payments in the Business Office. You can mail your check payments to the Business Office, or stop in to make payments via cash or check. We also offer an automated payment plan option. Please visit our payment options at www.css.edu/paymentoptions.xml to review all available payment methods.

Why can't I use my credit card at the cashier's desk or over the phone?

Credit card payments can only be made online via your Banner Web account, using your secure login. A kiosk is available in the Business Office during normal business hours. Credit card payments are not accepted in person or over the phone due to the current compliancy standards set in place by the credit card industry in an effort to provide a more secure environment to safeguard your credit card and personal information.

Does the College charge for online billing and payment?

The College of St. Scholastica offers both electronic billing and payment options as a convenience that is free of charge. However, if you choose to make a payment using a credit card, you will be assessed a non-refundable 2.75% convenience fee by our credit card processor, SmartPay.

Is there any verification proving that my payment went through electronically?

You will receive an email notification after making a successful electronic payment.

How do I log in to pay my account electronically?

Access to the online payment site is through your Banner Web self service portal. Select the "Student Services & Financial Aid" link, click on the "Student Account" link, and select "Pay Online". Please view our electronic payment tutorial for instructions.

How can my parents log in to pay my account electronically?

Students can grant access to an authorized user through the secure online payment site. To grant access, log in to the site and follow these instructions:

• Click on AddNew under the parent PINS section.
• Choose a unique login name. Enter the guest's email address. Add a note, welcoming the guest, if preferred.
• Click on OK to complete the process.
• Guest users may log in to the site at https://commerce.cashnet.com/csspay.

Guest users have access only to make payments, view payment history and view account balances on the student's account. They do not have access to financial aid, grades or other online student information.