Glossary: registration and payment terms for youth programs

501(c)(3)

The section of the US tax code for charitable nonprofit organizations. Donations to a 501(c)(3) are generally tax-deductible, and the organization doesn't pay federal income tax on its charitable work.

IRS determination letter

The letter the IRS sends when it recognizes an organization as tax-exempt, for example under section 501(c)(3). Vendors and funders often ask for a copy to confirm nonprofit status.

EIN (Employer Identification Number)

A nine-digit number the IRS gives an organization, written like 12-3456789. It identifies the organization on tax forms and in the IRS's public records.

NTEE code

The National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities code the IRS uses to describe a nonprofit's main activity, such as O50 for youth development programs or N20 for camps.

Online registration

Signing up for a program on the web instead of on paper: choosing sessions, filling out forms and usually paying in the same checkout.

Registration software

Software that runs a program's sign-ups: program listings, forms, payments, waitlists, rosters and messages to families.

Deposit

A partial payment made at registration to hold a spot, with the rest paid later.

Payment plan

An agreement to pay the balance in several installments on set dates instead of all at once.

Installment

One of the scheduled payments in a payment plan.

Autopay

Charging a saved card or bank account automatically on each due date, so families don't have to remember to pay.

Card processing fee

What a payment processor charges to handle a card payment, usually a percentage of the amount plus a small fixed fee.

Payment processor

The company that moves card and bank payments from families to your bank account, such as Stripe or Square.

Surcharge

An extra amount added to a card payment to cover processing costs. Rules on surcharges differ by state and card network.

Convenience fee

A flat fee for paying through an alternative channel, for example online when a program usually takes payments in person. Card networks limit when one is allowed.

ACH payment

A payment straight from a bank account through the US Automated Clearing House network. It usually costs less to process than a card payment but takes a few days to arrive.

Chargeback

When a cardholder disputes a payment with their bank and the money is pulled back from the organization while the dispute is decided. Processors often charge a fee for each one.

Refund policy

The written rules for when families get money back, how much, and how long it takes. Best published before registration opens.

Sibling discount

A lower price for the second child, and often each child after that, from the same family.

Early-bird pricing

A lower price for families who register before a set date.

Sliding scale

Prices that change with what a family can afford, often based on household income.

Scholarship

A full or partial reduction in a program's price for a family that needs help paying.

Waitlist

A list of families waiting for a spot in a full session. When a spot opens, it's offered to the next family on the list.

Waiver

A document a parent signs to accept a program's risks and rules. Programs often collect it with an e-signature at registration.

Authorized pickup

The list of adults a parent allows to pick their child up. Staff check it at every pickup.

Check-in and check-out

Recording when each child arrives and leaves, and who picked them up.

Roster

The list of children in a session or class, often with their allergies, pickup lists and emergency contacts.

Attendance hours

The total hours each child attended. Many grant funders ask programs to report them.

Data export

Downloading your families, registrations and payments from a system, usually as a spreadsheet, so you can keep or move them.

PTA and PTO

Parent-teacher associations and parent-teacher organizations: school parent groups, usually nonprofits, that often run enrichment classes and events.

More for program directors: guides, reports and free calculators.