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Summer camp budget and pricing calculator

Enter your summer's costs (staff, food, supplies, venue, insurance), how many campers you expect and for how many weeks. See the break-even price per camper, what card processing costs at Stripe's standard US online rate, and a sample deposit plus monthly autopay plan, with the fee absorbed or passed on.

Costs for the whole summer

Money that isn't camper fees

Extra for empty spots, refunds and scholarships

Campers

One registration per camper

Card payments and payment plan

Default: Stripe's standard US online rate, 2.9% + 30¢. Use your processor's rate.

0 = pay in full

Total costs$62,000.00
Left for camper fees to cover, with your cushion$62,700.00
Camper-weeks (weeks × campers per week)480
Registrations (about)120
Price per camper per week, before card fees$130.63
Price per registration$522.50

You absorb the card fee

Family pays per registration$522.50
Card fees per registration$16.36
You keep per registration$506.14
Fees for the whole summer$1,963.20
Weekly price that also covers the fees$134.84

Plan at this price: $130.63 at sign-up, then $130.62, $130.62, $130.63 by monthly autopay.

Families pay the card fee

Family pays per registration, by card$539.34
Card fees per registration$16.84
You keep per registration$522.50

Plan, by card: $134.84 at sign-up, then $134.83, $134.83, $134.84 by monthly autopay.

These prices cover your costs only if you reach the campers per week you entered, so try a lower number too. Set the last payment before the first day of camp. Card fees are worked out on each payment, so a plan with more payments costs more in fixed fees. Default rate: Stripe's standard US online rate for domestic cards, 2.9% + 30¢ per successful payment, from stripe.com/pricing (checked November 6, 2026). International and manually entered cards cost more, and your own rate may differ.

The calculator runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to BackPR.

The math

How it works

Break-even price per camper per week = (total costs − grants and donations) ÷ (weeks of camp × campers per week), plus any cushion you add. Multiply by the average number of weeks each camper signs up for to get the price of one registration. The price covers your costs only if you reach the campers per week you entered, so try a lower number too.

The payment plan splits each registration into a deposit at sign-up and equal monthly payments. Card fees are worked out on each payment: rate × payment + fixed fee. More payments mean more fixed fees.

If you absorb the fee, families pay the list price and the fees come out of what you receive. The calculator shows the weekly price you'd need to charge to cover both your costs and the card fees. If families pay the fee, each card payment is raised so you still receive the full amount: charge = (payment + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − rate).

The default rate is Stripe's standard US online rate for domestic cards, 2.9% + 30¢ per successful payment, from stripe.com/pricing, checked November 6, 2026. International and manually entered cards cost more. Change the rate to match yours.

FAQ

Questions, answered

How do you price a summer camp?

Start with break-even: add up the summer's costs, subtract grants and donations, and divide by the number of camper-weeks you expect. That gives your break-even price per camper per week. Then add a cushion for empty spots, refunds and scholarships, and compare with similar camps near you.

What does a summer camp budget include?

Staff pay and payroll costs, food, supplies and equipment, the venue, insurance, licensing and permits, transportation and trips, shirts, marketing, software and card processing fees. On the income side: camper fees, grants, donations and any meal program or subsidy payments.

Should we absorb card fees or pass them on?

Absorbing keeps one simple price for every family. Passing the fee on keeps your price lower for families who pay by bank transfer or check. Rules on card surcharges differ by state and card network, so check them before you add one.

Do payment plans cost more in card fees?

A little. The percentage fee is the same on the total, but each payment adds the fixed fee (30¢ at Stripe's standard rate), so a deposit plus three monthly payments means four fixed fees, $1.20 per registration in total, compared with 30¢ when the family pays in full. Set the last payment before the first day of camp.

What does BackPR charge for payments?

Nonprofits use BackPR free, with no subscription and no BackPR fees. Payments run on Stripe, and Stripe's processing fees apply. Other organizations get pricing by quote.

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