1. Overview

Real Public School provides a digital fee management module through its school management platform. This module allows parents and authorized users to view fee structures, track payment records, and access receipts. This policy describes how fee records are handled and what recourse is available in case of issues.

Fee Payment Process (Where Online Payment Is Enabled)

2. Payment Methods

The following payment methods may be available (subject to configuration by the school):

• Cash payment: Cash paid directly at the school office, recorded manually by authorized staff
• Bank transfer/cheque: Direct bank transfer or cheque, recorded by authorized staff upon clearance
• Online payment gateway: Where enabled, credit/debit cards, net banking, UPI, or digital wallets may be accepted via an integrated payment gateway

Available payment methods are configured by the school administration. Not all methods may be available at all times.

3. Payment Confirmation

Upon successful payment, the platform will:

• Update the fee status to "Paid" for the relevant fee item
• Generate a payment receipt with a unique reference number
• Send a confirmation notification via in-app notification and, where notification services are configured, by email and/or SMS
• Record the payment date, amount, and method in the fee ledger

For online payments, confirmation is subject to the payment gateway's successful transaction callback. In cases of network interruption during payment, allow up to 24 hours for the status to update before contacting the school.

4. Payment Status

Fee payment status in the platform may show:

5. Receipt Generation

A payment receipt is generated for every confirmed payment. Receipts include:

• School name and receipt number
• Student name, class, and admission number
• Fee description and academic period
• Amount paid and payment date
• Payment method and transaction reference number
• Authorized staff signature or digital confirmation

Receipts are accessible from the fee module within the platform. Parents are advised to save or download receipts for their records.

6. Failed Transactions

A transaction may fail due to:

• Insufficient funds or card limit exceeded
• Network connectivity issues during payment
• Bank or payment gateway technical issues
• Incorrect payment details entered
• Payment declined by the issuing bank

In most cases, amounts deducted for failed transactions are automatically reversed by the payment gateway to your account within 5–7 business days. The school is not responsible for delays caused by the payment provider or your bank.

7. Duplicate Transactions

If a fee has been paid more than once due to a technical error or user error:

• Contact the school administration with both transaction reference numbers and a bank statement
• The school will verify the duplicate payment against platform records
• Confirmed duplicate payments will be processed for refund or credit against future fees, at the school's discretion

8. Refund Requests

Refund requests may be considered in the following circumstances:

• Duplicate or erroneous payment confirmed by the school
• Payment made against a fee that was subsequently cancelled by the school
• Overpayment due to system error
• Other circumstances at the school's discretion

Refunds are not automatically provided. All refund requests must be submitted in writing to the school administration with supporting documentation (transaction reference, bank statement).

9. Refund Processing

Once a refund request is approved by the school:

• For online payments: refunds are processed back to the original payment method through the payment gateway. Processing time is typically 7–14 business days, subject to the payment provider and bank timelines.
• For cash/cheque payments: refunds are issued as a cheque or cash from the school office, subject to the school's administrative process.

The school will notify the parent/guardian once the refund has been initiated. The school is not responsible for delays in credit to your account caused by the payment gateway or bank.

10. Payment Gateway Handling

When online payments are processed through a third-party payment gateway:

• The payment gateway handles the actual transaction and is responsible for the security of payment credentials
• The school does not receive, store, or have access to your card number, CVV, UPI PIN, or net banking password
• The payment gateway is subject to its own terms, privacy policy, and security standards (including PCI-DSS compliance)
• Users are advised to review the payment gateway's policies before completing a transaction

11. Transaction / Reference IDs

Every payment attempt generates a transaction reference ID. This ID is:

• Displayed in the platform after payment and on the receipt
• Used to track and verify payments with the school and payment gateway
• Required when raising issues regarding a specific payment

12. School Responsibility vs. Payment Provider Responsibility

13. Payment Data Security

The school stores only the following payment-related information:

• Transaction reference/order ID
• Payment amount and date
• Payment method category (card, UPI, cash — not specific credentials)
• Payment status (success, failure, pending)

14. Contact for Fee Issues

For any fee payment issues, please contact the school administration with:

• Student name, class, and admission number
• Transaction reference ID
• Date and amount of the transaction
• Description of the issue
• Bank statement or screenshot showing the transaction (if applicable)

For formal grievances, please use our Grievance Submission Form.