Billing That Makes Sense for Nurseries

Nursery billing isn't like invoicing for a product or a standard service. It's a maze of funded hours, additional hours, consumables, late fees, credits, pattern changes, and sibling discounts. Most generic invoicing software can't handle it properly.

Why nursery billing is different

Consider what a typical nursery invoice might include:

• Funded hours: 15 or 30 hours depending on eligibility, with different rates for different schemes
• Additional hours: Beyond funded entitlement, at your setting's hourly rate
• Session fees: For children not receiving funding
• Consumables: Nappies, meals, sun cream—sometimes included, sometimes charged separately
• Late collection fees: When parents collect after their booked session ends
• Credits and adjustments: For bank holidays, sickness, or booking changes
• Sibling discounts: Percentage or fixed amount reductions for multiple children

Multiply this by dozens or hundreds of families, across different billing cycles, and you understand why nursery finance teams spend so much time on invoicing.

How Early Tree handles it

Bookings drive billing

Your invoices are generated from actual booking patterns and attendance records. When a child's pattern changes, billing adjusts automatically. No manual recalculation required.

Funding engine built in

Early Tree understands UK funding schemes. Tell us which funding a child receives, and the system calculates funded versus chargeable hours correctly. Updates to funding rules are handled centrally.

Flexible billing cycles

Some parents want weekly invoices. Others prefer monthly. Corporate clients might need something different. Early Tree supports multiple billing cycles running simultaneously.

Payment integration

Connect your payment gateway and let parents pay invoices directly through the parent portal. Payments are reconciled automatically, and you can see outstanding balances instantly.

Open banking reconciliation

For settings on Premium or Enterprise plans, connect your bank feeds and let Early Tree match incoming payments to outstanding invoices. Less time hunting through bank statements.

Clear parent statements

Parents access their account through the portal. They see what they owe, what they've paid, and can download invoices and receipts. Fewer queries at the office.

The goal: less time on finance

Finance shouldn't consume your working day. With proper automation, invoicing becomes a background process that just works—freeing your team to focus on children and families.

Request beta access and see how billing can be simpler.