ClassDojo Launches 'ClassDojo Payments': Embedded Payments for the Platform Used in 95% of US Schools

Powered by Pay Theory, ClassDojo Payments lets schools collect fees, manage fundraisers, and accept payments from every family—including cash-to-digital payments at 60,000+ retail locations—inside the app

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ClassDojo, the platform connecting teachers, students, and families in 95% of U.S. schools, today announced ClassDojo Payments: a comprehensive embedded payment solution. Launching in late 2026, ClassDojo Payments enables schools to collect field trip fees, manage fundraisers, process technology fees, and accept payments from every family, all on the platform that tens of millions of school leaders, teachers, and parents already use daily.

Powered by Pay Theory's payment facilitation infrastructure, ClassDojo Payments eliminates the friction of offline payment collections and disconnected third-party portals while ensuring every family can participate—including through cash-to-digital acceptance at thousands of retail locations nationwide.

One Platform, Deep Engagement

For years, school districts have had to manage separate vendors for classroom communication, mass notifications, websites, and payments—each with its own contract, login, and learning curve. The result is administrative burden, compliance risk, and a fragmented experience for families.

Payments are often the worst offender: many districts still rely on paper forms, cash envelopes, and disconnected portals, creating barriers for the families who can least afford them. By embedding payments directly into the platform that already serves as the existing trusted daily connection point between home and school, ClassDojo eliminates the need for districts to bolt on yet another vendor and solves the engagement gap that has plagued school business offices. Communication, engagement, and financial operations now live in one place.

Enabling Digital Payments for Every Family

One in six U.S. households is unbanked or underbanked, meaning millions of families are routinely excluded from school activities that require digital payment. ClassDojo Payments addresses this directly: parents generate a barcode in the ClassDojo app and pay in cash at participating retail locations, including CVS, Walgreens, 7-Eleven, and Family Dollar. Funds are credited to the school account directly, with no physical cash handling required—ensuring no family is left out.

"No student should miss a field trip because their family doesn't have a credit card," said Brad Hoeweler, CEO of Pay Theory. "Schools need payments that work for every family, not just the ones with bank accounts. That's why we're proud to power ClassDojo Payments. Together, we're bringing inclusive financial infrastructure to K–12 so districts spend less time on transactions and more time on teaching and learning."

Trusted for District-Scale Operations

ClassDojo Payments builds on the trust school administrators and district leaders have in ClassDojo by providing real-time visibility into payment status across every school in the district. The platform handles everything from one-time field trip payments to recurring PTO dues, with built-in compliance for PCI-DSS Level 1 security standards, FERPA, and COPPA requirements.

"District leaders have been telling us for years: give us one system," said Jeff Buening, General Manager, ClassDojo. "With ClassDojo Payments, a superintendent can see classroom communication, family engagement, and financial operations in a single view—from Mrs. Johnson's third-grade classroom to the district office. It's a fundamentally different but extremely efficient way to run a school system."

ClassDojo Payments will be available to districts nationwide in late 2026. Districts interested can contact their ClassDojo representative or visit classdojo.com/districts.

About ClassDojo

ClassDojo is on a mission to give every child on earth an education they love. ClassDojo connects over 50 million families globally, bringing teachers, children, and families together every day. ClassDojo for Districts is a unified communication, engagement, and operations platform that brings classroom updates, districtwide messaging, and now payment processing into one seamless experience—helping families stay connected, students stay engaged, and school operations run smoothly. The platform is built with privacy at its core and designed to serve the entire school community.

About Pay Theory

Pay Theory is payments and money movement infrastructure purpose-built for Essential industry verticals like, Education, Healthcare, Senior and Child Care, Government, and Donations/NonProfit. We believe that simple, beautiful financial solutions can improve access to these vital services for all families. The company provides secure, compliant payment processing and money movement capabilities including unique cash-to-digital acceptance through retail partners nationwide. Pay Theory maintains PCI-DSS Level 1 certification and SOC 2 Type II compliance, serving thousands of Essential platforms and merchants across the United States. For more information go to https://www.paytheory.com/ 

Media Contact: Charlotte Andrist
Nickel Communications
charlotte@nickelcommpr.com

SOURCE ClassDojo