Campus management systems vs. Complete fee automation — Why you need both in 2026
Many schools and colleges assume that a campus management system (CMS) is enough to run their operations smoothly. But in 2026, institutions are discovering a gap.
Your campus management system can manage academics and data — but it cannot fully solve fee collection challenges.
This is where specialised fee automation platforms like Jodo come in.
This blog breaks down:
- What campus management system platforms do well
- Where they fail (especially in finance functions)
- Why fee automation needs a separate system
- How pairing campus management system + Jodo creates a complete solution
- Real examples from top schools using both systems
What campus management system solutions do well
1. Academics & teaching workflow
- Attendance
- Homework
- Lesson plans
- Communication
2. Administration
- Admissions
- Student records
- Timetable
- Library
- Hostel
3. Examination Process
- Marks entry
- Report card creation
- Analytics
For these functions, campus management system tools are great. But they fall short in one critical area…
Read : Top campus management systems for your institute in 2026
Where CMS platforms struggle — Especially for finance teams
1. Delayed fee collection
Campus management systems sends reminders but cannot:
- Retry failed payments
- Automate monthly debits
- Reduce friction at checkout
2. Manual reconciliation
Finance teams still do:
- Bank statement matching
- Manual ledger updates
- Correcting duplicate entries
Campus management system solutions provide dashboards, but reconciliation is not automated.
3. Limited payment flexibility
Most campus management system payment modules allow only:
- UPI
- Card
- Net banking
They lack:
- Autopay eNACH
- EMI options
- Multi-currency support
- Split payments
4. High payment gateway costs
Most Campus management system providers route all payments through their own gateway partners → leading to higher MDR.
5. No support for long-term/recurring plans
Colleges offering:
- Annual plans
- 6/12/24 month instalments
- Long-term courses
cannot manage recurring billing with campus management systems alone.
Why institutions add Jodo to their campus management system
Here’s the real reason thousands of schools and colleges pair CMS + Jodo:
1. Automated fee collection
- Autopay via eNACH/UPI AutoPay
- Automatic retries
- Smart reminders
- Flexible plans
- EMI options
2. End-to-End reconciliation
- No manual matching
- Ledger auto-updates
- Real-time dashboards
3. Better parent experience
- One-click pay
- EMI plans
- Transparent reminders
4. Lower costs
- Lower transaction fees
- Lower chargebacks
- No hidden campus management system gateway commissions
Real example — How one school fixed fee collection with CMS + Jodo
A premium school in Maharashtra used a top campus management system provider for five years. But their finance team still struggled with: ₹20 lakh/month stuck in pending payments, 5–7 days lost to manual reconciliation, as parents pushed for EMI flexibility.
After implementing Jodo Flex:
- Monthly fee collection became 100% digital
- Manual reconciliation was fully eliminated with custom dashboards
- Staff workload dropped significantly as Jodo handled follow-ups
- Parents stopped visiting the campus every month thanks to flexible instalment and automated fee payment options
- Over ₹3.5 crore collected smoothly and on time
Why campus management system + Jodo is the future
The future model for campuses is:
Campus management system = academics + admin Jodo = finance + fee automation
Institutions that combine both experience:
- 40–70% reduction in admin workload
- 20–30% increase in on-time fee collection
- Zero errors in reconciliation
- Significant parent satisfaction lift
Book a 20-min demo — streamline fee collection for your institute.
For more insight, connect with the author, Rishabh Raj on LinkedIn.
