# Fee Categories

Fee categories describe the purpose of a fee item, such as tuition, admission, transport, or daycare.

## Step-by-step guide

1. Go to **Fees & Finance > Fee Categories**.
2. Select **Add Category**.
3. Enter category name.
4. Add an optional description.
5. Mark **Refundable** if the amount may be returned.
6. Mark **Optional** if it is not mandatory for every student.
7. Select **Save**.

## What SmartAcademy does in the background

The backend stores the category under your organization and records create, update, or delete actions. Transport and daycare can also auto-create categories when linked billing is used.

## Tips

- Create clear category names because they appear in fee structures and receipts.
- Do not delete categories already used in active fee structures unless you are sure.

## Related pages

- [Fee structures](/smartacademy-v2-platform/finance/fee-structures)
- [Transport student assignments](/smartacademy-v2-platform/transport/student-transport)
- [Daycare usage and billing](/smartacademy-v2-platform/daycare/usage-billing)