A new report from Transact + CBORD finds only 17% of colleges and universities have full visibility into payment processing costs, leaving most institutions with fragmented vendor systems, untracked fees and labor‑intensive reconciliation. Campus finance leaders say department‑level payment silos — housing, dining, athletics, parking — generate inconsistent vendor terms and obscure the true per‑transaction cost. The operational blind spots increase reconciliation work, raise error risks and reduce bargaining leverage with payment vendors. For chief financial officers and bursars, the recommendation is to centralize payment data, standardize vendor contracts and invest in integrated reporting to reveal avoidable charges and reclaim staff hours for strategic finance work.