ParentPay and Cashless Catering System

ParentPay

We are working towards making the College a completely cash free environment by introducing ParentPay. This is an online payment system, which will be used to pay for school meals, and in the future, trips and anything that requires payment in the College.

Each parent will have a secure online account, activated using a unique username and password; the user will be prompted to change these, and to keep them safe and secure. If a parent has more than one child at the college, they can merge their accounts to create one login for all of their children.

Making a payment is straightforward and ParentPay holds a payment history for you to view at a later date; no card details are stored in any part of the system. Once the account is activated, it is possible to make online payments straight away.

Parents can make payments into the account of between £10 and £250, at any time. They will receive a letter from the College in July informing them of their unique username and password.

Using PayPoint

For those parents without internet access, payments can be made via the many PayPoint outlets which are available.

PayPoint payments are recorded by ParentPay and can be seen by logging into your ParentPay account and viewing your payment history online. The nearest PayPoint stores to the college are Spar in the Post Office and in Ford Street, Co-Op in Market Street, Somerfield in Brook Street and the Horrabridge Stores.

Please notify the Business Manager, Mrs Tope, if you wish to use the PayPoint facility. A plastic card will be issued to you to make cash payments for school meals at local PayPoint stores. The first card is free of charge; however, any lost or damaged cards will be charged at £2.50 each. Payment cards take about 2 weeks to arrive but a barcoded letter can be issued as an interim measure.

Trip and activity information letters will carry a unique barcode which will allow parents to make cash payments at their local PayPoint store.

ParentPay FAQ

• When can I log in to my account? Once you have received your activation letter from school with your activation login details you’ll be able to activate your account and start making payments. This letter will be sent to you soon by your school.
• Which cards can I use? ParentPay accepts MasterCard and Visa credit cards, and Maestro, Switch, Delta, Electron, Solo and Visa debit cards. Some schools may limit the use of credit cards for some transactions; you will be informed by the school directly of any such restrictions.
• Is it safe to make payments on the internet? Yes. ParentPay uses leading technology to process your card transactions securely. All communication with the bank is encrypted and neither ParentPay nor the school have access to your card details.
• How can I check that it’s secure? Standard website addresses begin with http; the address for a secure site will always begin with https. You will also see a padlock at the bottom/top right of the screen on our login page and after you have logged into your account; never enter your card details or personal data on any web page whose address does not start https.
• What about our personal information? ParentPay holds a very limited amount of information about you and your child solely for the purpose of administering your account; however ParentPay does not use your personal information other than for supporting the school. We do not share or give information to any other organisations. We operate under strict guidelines set out by the Data Protection Act 1998.
  
  ParentPay will NEVER contact you by phone, email or mail and ask you to divulge confidential information like passwords or card numbers. If you are ever contacted by someone claiming to be from ParentPay, please contact us immediately on 0845 257 5540.
• I don’t have a home PC so how can I use ParentPay? Why not visit your local library, internet café or see if you can get access to a computer at work alternatively ask if you can use your school’s computers. Many schools have computers available for parents and will be happy to show you how to use them.

For more information please visit www.parentpay.com

 

Cashless Catering System

The College has installed a new cashless system¹ in the Refectory, which will be in operation when the students return to college in September 2010. No cash will be accepted at the till points in the Refectory from the first day of the autumn term.

This new system offers many advantages to students, parents and staff, enabling the catering department to deliver a more efficient, faster service and to continue to provide wholesome, healthy and enjoyable meals.

Refectory customers will each have an account which they can top-up, and use to buy food in the refectory. There is a daily spend limit which is preset at £3.50, although this can be changed by writing to the Catering Manager.

Parents and staff can pay any amount to increase the balance of their accounts either online using a debit or credit card using Parent Pay, details below; using a card through PayPoint, which is available at a number of retail outlets or through cash payment points in the College, which will be situated in the Refectory, the Concourse and the Octagon.

Students that qualify for free school meals can also use the new system. Their accounts will automatically be credited with the amount allocated for free school meals, which the students can then spend in the normal way. The amount will be paid into the account on a daily basis, and when dinners are missed the daily amount will be deducted from the remaining balance. These students can also “top-up” their balances if required. The system helps to reduce the stigma of free school meals, as those students will be able to use any till point, and will not be restricted to a specific till as at the moment.

Access to the new system is via biometric authentication. An image of the customer’s fingerprint will be taken, and turned into a mathematical algorithm. This will then be used to recognise the fingerprint. Please note: the original image of the fingerprint will be discarded. It will not be possible to reconstruct the image of the fingerprint from the information held on the system. When the customer places their finger on the scanner the software matches the fingerprint to the unique digital signature held in the database.

Student Leavers

In line with college finance policy refunds of less than £10 cannot be made. Parents of students leaving the college please note that it is not possible to refund money left on their account under £10. Please ensure that as your child comes close to their leaving date they monitor the amount of money on their account, reducing it or topping it up as necessary to ensure there is a nil balance when they leave.

Features of the Cashless Catering System

• Convenience of paying for school meals. No more looking for change every morning.
• Discourages the misuse of school dinner money, through spending in shops outside of the school grounds.
• Alleviates many of the associated problems with the use of cash in schools ie. loss, theft and bullying.
• Specific food allergy ingredients can be barred automatically.
• Healthy eating is encouraged.
• Queuing times are reduced through increased speed of service.
• Automatic free meal allocation means the students can remain anonymous.
• Detailed reports to analyse all aspects of the use of the system.
• Students having control of their accounts teaches important life skills.
• A more efficient delivery of service helps the catering department provide wholesome, healthy and enjoyable school meals at a low cost.

---

 

Cunningham's Impact Cashless System

1. The cashless system is provided and maintained by Cunningham's EPOS systems. This is a well established firm, with much experience with point of sale systems. User's information is held by the Cashless System, including user details, balances and transactions. This allows for a wide range of reports detailing usage of the refectory.

Please note, Cunningham's have provided the package, but only have controlled access to the system.

If you have any queries about the biometric system or any other aspect of the college's cashless catering system please contact the business manager, Mrs Tope at the college.

 

Page updated Tuesday, May 14, 2013