3 Reasons to Implement Cashless Payment Systems for Schools

Cashless payment systems for schools, when implemented properly, benefit everyone involved. Most importantly, the students benefit, but along side them, both staff and parents can reap the rewards of such systems. All 3 pillars of a school benefit, and here’s why.

Why Students love cashless payment systems for schools

We’ve found that students are big fans of cashless payment systems for schools, especially when you allow them to use a biometric solution. Using a fingerprint to authenticate meal payments and more can be seen as slick and exciting. More fun than handing over cash or swiping a card.

That initial novelty might wear off let’s be honest, but the longer-term benefits for students are what really matter. Students using a biometric can’t lose it or forget it, which is incredibly handy. It cuts down on costs that you might have with replacing cards and cuts down on time spent resetting passwords.

But most of all, cashless payment systems, especially for catering, speed such services. It can help to cut queues at lunch time, queues that otherwise put students off using the service. When catering is quick, more students can use the service. Students soon learn they have time to get some proper food during their break and do other things: socialise with friends, attend lunch-time clubs and maybe even get a bit of a game of footy in still.

Get parents involved with cashless payment systems for schools

Students are the number one priority when it comes to cashless payment systems for schools, but they work in parents’ favour in a number of ways too. They make payment for school meals, trips and any other school payment needed incredibly simple. Parents can do it all from one online account at home, on the go, or from PayPoints in local stores. They can even send cheques in if the other options are inconvenient.

It also means parents don’t have to give their children cash to take to schools anymore. Often that cash doesn’t get spent on school food like it’s intended and ends up being spent at the local chippy on the way home. With cashless payment systems, parents can rest assured money is being spent in the right place.

If parents wish, they can have even more oversight with a cashless system for catering. Online they can check that each day food payments are being withdrawn, and with FasTrak, it’s possible to set up a pre-ordering system too. Parents can decide with their children what meals they will have throughout the week. If monitoring diet is important to parents, they can do that.

Cashless payment systems for schools to cut admin

Lastly, cashless payment systems for schools also benefit the staff of school in a number of ways. If parents buy into the system and are comfortable using it for catering, it can make receiving payment for all other kind of school payments very simple, whether that’s for a school trip or any school service.

Cashless catering and the use of pre-ordering can help the kitchen staff be more prepared on a day-to-day basis and help them run a smoother and more efficient operation with the kind of reporting the FasTrak systems provides. Additionally, cash counting on a daily basis is a task removed for school admin staff.

A successful cashless catering system should also provide teachers with more students who have had a good nutritious lunch time meal. We often hear tales of misbehaviour and distraction caused by rumbling stomachs in the latter half of the school day. With more students well fed, teachers are more often greeted with receptive students who have the energy to learn.