What is cashless catering and how can it benefit schools?

Cashless catering is a technology that allows consumers to pay for food and beverages without cash. It is a pre-pay system primarily used in canteens, but has also been successfully implemented at music festivals and events.

Within an educational setting, cashless catering  removes the need for children to be sent to school with cash or bank cards to pay for school meals. Unlike contactless card payments which are commonplace in retail environments, cashless catering within schools usually works more like an online money transfer service such as PayPal. Money is sent by parents or guardians from an online portal and children are able to redeem their meals without needing to carry any physical form of payment, be it cash or card.

Cashless catering software is easy to set-up and is installed like any other programme onto the school’s cloud server. Being cloud based makes it convenient for school staff and parents to login without having to install a programme on devices both at home and within schools. Some cashless catering portals exist as standalone platforms while others are embedded within parent engagement software, which manage every element of a parent or guardian’s relationship with the school, including parents evening bookings and school communications.

Essentially, cashless catering gives parents the ability to log on to the software from anywhere and add credit to their children’s account. This can be done on an ad hoc basis or by scheduling a regular payments to keep the account topped up to a certain level. Software is available on both mobile apps and desktop computers, and some platforms have the added convenience of accepting payment from PayPoint locations. In most cases, once card details are submitted, parents only need to login and amend this if there is a change to be made. There is no need for parents to arrange direct debits or standing orders, it’s all done via the portal and is as easy as shopping for anything online.  

Once up and running, depending on the functionality of the software, the way cashless catering systems are used between schools can vary. At the most basic level, a child will visit a catering location at school and be able to pay for food with whatever balance is on their account. Unique identifiers are used to link accounts to pupils, be it a student’s name, roll number or ID badge which they present at the till to pay for whatever has been purchased.

Further functionality of cashless catering software includes a link to a school’s food and beverage system so families can pre-select school meals for children ahead of time. This is good for those who have allergies or special dietary needs and gives parents reassurance that their children are eating well away from home. It also cuts down on food waste and allows canteen staff to accurately order stock.

The principle of a cashless system can go beyond catering. Some systems can support a variety of monetary transactions taking place between schools and parents, such as paying for school trips, clubs and school uniform.

The prospect of change can be daunting for any organisation, not least in schools where staff are time poor and budgets tight. However, there can be significant benefits of adopting cashless catering in schools, which can often outweigh the challenges.

Understandably there are challenges when considering any new software and it can be difficult to justify the long term gains when costs are being scrutinised. However, with the right preparation and communication between stakeholders, any obstacles can quickly be overcome. Think about the following:

1. Initial financial outlay

It can be difficult for schools and trusts to justify spending additional budget on any sort of new software with funding cuts being commonplace within the education sector. Assess the efficiency of any cash collecting methods and consider how much time staff spend administrating this. Build a business case covering the potential savings that could be made by using a cashless catering system. Speak to other schools as references to gain buy in from senior leadership teams.

2. Get the right support

When choosing a cashless catering software provider ask about the aftersales and support package. Teachers and school staff are busy people and will need a quick solution if things go wrong. Ask your provider if there is a dedicated support team. Is implementation free or is this an additional cost on top of the package? Make sure there aren’t any hidden or additional fees which could be a nasty surprise further down the line.

3. Prepare for launch and training

With so many stakeholders involved in a child’s education, it’s important that any new software a school adapts is properly launched with appropriate training for teachers and parents completed. An investment in a cashless catering system is only worthwhile if everyone is going to reap the benefits. Ensure the school is agreed on a cashless strategy, start raising awareness with parents early and encourage them to get onboard with cashless incentives. .

The best cashless catering system for one school will differ from one that works best for another. There are many payment solution providers on the market, so it’s important to consider your school’s specific challenges and how they can be met.

If your school outsources its catering, it’s worth speaking to the suppliers about what systems they work with. Also the needs of an independent school will differ greatly from a state secondary school and primary schools may be entirely different again. Do the research and consider systems which are education specific to ensure maximum uptake across your institution. 

Our parent engagement and communication software, My School Portal is a one stop shop for parent engagement. Offering cashless payments for school dinners, clubs and more My School Portal also centralises school communications and works as a parents evening booking system.