Online Payments
Parents Frequently Asked Questions
School Dinner Money is a simple and convenient way to pay for your
child’s/children’s school meals. It is easy to use and you have the freedom to make payments whenever you want. Many parents will welcome the certainty that money intended for school meals will reach the school quickly and safely. Your child we no longer have to take the responsibility for carrying money into school.
New to Online Payments
Q: How do I make a payment?
A: Log onto either your school website and click on the payment icon or visit www.rctcbc.gov.uk/schooldinnermoney and refer to the Step by Step payment guidance on the home page.
Q: The item I need to pay for is not listed
A: The only on line transactions currently available are for school dinners. To make a payment for School uniform, trips, music lessons etc please contact your school administrator. School contact details can be found though our School Finder service.
Q: Which payment card can I use?
A: The following cards are accepted by School Dinner Money Visa branded credit and debit cards
MasterCard branded credit and debit cards Visa Electron
Maestro UK
Solo branded debit cards
The Council can not accept payments by American Express Cards Q: How long does it take for money to be deducted from my bank
account?
A: This will depend on your bank, however most payments are deducted within 3 days of you actioning the payment.
Q: Was my Payment Processed Successfully?
A: If you have reached the School Dinner Money receipt page then your payment has been successful. This will also be confirmed on the site (see Step by Step payment guidance)
Q: Will I get a receipt when using School Dinner Money?
A: You will receive receipt information on screen once your payment has been successfully processed. You will be able to print a copy of this receipt by clicking the print icon (see the Step by Step payment guidance). Provided you have verified your email address a copy of the receipt will automatically be emailed to your registered email address.
Q: Can I still pay the school with a cheque or in cash?
A: Yes. At present the online payment is an additional convenient option for parents to purchase school dinners.
Q: Can I set a maximum daily spending limit on my child’s account? Note: Only applicable to Schools with Cashless catering
A: Yes. Although you will not be able to set daily limits from the payment site. If you contact the school or caterer they will be able to set a maximum daily spend against your child via the cashless system. School contact details can be found though our School Finder service. Q: I have lost my School Dinner Money receipt. How will the school
know I have paid for school meals?
A: Once you have successfully made a payment the school will notified the next day and your child’s account will be updated. Cashless catering systems will automatically be credited once a payment has been received.
Q: I can not afford to pre pay my child’s account until I get paid. Can my child still receive a meal?
A: Please contact your school who will advise you of the Council’s school dinner money arrears policy. School contact details can be found though our School Finder service
Q: Will I be able to view my transaction history?
A: No. You will only be able to review your current transaction before proceeding to payment. Any historical transaction can be requested from your child’s school dinner account. Contact your school
administrator for further details. School contact details can be found though our School Finder service.
Payment Security
Q: How safe is the transaction? Can fraudsters steal my card details?
A: All transactions are processed through a PCI (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards) certified gateway. All communication with the payment system is strongly encrypted and your card details are never stored either by the School or the Council.
A: Helping to keep your personal information safe online is our top priority. If you are ever contacted by someone claiming to be from the Council do not divulge confidential information over the phone.
Q: Personal information and data protection
A: The Council’s School Dinner Money Payment provider requests only a limited amount of information about you and your child solely for the purposes of administering your payment and updating your child’s dinner money account. Your information will not be shared with other
that any information you have given us electronically will only be used for the purposes you intended.
Problems Logging on
Q: I’ve lost my unique pupil reference number
A: Contact your school administrator who will be able to issue you with your unique pupil reference number. School contact details can be found though our School Finder service.
Q: Who has access to my account information?
A: The Council does not keep hold of your personal details, although the unique pupil reference number will ensure that income paid into the Council is correctly routed to your child’s School dinner money account. Your child’s school will update the balance of your child’s account, for regular updates and top up reminders you will need to make arrangements with your School administrator. School contact details can be found though our School Finder service
Problems with your Payment
Q: My child payment has not been credited to my child’s School meal/cashless catering account.
A: Payments from the Council’s ledger are updated the following day unless the school has a cashless system where accounts are updated in real time.
A: If you have made a payment so your child is able to have a meal on the day of your online transaction you will need to contact the school and provide details of your School dinner money payments receipt. The school once they have received this confirmation can update your child’s account so they can have a meal. School contact details can be found though our School Finder service
Q: How is money entered into the Cashless system?
A: Parents will be able to access the Council’s payments system to put money on their children’s accounts. The account is credited
immediately. This is the easiest and most effective way to pay. A: The Cashless Catering system automatically receives information
directly from the Council’s online payment provider and this
should update before a student makes a purchases in the canteen. A: However, should there be a delay for any reason; the student would be
allowed to 'lend' funds. Once the online payment has been received by the cashless system, any necessary adjustments will be credited to the account.
A: It is recommended that parents should make a payment 24 hours in advance if a child has insufficient funds to cover the cost of a meal.
I need to make a Payment for more than one pupil
Q: I have 2 children at the school, will I need to make separate payments for each child?
A: No. However you will need to enter each unique pupil reference number into the system for each sibling when making a payment. To avoid making multiple payments click Back to Top when entering the Payment Review screen. Do not select Pay until you are satisfied that you have created a list of all the events/students you wish to make a payment for. (See the Step by Step payment guidance for full details).
Q: How do I merge my accounts?
A: The system does not set you up as an account holder. You will need to make a payment against each child using their unique pupil
reference number. To obtain any balances of your children’s account you will need to contact your school administrator. School contact details can be found though our School Finder service.
Obtaining My Account Details
Q: Can each parent have their own login details?
A: Yes, contact your school who will be able to provide the unique pupil reference. This is all that is required to make a payment as the child’s account will not be available online but will need to be requested from the School. School contact details can be found though our School Finder service
Q: Can my partner/ex partner or other payer have their own login details to enable any carer/guardian to make a payment.
A: Yes, contact your school who will be able to provide the unique pupil reference. This is all that is required to make a payment as the child’s account will not be available online but will need to be requested from the School. School contact details can be found though our School Finder service.
Q: Can my card and personal details be saved?
A: The system will not be able to retrieve your details once you leave the web browser. These will have to be inputted every time you make a separate payment.
E-mails and Phone Numbers
Q: Why do I need to supply my e-mail address when making a payment?
A: In order to e-mail you a receipt for payments made.
A: In order to contact you if there we any problems with the transaction being authorised.
Q: Can I opt out of receiving any e-mail correspondence from the School?
A: Yes, the system requests an e-mail in order to send you a receipt of purchase. Alternatively you can choose the print option instead. Q: I have not received a verification e-mail after making a payment
online.
A: The system is offline for essential maintenance between 23:30-23:59 daily. If a payment was attempted during this timeframe no money will have been taken from your card.
A: Some e-mail providers may incorrectly identify the verification e-mail as SPAM and send details into your SPAM folder. Check your SPAM or ALL MAIL folder. If you do find the receipt mail you can ask your e-mail provider to allow Council generated e-e-mails in future. If there is no e-mail, contact your school and have your child’s unique pupil number and the credit/debit card details used for the transaction available to assist in the query. School contact details can be found though our School Finder service
Q: I have changed my email address, how do I update this on the system?
A: Each time you make a payment the system will require you to enter and verify your email address. It will not be automatically stored as the system does not register you as an account holder.
Alerts and Reminders
Q: Will I automatically receive an e-mail or text alert to remind me to top up my child’s school meal account.
A: No, the payment system will not automatically generate an alert to warn you when your child’s meal account is below a certain balance. Your child can regularly check their balance on the cashless system. Refunds
Q: If a child has ordered a meal in the morning (usually before 10am) but then goes home absent will that meal still be charged for and deducted from the child's school meal account? (Primary Schools only)
A: No.
Refunds-My Child has left School
Q: My child has left school. How do I obtain a refund of any outstanding credit?
A: Contact your School administrator who can make arrangements to reimburse any outstanding balances. School contact details can be found though our School Finder service.
Q: My child is moving school. How can I transfer the balance from my account?
A: It is not possible to transfer funds from one school to another. Contact your previous school for a reimbursement of any balances. If you have a sibling still attending the school, balances are able to be transferred to their school meal account or cashless catering system.
Q: My child has left school. How do I delete my account?
A: When your child leaves school, providing the balance of the account is zero the account will be deleted from the School’s system. If you are in credit or have any arrears, the school administrator will contact you to make arrangement to reimburse you or to obtain payment for any outstanding debt.
None of your bank details are held by either the School or the Council. Refunds-My Child is now entitled to a Free School Meal
Q: If a child has credit on their School Meal account but then becomes entitled to a Free School Meal (FSM) will this credit be reimbursed?
A: All credit will be reimbursed to parents from the date the child became entitled for a free school meal. This is the date the parents at which the application for a FSM is confirmed and not the point they were in
receipt of qualifying benefits.
Q: Is this process different in Secondary Schools as FSM pupils can top up their daily allowance?
A: Yes.
Any credit would automatically be added to the value of the child’s account. A daily allowance of £2:29 is added onto the pupils cashless account, although it is possible to make payments to top up the
account to enable a greater daily spend on the school dinner than allocated by their free meal allowance.
Upon request if there is credit on the card which is not the daily FSM allowance, a reimbursement can be made.
Cashless Catering Systems.
Q: How will pupils be able to check that online payments to cashless systems have been credited to their account?
A: Pupils can either use the revaluation station (top up points) at the School. Pupils will need to swipe their card or place their finger in the scanner (depends on the School’s cashless system) and the current cash balance will be displayed. There is no need to deposit any money, just press the red button to finish.
A: There is also a remote display at the point of sale that shows the new cash balance when the food service is finished.
Q: What if the student does not hold a sufficient cash balance one day to pay for a school dinner?
A: In emergency cases such as this, where all alternative options have been appropriately explored by the student to avoid requesting a loan from the school, the system has the exception facility to credit a student account, for that day only.
A: The student would be expected to either bring some money with them the next day to repay the loan and re‐credit the system by using the revaluation station or by paying online. The system will automatically account for any outstanding monies when the students account is next credited, so parents/carers must ensure that any exception loan to the student by the school is allowed for, the following day.
Q: What about students entitled to a ‘free school meal’?
A: The system works exactly the same for all students whether they pay or have a free school meal. All students have their own account to use in exactly the same way. The amount allocated for the free school meal either £2:08 for Primary pupils and £2:29 for Secondary aged pupils will be entered into the system by the software daily.
A: The system will then allow on a daily basis the required cash amount for each individual student to be allotted to their current cash balance. A: Any under spend or missed dinner will be identified by the system and
will not be added to the next day’s balance.
A: The student can also add extra cash on to his or her balance in the system by using the revaluation station or by paying online, to enable a greater daily spend on the school dinner than allocated by their free meal allowance. There will be no more queuing to be issued a ‘free meal’ pass or having the students name entered into the ‘free meal’ register at the till point.
I need to speak to someone as my query has not been resolved using the FAQ guide.
A: Use the FAQ guide to determine if you need to contact your school administrator or a representative from the Council’s School Finance team.
