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sQuidcard - cashless catering and more for schools
13 Jul 2009

sQuidcard can enable cashless catering for schools, while unlocking the door to a host of added benefits that might not be obvious from the outset.

Chief among these is that the electronic money prepaid on to the cards makes it unnecessary for pupils to carry cash with them - effectively eliminating the risks of bullying associated with children having money on them. Free School Meal entitlement can also be administered easily and discreetly, with a set value automatically loaded on to the card each day.

Schools themselves can also operate without keeping large amounts of cash on the premises, reducing the security issues associated with holding lunchtime takings throughout the afternoon and also making significant reductions in the administration and costs associated with processing cash. 

The contactless smart card is preloaded with eMoney online with a balance set by the child's parent or guardian - or it can be topped up by cash or cheque at the school's finance office.

sQuidcard in action

Among the schools already benefiting from the use of sQuidcard are St Augustine's Catholic College in Trowbridge and Sheldon School in Chippenham.

Both trialled the eMoney for a term and adopted the contactless smart cards following successful pilot periods.

Sarah King, school meals strategy coordinator for Wiltshire County Council, says: "Cashless transactions are quicker to process and school meals uptake has increased; it is really encouraging to see more pupils eating school lunches."

The schools implemented sQuidcard as part of a drive to encourage pupils to eat more healthily by driving uptake of school lunches through cashless catering.

But they have also seen associated benefits - such as the option for parents to view their son or daughter's transaction history online.

Initial outlay for installing the necessary card readers and issuing the electronic money cards to pupils did not come out of the schools' budgets, as they were allocated additional funding for the schemes by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

The benefits of eMoney

Adam Smith, managing director of sQuidcard, explains the primary benefits of the technology.

"sQuid is an ideal payment system for schools, since it is low-cost, easy to implement and ideal for young people," he says.

"It removes the need to have cash at the school and gives parents a way to ensure that money is spent on lunches."

He also points out that, in the future, it will be possible to use the sQuidcard system to pay for other costs associated with attending school.

These could include transport, school trips, clubs and activities among other areas of expenditure.

Sheldon School

At present, Sheldon School is running a cashless catering scheme in collaboration with its catering supplier Sodexo and sQuidcard.

The school notes the peace of mind associated with not needing to carry cash - and points out that eMoneyalso offers extra security to overcome some of the concerns that parents might have.

For instance, if a registered card is lost, it can be cancelled, preventing the remaining balance from being used.

This balance can then be transferred to another smart card, ensuring the funds are not lost even if the original card cannot be found.

"Parents can be sure that dinner money is spent at school and pupils don't have to worry about carrying cash," the school adds.

Beyond school - sQuid in colleges and universities

Students in further and higher education institutions can continue to benefit from the advantages offered by a cashless society.

The sQuid contactless smart card may double as a membership card to allow entry to gym facilities or libraries, for example.

Alternatively, it can be used to pay non-food costs ranging from library fees to printing charges.

For university students living away from home for the first time, it offers a chance for parents to top up their electronic money balance online without needing to visit the bank or send cheques through the post which then take days to clear.

As payments are debited from the eMoney card's balance - rather than running on credit to be repaid later - students are also given a means of controlling their debts by ensuring they do not spend money they do not have.

Whether at school, college or university, the contactless smart cards can carry out transactions in a few seconds without ever leaving the hand of their owner, for a combination of high security with great convenience.