1 March 2022

5 Reasons Why You Need to Switch Your School Payments Provider

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Giulia Tramontana

Taking the First Steps

Finding the perfect provider that fits your school’s needs can be a complicated journey, especially if you are already tied up to a contract. However, now that we have learned the benefits that a fixed annual fee can bring to your school and what to keep in mind when renewing a service, let us help you make the executive decision of switching. If your school payments provider isn’t satisfying your needs, you should look for an all-rounded service for a competitive price.

What kind of features should you be looking for?

Annual School Payments Contracts

When considering school payments services, the length of contract you need to sign up for should be at the forefront of your mind; most of the time, some payment providers will offer 3-year contracts with no incentive for your school. You should always keep your school’s budget and changing requirements in mind and look for the best service for the best possible price. With SchoolMoney, you can choose the plan that fits your needs best. Our annual contracts mean you don’t have to commit to a lengthy service period and work well when budgets are tight. Our 3-year contracts are excellent value for those looking long term, as they are offered a discounted price. Your annual fee can include an unlimited payments package, so you don’t have to worry about going over budget due to extra charges.

UK based Support

When you need support, you want to speak to a real person, not spend hours typing away to a chatbot or to be redirected to lifeless Frequently Asked Questions pages. Speaking to another person can help you understand the system better through having a conversation and asking relevant questions in real-time. SchoolMoney offers UK based support, which means you can pick up the phone and call our team whenever a problem arises, and they will be on the other side of the line to guide you through our school payments platform and advise. If you need further support, we have also developed an online support resource to provide you with guides and video tutorials.

PCI Compliance – Secure School Payments

When completing transactions online, you should always be aware of the levels of security on the platform you are using. There are regulations in place managing how processors of card information handle your transactions to keep your data safe, and SchoolMoney is the only Level 1 PCI compliant platform. It’s always important to ensure your school payments are secure and handled correctly. Learn more about PCI compliance and its importance by reading our blog.

Accessible Options

The more options your payments provider offers, the more satisfied your school community will be! Through SchoolMoney you can keep your school cashless by letting parents without access to online banking top up their accounts through Paypoint, using cash. You can also let them pay in as many instalments as you wish. Did you know Apple Pay is now an available payment option, too? Complete payments on your device in seconds.

Complete Solution

Naturally, you’ll have to ensure your payments facility includes every service you need. That’s why we have created a platform with all your school payments solutions in one place. Curious about some of the features SchoolMoney offers? Here’s a quick overview:

  • Mobile Ready System: A platform that is available both online and app based makes it more accessible to parents, and therefore makes parents more likely to engage with your school.
  • The School in Your Hands: You should give parents the option to let go of cash completely and be actively involved in their child’s school day. On SchoolMoney, you can take bookings and payments for meals, clubs and trips. The system also generates intuitive reports for your school staff to easily manage bookings and finances.
  • School Income Stream: You can set up an online school shop to sell items such as uniform, stationery or tickets to school events. Get creative! This feature will help your school turn existing services into revenue.
  • Integration with Communications Platform: Your school should be able to offer parents and guardians many options to complete payments, but it is also important for your staff to communicate with them, and vice versa. Teachers2Parents provides services to facilitate school communications. See what our schools say about using both systems!

Now that you know exactly what to look for in a payments platform, start researching. Why not start by checking out SchoolMoney? Download our free Cashless guide to explore your school’s potential, and book a demo to start your journey to effective, safe and secure school payments.