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"sQuid, the ePayments provider, is making the cashless campus a reality for schools"
4 March 2010

Enabling smart card and biometric solutions, sQuid makes it easy to pre-load money on to a sQuid account, which can be used to pay for items at school and for parents to view transactions online, without children ever having to take cash into school.

Cashless catering payments using sQuid are fast, simple, and cut down on lunchtime queues, which encourages greater uptake of school meals. sQuid also enables easy payments for in school printing, photocopying and online payments for school trips, which parents can manage online.

sQuid also allows a discrete method of administering free school meals, with the individual’s card automatically topped up by the school administrator.

sQuid has partnered with the major equipment suppliers for schools, including Cunninghams, NRS, CRB and Biostore to deliver integrated payment services from the parents web portal through to the payment by smart card or biometric identifier at the point of sale. These solutions are now rolling out in partnership with companies such as Sodexo and Innovate.

Sheldon School in Chippenham and St Augustine’s Catholic College in Trowbridge started using sQuid smart cards a year ago after Wiltshire County Council was awarded funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to help schools with catering projects.

Sarah King, school meals strategy coordinator for Wiltshire County Council, acknowledged that cashless transactions were quicker to process, and schoolmeal uptake had increased. “Schools must meet DCFS nutritional standards, so it is really encouraging to see more pupils eating school lunches”, she added.

Further developments have been underway too, notably the integration with Pebble, the Smart Accountancy Software provider, to enable parents to pay for school trips, uniforms and other sundry expenses online, using an online sQuid account.

Adam Smith, Managing Director at sQuid, said, “Education campuses need efficient, low cost transaction systems to complement the excellent EPOS and accountancy systems already delivered by our partners. sQuid has brought its philosophy of innovation, simplicity and technology to the sector, and we will continue to do our bit to create truly cashless campus services in schools, universities and colleges.”