Cashless Payment in Schools

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As a result of increased investment by the Federal Government, the trend in Germany is now towards all-day schools, and self-service is helping to address the need for suitable catering systems and efficient ordering procedures.
 
Numerous pupils are already attending full-day schools in Recklinghausen in North-Rhine Westphalia. Since May 2006, ten schools have been participating in an innovative school-catering system that operates with the help of a GeldKarte chip. The Department of Schools and Sports of the town of Recklinghausen developed the solution in collaboration with EDV Service Schaupp, Bietigheim-Bissingen, Polygon GmbH, Heusenstamm and the Sparkasse Vest Recklinghausen.

“We decided to go for a cashless payment system that offers a smooth and convenient way of organising the midday catering. Headteachers, caterers and, above all, parents and students are happy and quickly embraced the innovative technology,” said Rainer Höseler of Recklinghausen, explaining the background to the project. The system is used by some 1,400 pupils a day in schools and kindergartens. By the end of 2006, the system is to be adopted by another eleven full-time schools in Recklinghausen.
 
Efficient and Practical

After a few test runs with other cashless systems, the people in charge decided in favour of the GeldKarte chip technology, which means there is no need for the costly handling of either cash or meal vouchers. Adapting internal procedures to chip-card use also offers other benefits: each month, parents transfer money to a special food and drink account, thus ensuring that the available credit is used only for school meals. The pupil can place a food order either via a menu displayed on the terminal or from home via the internet. The order is stored centrally and the cost of the meal deducted directly from the credit on the card, or alternatively from the virtual account. The caterer can use the list of orders to prepare the food as economically as possible, since the system allows accurate production and HR planning. On the specified day, pupils are given their meal of choice after identifying themselves via their account-linked GeldKarte. If the card is inserted into the terminal at the service counter, an image of the chosen meal is shown on the display and a green light is illuminated.
 
The Sparkasse provides the EC card free of charge in conjunction with a pocket-money account. It is not necessary to purchase a separate card for the canteen. If the chip card gets lost, it can be stopped immediately, but the credit on the foodand- drink account remains. The cashless system also offers other possibilities that are not yet used in Recklinghausen. For example, parents could decide the extent to which they wish to determine the appropriation of payments: the chip could be set up for use in a second area in addition to the canteen. Pupils could use the card to pay for snacks and drinks from vending machines on the school premises. It’s up to parents to decide how much money is spent on what.
 
The card could also be used in other areas outside the school, as a specified amount can be added to the chip’s open purse and subsequently used at all other GeldKarte acceptance points. Pupils gradually learn how to handle money and cashless means of payment. It is important for parents to know that the card can only be used with cigarette vending machines with the so-called “Jugendschutzmerkmal” (youth protection symbol). Banks and savings banks only add this feature to the card for under 18 year-olds with their parents’ permission. Further possible uses are being considered for the future, for example, as a library and student card.