Online payments for school purchases piloted in Columbia

[img_assist|nid=10175|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=66|height=100]In Columbia county a new payment system is being trialed by some schools to allow parents to pay for their children’s school lunches with the click of a mouse. Greenbrier High, Evans Middle and Riverside Elementary schools were selected to participate in the project initiated under the partnership of the county school system and Cashless Schools, an Internet company.

The service provides parents with the opportunity to purchase school lunches, pay overdue library fees, buy yearbooks, support an after-school program and more through www.cashlessschools.com, using a credit card, debit card or checking account.

The accounts can be created on the website after which parents are able to fund them by means of a secure server. When the money are in the account the pupils can use a personal identification number to get access to the funds to pay for school-related purchases or fees.

As per official reports the project is expected to launch before the start of the second semester. In case it proves successful the service will likely be expanded to other public schools in the county at the beginning of the following school year.

Within the frames of the program parents will be able to trace the whole history of pupil purchases as stated by the Cashless School website. In addition the initiative allows parents to specify spending limitations. Users will be charged $1 a month and some additional fees might also be imposed.