Using cash to buy something to eat has become a thing of the past at a Moorabool primary school that is pioneering technology to allow parents to pay for lunch orders using their smartphone.
Bacchus Marsh Primary School is one of eight across Victoria chosen to pilot the cashless QkR system, which uses a mobile phone application linked to a credit or debit card.
QkR can also be used to pay for other expenses such as school fees, excursions and swimming lessons.
“The old system had the children putting their coins in a bag, risking them losing it,” principal Ian Wren said.
“Now parents can do it at home and order up to two weeks in advance, selecting what their children can eat. It’s an easy and convenient way to do things; they can pay for it on the train, at work or early in the morning, whenever suits them.”
Canteen staff process orders electronically and can print labels that identify each child’s order when it is delivered or collected. The technology could eventually be rolled out to other schools.
Mr Wren said about 40 per cent of parents were now ordering their children’s lunches using the cashless application and a growing number were jumping on board.
“The program’s being developed all the time, and given we’ve received such great feedback from parents and staff, we intend to continue our involvement next year,”
Mr Wren said.
Martin Collins, vice-president of developer MasterCard Labs, said schools liked the system because it reduced administration and problems that could arise with cash payments.
Mr Wren said the tech-savvy pupils had also responded well to the move.
“The kids seem to like it; it’s less of a hassle for them, too.”
