Frequently asked questions
Parents School Catering FAQ's
School Catering
Buying School Meals Online FAQs
- What benefits do I get from buying online?
- How much does it cost to use the service?
- Who operates this site?
- Why do I need to register?
- What details do you store
- Is it safe to buy online?
- How secure is the system?
- How can I buy online if I haven’t got a computer at home?
- How will the school know that meals have been bought online?
- Can I buy from more than one school at once?
- What confirmation of purchase will I get?
- Why might my transaction not be successful?
- What do I do if I lose my receipt?
- How many meals do I have to buy at one time?
- I have two children at the same school, can I buy 10 meals and give 5 to each of them?
- I have more than one child, do I need to make a separate purchase for each child?
- How do I obtain a refund?
- What do I do if I have problems using the site?
- Why can I only buy school meals?
- What else will I be able to buy online?
- When will I be able to buy more than just meals?
- How do I make comments or suggestions about this web page?
- Is there anything else you would like to know?
What benefits do I get from buying online?
You will no longer have to
- queue to pay personally or,
- worry about having cash to hand on a Monday morning or,
- worry about finding the cheque book or,
- worry about your child carrying cash into school, and
- you can buy more meals in one go visit saving you time.
This site is operated by Devon County Council on behalf of schools. Catering in schools is provided by the schools themselves or, in the majority of cases, by Devon Catering and Cleaning Services (DCCS) who also provide catering services to schools in Torbay.
Yes your personal information will be kept safe. We receive your information using a secure server. The padlock symbol means that the transaction is encrypted throughout the payment process.
How much does it cost to use the service?
The service is free to use – the price you pay is the price of the meal only.
Registration is intended to make your future transactions quicker and more convenient. All information can be reviewed and deleted by you if necessary. No credit or debit card details are stored.
We store selected details so you will not have to re-enter them on every visit. This will help us to make your future transactions quicker and easier. We hold the following details:
Username (usually your email address)
Password reminder – sent to you by email if you forget your password, your password is encrypted within the system and not visible to anyone
Name - checked by the bank, when a payment is made
Address details - checked by the bank, when a payment is made
Phone Number details – (optional – so we can contact you if there are any problems)
Children’s names and School year (optional - can be edited or removed if necessary)
Schools that you purchase from regularly (optional – allows quick navigation to the schools of your choice)
Devon County Council takes online payment security very seriously and is continually reviewing procedures in line with banking guidelines.
This system has been thoroughly tested by an approved third party for any security vulnerabilities.
Our Payment Services Provider is an approved level 1 merchant services provider (highest level).
All payments are processed using industry standard security protocols.
How can I buy online if I haven’t got a computer at home?
You can use a PC with an Internet connection from anywhere it doesn't have to be at home. We are investigating other ways of allowing you to buy meals electronically that won't require using a PC.
How will the school know that meals have been bought online?
Each school will receive a report detailing meals purchased up to 07.59 on Monday mornings and will use this report to issue tickets or credit your child in the meals register.
Can I buy from more than one school at once?
Yes, you can pay for items from several schools in one transaction by adding items from different schools to your “Basket”.
What confirmation of purchase will I get?
If your transaction is successful you will receive an on screen confirmation. After you have made your purchase you will be able to print a receipt (or if you don’t have a printer, make a note of the transaction reference number). You will only need this receipt/transaction reference number if there is a problem.
Why might my transaction not be successful?
The most usual causes of failure are because
- card details are not correctly entered and not recognised by the bank;
- there are insufficient funds available to allow your transaction to proceed.
The screen prompts will tell you if the bank won’t accept your card.
What do I do if I lose my receipt?
This should not be a problem as the school will receive separate notification of your purchase.
If you have given us an e-mail address when you completed the transaction, the receipt will have been e-mailed to you. If you have no e-mail address and you have lost your receipt, the school will be able to confirm your purchase when they receive the weekly report.
How many meals do I have to buy at one time?
There is currently a minimum purchase of 10 meals. You may buy any number above this to a maximum of the days in the term.
I have two children at the same school; can I buy 10 meals and give 5 to each of them?
This is not recommended and depends on the school’s policy. If your child’s school uses tickets, it may be possible to redistribute them.
I have more than one child; do I need to make a separate purchase for each child?
Yes, the child’s name along with other information you give us is used to ensure that the correct number of meals are provided. However, our online system has a quick link to purchase meals for the next child and you can accumulate purchases in the basket until you are ready to check out.
Please speak to your school who will arrange this. Refunds are normally only given for unused credits when pupils are leaving the school.
What do I do if I have problems using the site?
During office hours please phone the Revenue Team on 01392 382780 or 383109 or contact us by e-mail epayquer@devon.gov.uk
Why can I only buy school meals?
In most schools school meals are the most common financial transaction and we felt it best to start with them. We are developing the system to allow parents to pay for other things too.
What else will I be able to buy online?
We expect that the shopping basket will allow parents to pay for most of the things provided by the school; visits, clothing, breakfast & after school clubs, swimming and contributions to classroom materials.
When will I be able to buy more than just meals?
We expect to start making this available later this term
How do I make comments or suggestions about this web page?
Feed back is always welcome. We are working to upgrade and expand this service to provide a shopping basket feature. This should be much more flexible. Any comments you send will be taken into account.
To send feedback please e-mail epayquer@devon.gov.uk
Is there anything else you would like to know?
e-mail fineduc@devon.gov.uk
