Card-Based Purchasing In Schools

Storing funds on student ID cards for purchases in—and out of—schools is quickly becoming an accepted practice. When coupled with online monitoring and management tools, students, parents, and school administrators prefer pre-paid debit cards as an alternative to cash.

There are problems with cash in schools. Students lose it, parents can’t keep track of it, and administrators don’t want to handle it. There is an alternative which, according to a leading research firm, has strong across-the-board acceptance.

Imagine a universal student ID card that did it all. Students would use the card for attendance, getting on the bus, in the school cafeteria, and, additionally, as a pre-paid debit card for purchases at school. From dance tickets to student fees to lunch, students could use their ID card to pay for it all.

Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU) leads the way in researching and understanding how middle and high school students respond to products and services. Over the past 15 years, TRU has interviewed over a quarter of a million teenagers to discover their opinions on everything from soft drinks to financial services. A recent TRU study focused on the concept debit-style accounts for students. The study found near universal acceptance among students, parents, and school administrators.

Students liked the idea of being able to carry a single card at school which also allowed them to make purchases, eliminating the need to carry—and potentially lose—cash. Although TRU found that a few students had some concerns about their parents ability to monitor and manage their spending, most agreed that the convenience of the card was worth the price of potential snooping parents.

Likewise, parents were extremely receptive to the idea of being able to log onto a website to monitor their children’s spending. The ability to set spending limits and to decide what their students could spend their money on was equally as important.

Both students and parents agreed that the funded ID card would help teach teenagers financially responsibility. Likewise, expanding the ability to use the card at local off-campus retailers appealed to both groups; students liked the versatility, parents liked the oversight. When backed by a major credit card company (such as MasterCard), confidence in the system is secured.

inTeam sees great potential in such a system. In the cafeteria, ID cards are a great way to keep the lines moving and also provide a mechanism for ensuring the anonymity of students with free or reduced meal benefits. Eliminating cash from the serving lines not only increases speed, but also reduces the opportunities for theft and accounting mistakes. Over the coming weeks, we’ll introduce you to new and exciting ways to integrate TRU’s findings into your operations!