FAQs

Logging in

I can’t log in

To successfully login to ParentPay you’ll need your:

• Username; once your account has been activated, this is likely to be your registered email address – stored and edited in ParentPay under My profile
• Your password

It’s likely that you changed your password from that issued by your school (for account activation) to something more memorable; please note that your password is case sensitive.

If you are still unable to access ParentPay, please use the Forgotten password link found on our login page; you will be emailed a copy of your password.

Please note that ParentPay do not have access to your account details or login information; please contact your school if further assistance is required.

What does “case sensitive” mean?

Case sensitivity refers to the format of the characters used in your password i.e. whether letters are in upper or lower case.

It’s also important to take care when entering the lower case letter “l” for lima, it can sometimes be confused for the number “1”; another common mistake is to use the upper case letter “O” for Oscar, instead of the number “0” zero.

Usernames and passwords are only accepted if completely accurate.

Change your password

I want to change my password

Please login to your account and click on My profile; you’ll be asked to enter your old password, and then be given the opportunity to enter and save a new one.

Change your username

I want to change my username

Please login to your account and click on My profile; overwrite your existing username and click to save your changes.

I want to reset my password

Please contact your school; they will be able to access your account and reset your password in the system; your registered email address will receive notification of your new details.

I’ve forgotten my password

Please use the Forgotten password link found on our login page and follow the process; you will be emailed a copy of your password.

I need to change my email address

Please login to your account and click on My profile; you’ll have the opportunity to edit and save your registered email address under the Login section.

Please note that this email address will receive your payment receipts.

I haven’t been given login details

If you have never used ParentPay before, you’ll need to contact your school for a copy of your “Account activation” details*.

As a first time user you’ll go through our account activation process, and once complete, you’ll then have access to make payments to your school online!

*Please note that in order to access ParentPay your school must have subscribed to our service.

My school hasn’t told me about ParentPay, can I still      login?

You will not have a ParentPay account and be able to make payments to your school online unless they have subscribed to our service.

Please complete our Register your interest form if you would like ParentPay to advise your school of your interest in our service.

Why can’t I view all my children’s accounts?

If you have more than one child attending the same school, and the school uses ParentPay, then it is possible to combine these accounts.

Please login to ParentPay, click on “Merge my logins” and follow the on-screen instructions.

Can each parent have their own login details?

Yes.

Please contact you school and they will arrange this for you.

Account activation

What is account activation?

Account activation is your first step to becoming a ParentPay user, and is done using the unique activation details supplied to you by your school.

Activating your account walks you through creating your ParentPay profile, creating your personal login details, and setting security information which will ensure only you are able to do things like resetting your password.

What is an activation code?

An activation code and password are used to activate your account – and used once only.

Activating your account will create your own unique login details based on your email address* and a password of your choosing – it will be these details that you use for future access to ParentPay.

*email address will be used unless you choose otherwise

Where can I get an activation code?

Activation codes are supplied by schools – please contact them directly for this information.

My activation details don’t work

To successfully activate your account, you’ll need your

• Activation username
• Activation password

      It’s likely that you changed your password from that issued by your school (for account activation) to something more memorable; please note that your password is case sensitive.

If you are still unable to access ParentPay, please use the Forgotten password link found on our login page and follow the process; you will be emailed a copy of your password.

Please note that ParentPay do not have access to your account details or login information; please contact your school for further assistance.

Who has access to my account information?

Your account information is only available to you, via your unique login details, and to your school manager – who needs this information in order to route income correctly, and also to maintain accurate and up to date information in the system.

Making a payment

The item I need to pay for isn’t listed

This is likely to be because your school hasn’t linked your child to the item; please contact the school and they will be able to correct this for you.

Why are some items listed in red?

Your items for payment will turn red once their payment due date has passed.

If you have any queries about the item for payment, then please contact your school who will be able to help you.

Which payment card can I use?

Payment cards accepted by ParentPay:

Visa	Visa branded credit cards
MasterCard	MasterCard branded credit cards
Visa Debit	Visa Debit or Visa Delta branded debit cards
Visa Electron	Visa Electron branded debit cards
Maestro UK	Maestro (or Switch/Cirrus on the reverse of the card) branded debit cards (if issued from a UK bank)
Solo	Solo branded debit cards
Maestro International	Maestro, Cirrus or Europay branded debit cards issued by any bank other than a UK bank, or issued by a UK bank from any other country

Can I pay the school in cash?

This depends on your school’s policy; it’s likely that having subscribed to ParentPay they’d prefer payments to be made online – making their school site as cashless as possible.

Please contact your school for further information.

Will I get a receipt using ParentPay?

Yes.

You’ll receive receipt information on screen once your payment has been successfully processed; a copy receipt will also be emailed to you.

Was my payment successful?

If you have reached the ParentPay payment receipt page, then yes, your payment should have been successful.

If you are in any doubt as to the success of your payment please login and access My accounts which will give you historic information on payments made.

When will my payment be credited to my child’s      cashless catering account?

This will depend on the agreement between your school and their cashless catering supplier, and in the majority of cases is likely to be within 10 minutes of successfully making a payment.

The information on your payment will be available at school level, immediately payment has been processed – please contact your school for further details.

Why hasn’t my payment been credited to my child’s      cashless catering account?

There may be a problem with your school’s cashless catering system – please contact the school for further details.

Viewing balances

How do I view my balance

Balances

Account payments
You can view payments made on your account by logging in and selecting My account.

Catering balances
Whether your child’s catering account balance is accessible through ParentPay depends on the catering system that your school has in place; please call the school for further details if you are unable to see a balance.

My balance is incorrect

Please check payments made under My account and as appropriate* access the quick link Account statement against your child’s name.

*Account statement is accessible dependent on your school’s ParentPay subscription.

I can’t see a balance

Balances

Account payments
You can view payments made on your account by logging in and selecting My account.

Catering balances
Whether your child’s catering account balance is accessible through ParentPay depends on the system that your school has in place; please call the school for further details if you are unable to see a balance.

Payment history

My payment doesn’t appear

Please check your emails for a receipt from ParentPay for your payment and also your bank or credit card statement.

If you haven’t received a receipt it’s likely that your payment was unsuccessful; please call your school who will investigate further.

I need a refund

Please contact your school directly regarding refunds; the school will action your refund as appropriate and funds will be credited back to your bank or credit card account.

Payments listed are incorrect

Please contact your school who will investigate further.

My profile

I need to merge my children’s accounts

Please login to ParentPay using the login details of one of your children, you’ll then have the opportunity to select Merge my logins from the navigation and by entering the login details of your other child(ren), merge their accounts.

My partner and I need separate logins

Please contact your school; they will be able to create two separate payer accounts for your child.

Update your details

I want to update my details in ParentPay

Please login to ParentPay and click My profile. You’ll have the opportunity to update your name, address, email address and contact telephone numbers – plus change your username and password if desired; remember to save your changes.

Why does ParentPay need my email address?

ParentPay needs your email address

a) for use when logging in; alongside your password (unless you have chosen to use an alternative username)
b) in order to email you a receipt for payments made

Why do I have to change my password?

Changing your password on initial login helps further enhance our already stringent security procedures. Alongside your username, which is likely to be your email address, this creates a set of login details that should be memorable for you.

What makes a good password?

Passwords need to be both memorable to you and difficult for anyone else to guess.

Your password must consist of at least 6 characters, and include both letters and numbers.

We would recommend –

• Using a mixture of case i.e. CAPTIALS and lowercase
• Using numbers (123) and punctuation (><,%:!)
• Not writing your password down

Why do I have to accept ParentPay’s terms and      conditions?

New ParentPay users must accept our Terms and conditions during their account activation – they include the ParentPay Parent Service Agreement, and the ParentPay Data Protection and Privacy Policy.

If acceptance of ParentPay’s Terms and conditions is declined, an account will remain inactive and payment will not be possible online.

Send message

If I choose to Send message, where does it go?

The categories of message available are dependent upon the version of ParentPay that your school has subscribed to. Please see below for an overview of where they are sent

Message category	Message recipient
Question about payment item	School manager (within ParentPay)
Question about payment made	School manager (within ParentPay)
Request a refund	School manager (within ParentPay)
Other (school related)	School manager (within ParentPay)
Allergy or medical condition	Caterer at till – with copy to School manager
Special dietary requirement	Caterer at till – with copy to School manager
Other (meal related)	Caterer at till – with copy to School manager

If your message is urgent, we suggest that you contact the school by telephone.

I’ve sent a message via Send message, but haven’t      received a reply

Please contact your school.

Please also check that your email address stored under My profile is correct – this will be the address that your school’s ParentPay manager will direct their reply to.

I’ve got a message for a teacher, can I use Send      message?

It is intended that ParentPay’s Send message feature be used by parents to contact school regarding issues that fit into the following categories

Message category	Message recipient
Question about payment item	School manager (within ParentPay)
Question about payment made	School manager (within ParentPay)
Request a refund	School manager (within ParentPay)
Other (school related)	School manager (within ParentPay)
Allergy or medical condition	Caterer at till – with copy to School manager
Special dietary requirement	Caterer at till – with copy to School manager
Other (meal related)	Caterer at till – with copy to School manager

If you message doesn’t fit into one of these categories and isn’t for the attention of the ParentPay school manager or caterer, then please contact the school by telephone or using their direct email address.

Where do I view replies to my message within      ParentPay?

School managers will respond to you by email – to the address stored within ParentPay under My profile.

Need more help

Who do I contact for more help?

Your first line of enquiry should be with your school; if they are unable to help they will contact us on your behalf.

Security

Where can I find out more about online security?

Here!

Helping keep your personal information safe online is our top priority.

ParentPay will never contact you by phone, email or mail and ask you to divulge confidential information. If you are ever contacted by someone claiming to be from ParentPay, please contact us immediately.

Top tips for online safety

Know who you’re dealing with online
Never give out password or personal details to callers or in response to unsolicited emails. ParentPay, like banks and other financial institutions, will never call or email you for this information. If in doubt, please contact us immediately.

Keep your cards and card details safe
Most Internet fraud happens because card details are stolen in the physical world and used online. Never throw away card receipts at garages or shopping centres and always shred card and bank statements at home.

Only use a protected computer
Make sure your computer has up-to-date anti-virus software. It’s best to use an ‘auto-update’ feature to make sure you always have the latest protection.

Make sure you have a firewall installed and switched on. Most broadband modems have firewall software built-in as does Windows XP. Often anti-virus software comes with a firewall included.

Never install software on your PC if you don’t know where it comes from and never open or run email attachments that you aren’t certain about.

Always remember to change default usernames and passwords for security software, firewalls and logins for your PC.

Only make payments on secure websites
Ensure that the security icon (locked padlock or unbroken key) is showing in the bottom right hand corner of your browser before entering card details.

The beginning of the retailer's Internet address will change from "http" to "https" when a purchase is made using a secure connection.

Make sure you use strong passwords
Never use your name, date of birth or something that would be simple for others to guess. Never share your passwords with others and don’t use the same password for everything.

ParentPay system security
The ParentPay application and entire web site is hosted in a secure Data-centre facility and sits behind managed firewalls.

Web access to the payment application is only allowed through HTTPS; the SSL certificate is issued and signed by Verisign.

Usernames and passwords are randomly generated for initial account activation and parents are asked to change their password on first login. Changed passwords are treated as Personal Data under the Data Protection Act and are encrypted in the database. They cannot by viewed by schools or by ParentPay.

ParentPay and our solutions have been reviewed and audited by a number of organisations including extensive technical and security due diligence by many local authorities, central government departments and UK banks.

ParentPay operates within all FSA and APACS regulations and requirements, UK and International Card Scheme requirements and its security and processes go beyond that of the International Card Schemes PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards) Audit Program. The payment card industry has established a standard set of requirements for governing the safekeeping of cardholder information throughout the transaction process and is applicable to any entity that stores, processes or transmits cardholder data.

All transactions are processed through a PCI certified gateway, all communication within the payment system is strongly encrypted and card details are never stored by ParentPay.

Personal information and data protection
ParentPay has its own Data Protection Act Registration and always operates fully within all DPA laws and guidelines.

ParentPay stores a very limited amount of information about you and your child solely for the purposes of administering your account. We do not share or give information to other organisations and we operate under strict guidelines as set out by the Data Protection Act 1998, which ensures the protection and care of all personal information. This means that any information you have given us electronically will be used only for the purposes you intended.