How to Pay
Secondary Schools
Cashless Catering is now available at all Pembrokeshire Secondary Schools.
The cashless catering system allows pupils to pay for school meals without the need to carry cash. Instead, pupils are able to pay for their meals using their finger or a cashless catering card.
There is a daily spend limit automatically set on each pupil’s account at £6 per day. If you would like this lowered or increased please contact Catering Services.
Pupils entitled to free school meals will have their accounts automatically credited daily (£2.70). Any remaining credit will not be carried over to the next day and the balance will be restored to zero before the next day’s allowance is added. However, you can add to the free school meal allowance via any of these payment methods. Any value added to the card over the free school meal allowance can be spent freely and will be carried over if not used.
Cashless Catering Card - Online Payments
Telephone Payments
Customer Service Centre
Cashless Catering Card
Cards are provided by your child’s school. If your child loses their card it will be suspended and a new card will be issued. The school meals account number will not change and the balance from the old card will be transferred over, but there will be a small charge of £2 for the replacement card.
Cashless Biometric System
The Biometric System allows your child to pay for school meals by scanning their finger at the till instead of their Cashless Catering card.
This system is governed by the Welsh Government Department for Education, Protection of Biometric Information in Schools and Colleges, which can be viewed at Protection of biometric information in schools and colleges (opens in a new tab)
What is Biometric?
The Biometric System uses the finger and its image to uniquely identify each student. The system will take measurements of a child’s finger and convert the measurements into a unique code which will be stored on the system.
The system will only store a short string of encrypted numbers; it will not store an image of a fingerprint.
Once the Cashless account is credited the pupil will place their finger on the EPOS terminal, which will recognise their account details and allow them to purchase items.
Is my child’s biometric information secure?
Information is stored on a secure Biometric Server within the school, with restricted access. It is fully compliant with all legislation and The Data Protection Act 2018.
When your child leaves the school their biometric data will be securely deleted.
How does my child register on the Biometric System?
We require at least one parent/guardian to complete a Biometric Consent Form before we can process a pupil’s biometric data. The pupil must then present the completed consent form at the biometric terminal in the school canteen where a member of staff will then register them on the system.
We will not process biometric data of pupils where:
- No parent/guardian has consented in writing.
- A pupil refuses to participate; a pupil’s objection overrides any parental consent.
- A parent/guardian has objected in writing, even if another parent/guardian has given written consent.
Consent will be valid until a child leaves school however this consent can be withdrawn at any time in writing from a parent/guardian.
What happens if I do not want my child to register on the Biometric System?
The Biometric System is not compulsory. If you do not want to sign the consent form, your child will be issued with a Cashless Catering card instead which they can scan at the till in order to purchase school meals.
Contact Us
For further information please contact cashless.catering@pembrokeshire.gov.uk