8th Jan 2009 - 00:00
Abstract
More than a quarter of school meals supplied by Eden Foodservice in Kent are now paid for online following the launch of a secure internet payment gateway.
Eden Foodservice, who provides catering services to 185 primary and secondary schools across the county, introduced the scheme in August 2007 and has since collected payment for more than 350,000 meals via the portal, equating to 26 per cent of all payments.
The secure internet payment gateway, that can be found at (http://pay.edenfoodservice.co.uk, enables parents to pay for their children's meals in advance using a credit or debit card. It possesses the flexibility to pay by week, term or for the entire school year.
The system allows parents to view the daily menus and also provides parents with added peace of mind that their children are eating a nutritious meal each day from the school canteen and not just buying unhealthy alternatives off-site. Another benefit is that children no longer need to carry money, meaning there is no chance of them losing it.
Simon James at Eden Foodservice said: "As part of our partnership approach we are always thinking creatively towards innovation and continual improvement to enhance our service to schools, pupils and parents. Our online payment solution has proved a great success within Kent and we are actively looking to introduce the service to other areas of the UK."