ParentPay

Instructions Guide

Astley Park School aims to be a cashless school and encourages all parents to use our online payment system, ParentPay, to pay for school meals, milk, trips etc.

This video shows how easy ParentPay is to use:

This link Parent Support - ParentPay will guide you through ParentPay, giving step-by-step instructions to change your username/email and password,

Useful Tips.

I have forgotten my username and/or password. What do I do?

If you know your username and have registered an email address with ParentPay:

Click here and follow the on-screen instructions.

You will then be emailed a link to reset your password (if this link is not clicked within 7 days it will expire and you will need to use the forgotten password link again).

Can’t remember your username or haven’t registered an email address with ParentPay?

If you cannot remember your username (usually your email address), please contact the school directly who will be able to verify the email address linked to your account. You can then use the forgotten password feature on the login page to reset your password.

For more information on how to change your username or password view the guide here.

I have changed my email address. What should I do?

If you know your username and password, you should log in to your ParentPay account and select Profile Settings then Email Addresses

Select to Change username and follow the on-screen guidance.

When you have saved your details, you will be emailed a link to verify your email address.

If you are unable to access your account, you will need to contact your child’s school admin team to request an amendment to your username. This school validation step is required to protect your account from inappropriate use. They will check your status as the parent or carer of a child at their school and then contact us to request the change.

Once completed, we will notify the school that the change has been made and they will contact you to let you know you can now login with your new username (the password will remain unchanged). You can now reset your password if required using the normal process.

You should now take the opportunity to enter your recovery details which will allow you to reset your password should you ever change your username/email in the future (see below).

Adding account recovery details: In order to perform a password reset you will need to have access to the email address associated with your username, or one of the recovery options (secondary email or phone number). To check or update these details you can go to Profile Settings from the top menu and then Account recovery from the side menu. You can enter one or both of the recovery options.

Making payments and requesting refunds

How to make a withdrawal from your Parent Account

There may be occasions where it is necessary to make a withdrawal from your Parent Account, such as when a high-value school trip is refunded, or when you no longer have a child attending a ParentPay enabled school. Find out how here.

I have funds in dinner money, can I move this to another child?

The funds in dinner money can be refunded by the school or caterer, once the money is credited to the Parent Account, you can withdraw to your debit, or credit card, or use the funds to pay for other items in schools.

How do I pay for items?

Bank Transfer and Auto Top-up

You can pay for items directly from your bank without having to use a debit or credit card and when your dinner money balance is running low you can also opt to have it topped-up automatically from your bank – so your child never misses out.

For instructions on how to pay for items using Bank Transfer view the FAQ here.

You can now pay for items using either card, or Parent Account funds, or a combination of both.

Paying with credit/debit card:

Log in to your ParentPay account
Select the button with the symbol to quickly pay for meal, or the Pay for other items for a full list of this child’s items for payment*
Select either View basket and pay or Continue shopping.
Once you have selected all your items, your basket and order summary will be displayed. Review the details and select Pay now (please note that the amount you are required to pay will be reduced by any credit you have in your Parent Account balance).

*For quick meal payments, enter the amount you wish to credit your child’s meal account with and Add to basket (please refer to the How do I make bookings FAQ if your child’s meals need to be booked).

*For other items select View details and pay against the item you wish to purchase and then Add to basket.

Paying with Parent Account credit:

Log in to your ParentPay account
Select the button with the symbol to quickly pay for meal, or the Pay for other items for a full list of this child’s items for payment*
You will receive an onscreen notification when you have completed your transaction.

*For other items select View details and pay against the item you wish to purchase and then Pay using Parent Account. (please note that if you do not have sufficient funds for all items being purchased in your Parent Account, you will be prompted to pay the difference using a card payment by clicking Pay now).

I’ve paid for the wrong item. Can I get a refund?

For most payments, you simply need to contact the school office and arrange a refund back to your Parent Account balance where they will become immediately available. Please note, if the payment was to a third party through the school, such as a catering provider for meals, you may be directed to that provider to arrange the refund.

Where you have made a cash/cheque/voucher/PayPoint payment, your school will need to process the request manually as it will not have been originally processed on the ParentPay system as an online transaction.

If you require an SMS refund for the ParentPay SMS text service, please email parent-support@parentpay.com

Can I make a payment with child care vouchers?

It is not currently possible to make payments using child care vouchers within ParentPay. However, if your school accepts this form of payment, the school administration team can process the vouchers on your behalf.

My child has left the school. How can I obtain a refund?

You will need to contact the school to arrange a refund into your Parent Account balance, whereupon you can withdraw the balance. If you wish to withdraw money from your Parent Account, please use this FAQ

My child has left the school and I can no longer see their details. How can I pay what I owe?

If you are unable to see your child’s details on your account you will need to contact the school to arrange any outstanding payments.

How to view payment history

If you ever need to view your payment history simply follow the steps in this guide.

Parent Account Credit

How do I change my stored payment card?

If you click on Profile > Stored Cards you’ll be able to delete your stored cards. You can change the bank card details during the payment process. When you get to the Secure Checkout, select Edit card / Use a different card.

How can I see my current parent account balance?

Once you have set up Parent Account or if you have credit on your account due to a refund, you will see your current Parent Account balance at the top right hand corner of your home page.

Do I have to have parent account credit?

No. Parent Account credit is optional, you can still pay for items using credit or debit cards.

Can I still add credit to my parent account?

Yes. If you wish to hold credit on your account to assist with monthly budgeting, you can select ‘Add Parent Account Credit’ from your home page.

For info on how to add and use Parent Account Credit view here.

How do I credit my child's school meal balance?

Navigate to parentpay.com and log in.

Select the Pay for <child’s name> meals button with the symbol to credit your child’s school meal balance.

Complete the amount you wish to pay (within the minimum and maximum defined by your school).

Select Add to basket.

Select View basket and pay.

Review the order summary details and either:
Select Pay now (please note that the amount you are required to pay will be reduced by any credit you have in your Parent Account balance). Complete the secure checkout. You will be given a final opportunity to review your purchases prior to committing your card payment.

Select Pay using Parent Account (if you have sufficient funds in your Parent Account balance).
You will receive an onscreen notification when you have completed your payment.

How to make meal or event bookings

If your child’s school makes use of the ParentPay booking service, you will be able to book your child’s meals and/or event places in advance of the session. Find out how to make meal or event bookings here.

Setting up your ParentPay account

How do I activate my account? To create a new account, you will need to have the account activation letter provided by your school to hand. You will also need to be able to access your email as your email address will become your new username and is used for the verification process. If you have lost your activation letter or not yet received it, please contact your school.

Please note, if you have previously had a ParentPay account you should attempt to login to this account and follow the add a child process, rather than creating a new one.

Navigate to parentpay.com
Select Login at the top right corner of the screen.
Enter the username and password (activation codes) provided in your account activation letter and select Login.
Complete the activation as detailed on the screen.

You can now log in to your account.

For further info on activating your account view here.

I have received an activation letter, however my email address has already been used on ParentPay. What should I do?

If the email has already been used it is likely that this is an historical account. Assuming you still have access to the email address you wish to use, you can either log in if you remember your old password or use the Forgotten password link on the login page in order to reset it.

Navigate to parentpay.com
Select Login at the top right hand corner of the screen
Log in to your existing account using your email address (if you cannot remember the password, select the forgotten password link and follow the instructions)

If you wish to add a child to this account using the information from an activation letter you can now do so:

From the top right hand corner select Add a Child (this will re-activate an account if it has been archived)
Enter the username and password issued by the new school in the activation letter provided. This will add your child to this account.

Why have I not received my verification email

Some email providers may move ParentPay password verification emails to a spam or junk folder. If you have requested password verification and the email has not arrived please check those folders.

Gmail account holders, please also check the ‘All’ and ‘Promotions’ inboxes.

If you still have not received the verification email please contact us.

How to set alerts

Login
Go to Communications
Go to Alert Settings
Select the type of Alert (low balance and/or new item) and select how you want to receive alerts, email and/or SMS Text.

Email alerts are free of charge. If you opt for SMS text alerts there is a small charge per text.

For more information on setting alerts, view our guide on how to set up email or text alerts.

Bank Transfer and Auto top-up

What are Bank Transfer and Auto top-up?

Bank Transfer and Auto top-up are new payment features with a selection of parents & schools. If these features are currently available to you and you require support please look at our Bank Transfer Help Page or request help after login.

Account management and security

In order to merge two existing accounts, please follow these steps:

Log in to the account you want to use as your main account (this will become the only account you use in future).

Select the Add a child tab on the home page.

Enter the username and password of the account you wish to add to your username.

Select Search. Your child’s name will be listed on the screen.

Select Add to my account.

My child is moving schools, what should I do?

As your child leaves their old school you should aim to clear any debt or request refunds for any outstanding balances still owed to you.

Money already paid to a school is no longer within ParentPay and must be refunded by the school in order for you to use it elsewhere within your ParentPay account or arrange a withdrawal.

Once the old school complete their new year processes (usually at the start of a new academic year), your child will be archived from your account and will no longer be visible.

If your child’s new school is using ParentPay, this school will send out activation codes in order for you to add your child to your ParentPay account.

Please note: There may be a short period where you have both schools set up for the same child on your account. If this occurs then the school name will be appended to your childs name so that you can differentiate between them. Once the old account is archived the school name will once again be removed as it will be unnecessary.

Adding more children to your account

You can add up to 15^* people to each ParentPay Parent Account. These people can be any children, staff, or visitors that attend schools or clubs that use ParentPay, providing a single location for all your ParentPay payments, bookings and communications.

To add additional people to your account please follow this guide.

^* a new activation will be required for each person at each new school or club they attend. This may result in the same person being listed several times, once for each location.

My child is moving schools. Can I still use my existing account?

You can retain your existing account when your child moves to another school that uses ParentPay. You will need the login details provided by the new school in order to transfer your account. If you do not have these please contact the school.

Log in to your existing account
Select Add a Child on the left hand side of the home page
Enter the username and password provided by the new school
Select Search
Select Add a Child to confirm.

You will now see two tabs for the child, one for each school.

My child is moving schools. Can I transfer the balance to the new school?

No, funds cannot be transferred from one school account to another as they will have already been settled to the first school’s bank account. Please contact your existing school to determine if a refund can be made or to transfer the balance to a sibling account at the school if appropriate.

My child is moving schools. Can I transfer the balance to the new school?

Can another payer, such as a partner or ex-partner, make payments for my child?

Additional payers can be set up with their own login in order to make payments. Please contact your child’s school and they will be able to arrange the second payer setup.

How do I merge two existing accounts?

Please note you will lose all transaction history from the account that you are adding to your current username

If you need further information about merging accounts view the following guide.

How to add mobile numbers to your Parent Account

Adding a mobile number to your Parent Account is simple, just follow this guide.

How does ParentPay secure my data?

At ParentPay we employ a dedicated team of qualified security specialists and we operate a comprehensive suite of security controls. We have established an industry-leading programme to manage information security risk and compliance. Details of our robust security can be found here.

PayPoint

How do I obtain a PayPoint card for meal payments?

If you would like to pay for your child’s school meals via PayPoint, please contact your school. They will order you a PayPoint card and while you wait for this card to arrive, provide you with a barcoded letter to enable you to make meal payments. If you have more than one child at the school you will need a PayPoint card for each child.