Just like retailers all around the world have started to accept credit cards or debit cards for everything from a pack of gum to cheeseburgers, our school systems are also following the same trend and a lot of schools are now using credit card-like systems to pay for lunches.
All around the country, many schools have started cashless purchasing processes in the cafeteria. There are numerous methods that are used to keep track of the purchases. In some schools, student ID cards are used that operate like a debit card whereas some use fingerprint systems. Other schools simply use the system of crediting by giving the cashier your name or student number to have your purchase deducted from the account.
Are these new methods of buying lunch without paying any cash sending the right message to the students? If a student is not paying cash for anything he buys, does he still understand that he will eventually have to pay for it? Although it depends on the child’s age, but these new alternative methods of paying for lunch are reinforcing the idea of using credit to buy – “buy now, pay later”. It is possible that we are sending a positive message about buying on credit to our new generation.
Some people may take this lightly and think that it does not require any attention, but as the nation continues to struggle with people spending more than they can afford using credit, it’s worth considering how moving away from a cash based lunch system for our young people might affect their attitudes regarding spending as they get older.
The cashless lunch systems provide some benefits too. First of all, it gives uniformity to all the children. Children who are coming from lower income families and receiving a reduced lunch or free lunch program will also use the same method of payment and thus it will remain a private matter that he is getting reduced rate. The other students in line will not know whether the child paid in full or the reduced amount for their lunch if it’s a swipe of a card, giving an ID number or scanning a fingerprint to pay for the meal.
Secondly, if the system allows parents to deposit money to the account online, then paying with these alternative methods reduces the possibility that a child will lose his or her lunch money on the way to school, spend it on snacks instead of lunch, or get it stolen by another child. But this is not the case with all schools, as some schools require parents to send a check that has to be deposited to the child’s lunch account. Parents have to send a check to school with their children. Although the checks can still be lost on the way to school, but it would reduce the possibility of someone else taking it and using it.
The biggest advantage of cashless lunch systems is that the parents can keep an eye on what their youngster is eating for lunch. Many of the new school lunch payment systems allow parents to log in and deposit money into their lunch accounts, and even view what the students are purchasing. Thus you can check whether your child had healthy food or some junk food for lunch.
But with all these advantages comes responsibility. You have to teach your child the value of money and make him understand that even if he is buying on a ‘buy now pay for it later’ card, the payment has to be made eventually and thus he should be careful when buying stuff.
