Tali and SumUp: Your school's new contactless solution

Every year, schools in the UK process thousands of pounds in cash and cheques through their voluntary funds.

On average, primaries handle more than £17,000 in traditional payment methods, which is approximately 53% of their income. Secondaries deal with more than £84,000; that’s 33% of their income.

Despite online payments being available to schools for more than 15 years, these traditional payment methods remain. Sometimes it’s just not convenient for parents to login to their online portal; sometimes it’s dad at the reception and mum has the login details; sometimes they haven’t been registered; sometimes it’s staff, members of the community, or grandparents who aren’t given an account.

Whatever the reasoning, online payments don’t cover all situations, which is why cash and cheque remain.

The hidden health costs

If you’re in school finance, you know that processing cash and cheques means staff need to make regular trips to the bank, or you need to pay for collections.

Now there’s also the safety risk, which has been magnified by the coronavirus pandemic. A 2015 Guardian study showed that, during its 10-year lifetime, a £20 note will be used 2,328 times. With cash changing hands so regularly, it’s impossible to guarantee your staff won’t contract COVID-19 as a result of handling cash.

As an increasing number of shops are now only taking card payments, it’s going to become even less common for people to carry cash. And their cheque book, if they have one, is in a drawer collecting dust. As a result, with health concerns rising, traditional payments will become a frustration and inconvenience for parents. This could then be reflected in their relationship with your school and their willingness to contribute financially.

Placing an emphasis on cash and cheque payments has an impact on your staff’s safety, your school’s relationship with parents, and the amount of income you generate. Your school doesn’t have to carry the weight of these burdens, though. There is a better way, a more efficient way, a more modern way — join the cashless revolution.

Take contactless payments with Tali

Improve the safety of your staff, put an end to time-consuming trips to the bank, and give parents a frictionless, convenient payment option by going contactless with Tali.

We’ve teamed up with SumUp, one of the UK’s leading card payment systems, to give you the ability to process contactless payments through Tali. Using your SumUp terminal, you can accept instant card payments anywhere in your school, at any time, by anyone, opening up an array of new opportunities for income.

You’ll no longer miss out on payment because parents aren’t carrying cash, or because children have lost money they were given to bring into school. SumUp’s portable terminal also makes it possible to take payments at open days and during events, when it would otherwise be difficult to complete a transaction.

Embracing contactless payments doesn’t just negate the issues around handling cash and cheques, but also the challenges posed by online payment systems. Often, accounts on platforms such as ParentPay are restricted to existing parents. That means it’s not possible for your staff, potential parents, or members of the community to make online payments. Usually, that leaves them with no option but to pay by cash or cheque, but with Tali, they’re able to make a hassle-free contactless payment.

By accepting contactless payments with Tali and becoming a completely cashless school, everyone wins.

Get a great deal with SumUp

As part of our collaboration with SumUp, we’re delighted to announce that schools adopting Tali will be able to process their first £300 of contactless payments for free. In addition, we’ve secured discounted prices for SumUp equipment, so your school can get started from just £69.

Another reason we’ve partnered with SumUp is the flexibility they offer to our clients. SumUp doesn't believe in placing restrictions on their users, which is why they don't tie customers into long-term contracts. When you choose SumUp through Tali, you won't have to agree to a contract or subscription that limits your freedom.

The future of managing school income is here

The way we all make payments has changed, and your school needs to adapt. Tali’s contactless capabilities make it easier for your community to make payments, and its system simplifies your accounting processes, too.

It’s time to put an end to the hassle, complication, and restrictions that come with handling cash and cheques. Embrace frictionless, fast, digital school payments with Tali.

If you’d like to arrange a Tali demo or find out more about the benefits of contactless payments, get in touch with our helpful team today.