Payment processes in school canteens can be time-consuming, confusing and error-prone, especially if they are still carried out manually. With SEPA-TopUp, ParentPay Germany and Mollie offer a modern solution that addresses precisely this issue: Credits for lunch or kiosk purchases in schools are automatically topped up as soon as they fall below a set amount.
It is set up once, and the process is secure, transparent and fully automated. For school authorities, caterers and parents, this means one thing above all: noticeable relief in everyday life
SEPA TopUp at a glance
- Automatic: Credit is topped up automatically by direct debit.
- Simple: Set it up once and everything will run by itself.
- Time-saving: No manual effort, no assignment errors.
- Transparent: All payments in the dashboard at a glance.
- Secure: GDPR-compliant, encrypted, reliable.
- No waiting time: credit can be used immediately after topping up.
How SEPA TopUp works
The way SEPA-TopUp works is simple and well thought out. Parents issue a one-off SEPA direct debit mandate via the MensaMax portal. If the credit balance of the associated user account falls below an individually defined minimum amount, a fixed amount is automatically debited from the bank account and credited to the credit account. Mollie – the leading European payment service provider – takes care of the technical payment processing and obtaining the SEPA direct debit mandate. The top-up takes place immediately and is directly visible in the MensaMax portal.
For you as a school authority or service provider, this means: no more manual effort, no more assignment problems and no more incorrect references. Everything runs automatically and traceably in the background.
Bank transfer or direct debit – which makes more sense?
The traditional bank transfer is still frequently used to top up the balance for school lunches. However, this method comes with challenges: transfers have to be actively initiated, which can easily be forgotten – especially in hectic family life. In addition, there is often no clear payment reference, which leads to errors in allocation and increased administrative work.
In contrast, direct debit offers clear advantages – especially in the SEPA TopUp procedure: The top-up takes place automatically as soon as the balance falls below a defined amount. Parents no longer have to think about transfers and every payment is clearly and correctly recorded.
SEPA TopUp in combination with Mollie eliminates all the manual work that is typically involved in transfers – from checking incoming payments to clarifying incomplete bookings. At the same time, you retain full control over the amount, frequency and timing of direct debits. The result: a reliable, convenient and efficiently manageable payment system that demonstrably helps everyone involved.
All the advantages of SEPA-TopUp
SEPA TopUp offers advantages on several levels – for:
- Parents who want to ensure their children’s school meals are convenient and reliable
- Children who can pay for their daily meal in the canteen without cash – also taking into account any funding entitlements
- Caterers and providers who want to automate processes, reduce queries and avoid payment defaults
The introduction of SEPA TopUp brings clear advantages – both for parents and for the administration. While parents benefit from the fact that they no longer have to actively take care of regular top-ups, your administration is noticeably relieved. Transfers no longer need to be checked individually and allocated manually, as each transaction is automatically and correctly booked. Incorrect or forgotten payments are therefore a thing of the past.
Efficiency is crucial, especially in large school canteens where hundreds of meals are served every day. With SEPA-TopUp, caterers benefit from automated payment processing, clear payment references and up-to-date evaluations via the central dashboard. At the same time, pupils and parents are provided with a convenient solution where the credit balance never unexpectedly drops to zero – the next meal is always guaranteed.
In addition, the central dashboard on the MensaMax platform provides parents and school authorities with a constantly updated overview of all payment transactions. This allows you to see at any time which bookings have been made, how the
payment behavior and whether there are any deviations or peculiarities. This transparency not only helps with day-to-day work, but also with planning and evaluation.
Another advantage: thanks to automatic top-up, there is always sufficient credit available – individually configurable and flexibly adaptable.
All the advantages for school authorities, caterers and parents at a glance:
- Credit available at any time and immediately
- Less administrative work
- Automated processes
- Efficient data preparation
- Better communication
Data protection and security of SEPA-TopUp
The protection of sensitive data is a top priority, especially for payment transactions in the education sector. SEPA-TopUp meets all the requirements of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). All personal data is transmitted in encrypted form and processed in accordance with the highest security standards.
Mollie is a licensed payment service provider that follows the guidelines of the European Banking Authority and is continuously monitored. The systems work with modern security mechanisms such as two-factor authentication, encrypted communication and regular checks. You can therefore rest assured that both payment data and personal information are secure at all times.
SEPA TopUp: How the setup works
The introduction of SEPA-TopUp is straightforward. After activation by the provider or caterer in MensaMax and informing parents about the new payment option, they can issue the SEPA mandate directly online – quickly, easily and legally compliant. As soon as the mandate is active, the system takes care of all further steps automatically. The administration retains an overview at all times without having to actively intervene.
- Activation by the provider or caterer: The SEPA TopUp function is activated in MensaMax.
- Information for parents: The mandate can be set up conveniently via Mollie and the online portal, ParentPay supports you with information material for parents.
- Seamless start: Once the mandate has been confirmed, the credit top-up runs automatically in the background – without any manual intervention.
Conclusion: More time for the essentials
With SEPA-TopUp from ParentPay Germany and Mollie, you can take your payment processes to a new level. Parents enjoy the convenience of automatic top-up, while school authorities and caterers benefit from a significant reduction in manual administrative tasks.
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