HomePay - How it Works
HomePay is integrated into the main HomeContact communication system, and so online payment collection is made quick and easy with both parents & school staff only having to familiarise themselves with one, easy-to-use system.
Payment Requests
Send payment requests within a couple of clicks...
Payment items are setup and then sent, via email, to the selected recipients. This can either be the whole school, a specific class or group or a number of individual pupils.
You are also able to attach a Reply Online to the message, which is our paperless reply slip function – enabling you to collect parent permission or other responses at the same time.
A message & file attachments can also be included before sending.
The parent then receives the normal email message with a special one-time auto-login link. Upon clicking this link, the parent will be taken straight into their HomeContact account where they will be able to complete the Reply Online (if applicable) and make the payment all within a couple of clicks.
Payment items are setup and then sent, via email, to the selected recipients. This can either be the whole school, a specific class or group or a number of individual pupils.
You are also able to attach a Reply Online to the message, which is our paperless reply slip function – enabling you to collect parent permission or other responses at the same time.
A message & file attachments can also be included before sending.
The parent then receives the normal email message with a special one-time auto-login link. Upon clicking this link, the parent will be taken straight into their HomeContact account where they will be able to complete the Reply Online (if applicable) and make the payment all within a couple of clicks.
Bank Accounts
Here's the best bit...
You DO NOT need to setup a new bank account or internet merchant account to use HomePay. Money is transferred into your existing bank account(s) and for each payment item you setup, you can define which bank account you’d like it transferred into.
There are a couple of key advantages to this:
You DO NOT need to setup a new bank account or internet merchant account to use HomePay. Money is transferred into your existing bank account(s) and for each payment item you setup, you can define which bank account you’d like it transferred into.
There are a couple of key advantages to this:
- You can be up and running within 24hrs – there’s no need to wait for a new bank account to be setup.
- You save money – Internet Merchant Accounts all come with their own setup, annual and on-going charges – none of which you have to pay.
Receiving Funds
How you get your hands on the money....
We have negotiated with our banking partner, Lloyds TSB Cardnet, one centralised holding account that all payments from parents initially go into.
Payments from parents are then aggregated together and paid over in one lump sum to the school twice a month, as follows:
All funds received by parents are transferred to your designated bank account(s) – NO transaction fees are deducted from these amounts.
We have negotiated with our banking partner, Lloyds TSB Cardnet, one centralised holding account that all payments from parents initially go into.
Payments from parents are then aggregated together and paid over in one lump sum to the school twice a month, as follows:
- Payments received between the 1st – 15th of the month will be transferred to the school on the 20th
- Payments received between the 16th – 31st of the month will be transferred to the school on the 5th of the following month
All funds received by parents are transferred to your designated bank account(s) – NO transaction fees are deducted from these amounts.
Security & Data Protection
We take the fact that we’re handling personal information and card details very seriously and have taken significant steps to ensure our system is a completely safe & secure environment.
The HomePay system is fully PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards) Level 1 compliant, which is the industry standard for processing online payments.
The system uses 3D secure technology for card processing and at no point are any card details stored or retained.
HomeContact is registered with the Financial Services Authority as a Payments Institute (Reg No: 529112). As part of this registration there are a number of regulatory requirements we must comply with to ensure the security of funds received & managed by us.
The HomePay system is fully PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards) Level 1 compliant, which is the industry standard for processing online payments.
The system uses 3D secure technology for card processing and at no point are any card details stored or retained.
HomeContact is registered with the Financial Services Authority as a Payments Institute (Reg No: 529112). As part of this registration there are a number of regulatory requirements we must comply with to ensure the security of funds received & managed by us.