Introduction


This guide explains how to process payments using School Cash Register in four simple steps: searching for the student, selecting the item, identifying the payment action, and confirming the payment.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

School Cash Register: How to Process a Payment


There are 4 easy steps to make payments:

  1. Search for the student
  2. Select the Item that is being purchased and its Payment Action
  3. Select the Payment Tender
  4. Confirm and Print the Receipt

Step 1: Search for the Student


Log into School Cash and select the School Cash Register module. From the Search screen, enter the student’s name, student ID, or Guardian Name, then select the Search option or press the Enter key. Note: You can enter part of a name (e.g., "Smith") to search for all students with "Smith" within the name field, or the full name (e.g., "Smith, Evan") for an exact match to take you to the Checkout screen.

If more than one student is found, the selection window appears below your search criteria. If only one student is found, the system continues to the Checkout Screen.

Using your mouse, click the appropriate checkbox for the student who wishes to make a payment, and then click on the Select option. Note: You can select more than one student, which is ideal for family payments.

The Checkout Screen



The checkout screen contains various elements to guide the user. Key areas include:

  • A: Checkout Tab
  • B: Checkbox to be used in conjunction with Pay All (P)
  • C: and/or Waive All (R)
  • Star Icon (★): designates item as Required
  • D: Item Name as entered in the School Cash Catalog
  • E: Payment Action options
    • Full Payment – total cost to be charged
    • Partial Payment – enter the Current Charges (I)
    • Waived Fee – enter the Waived charge (H)
    • Void Fee – option to enter Comment (K) - reason
    • Delete Fee – option to enter Comment (K), reason
  • F: Cost - Amount entered in School Cash Catalog. Does not include the cost of options (N)
  • G: Paid/Waived To Date – shows a balance if an item has been partially waived
  • H: Waived – selecting Payment Action of Waived Fee prompts the user to enter the Waive charge
  • I: Current Charges – amount of the payment being applied during the current checkout
  • J: Balance Owed – amount owing for the item after current charge is entered
  • K: Comments – user has the option to enter a comment/reason for each item
  • L: School Year – identifies the school year for which the item was attached
  • M: Add Additional Item – user has the option to add additional items for a student
  • N: Options/Quantities Available – identifies that the item has options or more than one quantity available
  • O: Totals/Grand Totals – summary of charges and total balance owing for the current transaction
  • P: Pay All – selecting checkbox (B) and Pay All (P) automatically assigns items checked as Full Payment
  • Q: Auto Pay – enter the amount of payment, the system automatically assigns full payment until funds are fully dispersed
  • R: Waive All – selecting checkbox (B) and Waive All (R) automatically assigns items checked as Waived Fee
  • S: Total Price Charge – total amount of payment based on the Payment Action (E) entered
  • T: Checkout – Cash – tender used to make the payment
  • U: Checkout – Check – tender used to make the payment
  • V: Checkout – Credit Card – tender used to make the payment (e.g., swipe terminal)


Example: 

A student lost an agenda and requires a new one but doesn’t have the money to pay for the item.

  1. Select Search to locate the student’s information.

  2. From the Checkout screen, select Add Additional Item.

  3. Select the Item Name from the drop-down list.

  4. Select the Payment Action for the item.
  5. Click off the row or press the Enter key to save the entry.

    Note: When using the Payment Action equal to “Outstanding,” it is not necessary to select the Checkout and Tender. The system automatically saves this transaction.

How do you deselect a Payment Action before checkout?


Example: A full payment was entered for an agenda, but the student wishes to pay for a different item instead.

  1. Locate the item you wish to change.

  2. Select the Payment Action drop-down and select the top blank line to remove the action.

  3. The Total Price Charge adjusts accordingly.

How do you know if an item is Required?


The star beside the Item Name indicates that it is a required item. All additional items entered in the School Cash Register are automatically flagged as Required.

How many characters can you enter in the Comment field? It looks small


You can enter up to 500 characters in the comment field. Once you leave the field, the information that was entered appears on the screen.

The comment information appears on the following:

  • Item History Tab (Payment Details)
  • One-part receipt
  • Statement
  • Close-out report

Sample: One-Part Receipt


Sample: Two-Part Receipt



School Cash Register Advanced Checkout Features


Pay All

The Pay All feature allows you to select all or some student items and automatically update the Payment Action for the selected items to Full Payment in a single transaction.

Step 1:

From the Search screen, enter the student’s name, student ID, or Guardian Name. Then, select Search or press the Enter key. If more than one student is found, a selection window appears below your search criteria. If only one student is found, the system continues to the Checkout Screen.

Using your mouse, click on the checkbox for the student that wishes to make a payment, and then click Select. You can select more than one student, which is ideal for a family payment.

Step 2:

The Checkout screen appears.

  1. Select the checkbox on the far left.

  2. The system automatically checks all items displayed on the checkout screen.
  3. Click on the Pay All option.

A warning message appears indicating the number of items being purchased. Select OK to proceed. Cancel returns you to the checkout screen, and no payment action is recorded.

If items have options, a pop-up message appears for you to complete during the Pay All process. Enter the values, then select Save Selection.

All items flagged are updated to Full Payment. The Total Price Charge reflects the total amount due.



Pay All Tip


Use the Pay All option to quickly mark a group of items fully paid. For example, if the individual wants to pay only for the required items:

  1. Select the Pay All checkbox.

  2. Deselect the optional items, leaving only required items flagged for Pay All.
  3. Click the Pay All option.

A warning message appears that only the flagged items are purchased. Select OK to proceed.

Remember that items with options present a pop-up menu for completion.

All flagged items now reflect a Full Payment Payment Action. The Total Price Charge updates accordingly.

Step 3:

Select the Checkout option, and choose the correct tender for the purchase.

Step 4:

Confirm the transaction and print the receipt.

Note: If required, see How to Process a Payment for further instructions on the Checkout process.

Auto Pay

The Auto Pay feature allows you to apply a payment value against outstanding items. The payment value is applied to fees in the order of items displayed, fully paying each item in the order of entry (required or optional). Any remaining balance is applied as a partial payment to the next item.

Note: Auto Pay first applies payments against all required items and then applies the remaining balance to optional items based on the creation date of the item (oldest to newest).

Step 1:

From the Search screen, enter the student’s name, student ID, or Guardian Name. Then, select Search or press the Enter key. If more than one student is found, a selection window appears below your search criteria. If only one student is found, the system continues to the Checkout Screen.

Click on the checkbox for the student that wishes to make a payment, and then click Select. You can select more than one student, which is ideal for a family payment.

Step 2:

The Checkout screen appears.

  1. Click on the Auto Pay option.

An Auto Pay message appears. Complete the value for the automatic payment, then click Confirm. Cancel returns you to the checkout screen, and no payment action is recorded.

Items with options display a pop-up menu for you to complete during the Auto Pay process.

The Auto Pay amount is applied as either Full Payment or Partial Payment to the total amount entered. The Total Price Charge updates based on the payment, and the Balance Owed adjusts accordingly.

Step 3:

Select the Checkout option and choose the correct tender for the purchase.

Step 4:

Confirm the transaction and print the receipt.

If required, see “How to Process a Payment” for further instructions on the checkout process.

Waive All


The Waive All feature allows users to waive fees for selected items.

  1. Search for the student’s name, student ID, or Guardian Name, then select the checkbox for the student.



  2. Select the Waive All option, which automatically applies Waived Fees to all selected items.

  3. A warning message appears indicating the number of items being waived. Select OK to proceed or Cancel to return to the Checkout screen without making any changes.

  4. The Total Price Charge updates to $0.00 for all waived items.
  5. If items have options, a pop-up message appears during the Waive All process. Enter the values, then Save Selection.

  6. All items with a flag in Step 2 now have a Payment Action equal to Waived Fee. The Total Price Charge updates to $0.00 for all the items you waived.

Advanced Tip


To undo a Pay All, Auto Pay, or Waive All action (before the transaction has been confirmed), select the option to return to the Main Menu. A confirmation message appears, allowing you to reset the payment process.

Conclusion


Using School Cash Register’s various features like Pay All, Auto Pay, and Waive All makes processing student payments simple and efficient. Follow the instructions in this guide to ensure accuracy when managing transactions and always review the available options before confirming payments.

Where to Next?