The Niskayuna Central School District uses the online “MySchoolBucks.com” computerized, point-of-sale system that allows parents to pre-pay for school lunches and manage their child’s account online. All major credit cards (Vias and MasterCard) can be used to pre-pay for your child’s school meals.
With the prepay service, lunch lines move along more quickly allowing your child more time to eat and visit with friends.The online account also gives parents the ability to view or print a copy of their child’s meal purchase history report, which shows all the dates and times that your child has purchased meals within the past 30 days.
Parents who choose not to take advantage of the online prepayment service may continue to make advance payments via check, which should be made payable to their child’s school. Please write your child’s full name on the check.
To access the online service, visit MySchoolBucks.com. From this site you may create your account and add money to your child’s school meal account. You will need your child’s name and birth date or student ID#.
MySchoolBucks.com Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get started?
Getting started is a simple three-step process.
1. Create a user profile by clicking on the Start Here button on the home page.
2. Add students to your household – you’ll need the child’s name and birth date and student ID (Note: student ID may be optional depending on the school).
3. Now you’re ready to make payments!
What if I forgot my Login ID or password?
On the right side of the login page, click on “Forgot Your ID or Password?”. The system will ask for your login name or your email address. If a match is found, you must answer your security question correctly before you’ll be prompted to enter a new password. If you can’t remember your security answer you may alternatively choose the option to receive a password reset request by email.
How do I know my information is secure?
Transaction information is encrypted and sent from your PC to the MySchoolBucks.com server via a secure gateway. Look for the “https” in the address field of your web browser window, and the closed lock in the bottom tray of the browser window.
How can I request notification via email when my child’s balance is low?
In the left navigation panel, click the ‘Email Preferences’ link, then check the box to request low balance notifications and fill in the amount. When your child’s balance goes below that amount, an email message will be automatically sent to the email address in your user profile.
Why did I receive another notice that my child’s balance is low?
If your child’s balance changes, the email notification is reset to send a new message. You should receive only one notification each time the balance goes below your selected minimum dollar amount. If your child has more than one account, you may receive messages for each account.
How can I request a receipt via email when I make a payment?
In the left navigation panel, click the Email Preferences link, then check the box to request a confirmation receipt via email. Each time you make a payment, a confirmation will be sent to the email address in your user profile.
Can other people make payments on my child’s account?
Other adults can make payments on your child’s account if they know the child’s name and either birth date or student ID. Multiple users can have the same child added to their profile. Remember that MySchoolBucks.com is intended to be used by adults who can purchase with a credit card, and that you are responsible for protecting the confidentiality of your password and should not permit any other person to use your password.
How can I see a list of all the payments I’ve made?
In the left navigation panel, click the My Payment History link. A list of all credit card payments made from your user account is shown.
How can I see what my child has purchased in the school cafeteria?
Choose ‘My Household’ from the menu, then click the ‘View Cafeteria Purchases’ link to the right of the child’s name that you are interested in. A list of purchases made in the cafeteria will show.
What credit cards/methods of payment are accepted?
MySchoolBucks.com can take a number of payment methods, however, your school district sets up which types of payments they will accept. Please refer to your school district’s website or literature. Once you have a user account, you can see which payment types are accepted by your district while placing your order.
How long does it take for a payment to be added to my child’s account?
Credit card payments are authorized during the order process on MySchoolBucks.com, and your credit card account is immediately charged. Payments made with a credit card are collected nightly and will normally show up in your child’s account on the very next school day. However, this can vary depending on how frequently your school district posts payments to your child’s school.
Is there a fee for using MySchoolBucks?
Your school district may require a service fee or membership fee for your use of MySchoolBucks.com. If you are required to pay a service fee, you will be notified on a screen prior to completing the payment transaction and any such service fee will be required for each payment you make using MySchoolBucks.com. For more information, please see Terms of Service.
Why does my online bank statement show a *pending* charge after my payment was declined?
If you receive a message when processing your payment that indicates the billing address or the three digit card verification code doesn’t match the bank records your credit card provider will place a temporary hold of funds on your credit card. The *pending* charge may temporarily appear on your online bank statement but the charge will be automatically removed in 2-3 banking days. The ‘authorization hold’ is a normal banking industry practice. Please click here for more information.
What happens if my child changes schools?
If your child moves to a new school in the same district, you can continue using your mySchoolBucks.com account as long as that school is a mySchoolBucks.com participant. When the school district updates their enrollment records prior to the start of school mySchoolBucks will also be automatically updated with the new enrollment information. Please check with your school district for a list of participating schools. If you move to an entirely different school district, you must create a new user account. mySchoolBucks.com will provide a list of available school districts during the New User sign up process.
Note: Scheduled payments for cafeteria meals always apply to a specific school. When the student transfers to a new school the scheduled payment for the old school is no longer valid and must be canceled. Please setup a new scheduled payment for your child at their new school.
Why is my child’s balance not listed?
Balance information may not be available when your child moves to a new school and the school has not yet sent the new balance to the website. The balances are usually updated around the first day of school.
What happens if I move to a new district?
If you change school districts, you must create a new user account. mySchoolBucks.com will provide a list of available school districts during the New User sign up process.
Why did my child’s balance not update when I made my payment?
Payments made through the website transfer to the school site and update your child’s account balance in the school site Point-of-Sale computer. Once the payment travels to the school site and updates the balance it will transfer back up to the website so you can see the updated balance. Generally this process takes 2 school days.
Who should I contact if my payment didn’t show up at the school?
First, check ‘My Payment History’ to make sure the payment was completed and approved. If the payment appears there, go to ‘Cafeteria Purchases’ and check the student’s purchase history. If the payment shows in the Cafeteria Purchases, it has been successfully received at the child’s school. If not, make sure you have allowed at least 2 school days for the payment to transfer to the school. If the payment does not appear after that, contact your school district administrator for help.
How do I setup a future scheduled or recurring payment?
Choose ‘Make A Payment” from the menu. Choose the item to purchase and enter the amount to pay for your child then add the item to the basket. Once the item is in the basket, if recurring payments are enabled you’ll find the option to “Setup A Payment Schedule’ just under your child’s name. Click the link to enter your schedule options.
How do I cancel or change an existing scheduled payment?
To cancel a scheduled payment, choose ‘View/Edit’ on the ‘My Household’ page next to the payment description and choose ‘Cancel This Order’ from the next window. If you wish to change an existing scheduled payment, follow these same steps to cancel it and then create a new one with your new options.
How do I transfer funds between accounts (Ex: Meals to ala carte)?
Please contact the cafeteria manager at your child’s school and they will be happy to do this for you.
How do I transfer funds between students?
If both students attend the same school, you may contact the cafeteria manager at their school and they can do this for you. If they attend different schools, this request should be made to the district’s food service department.
We have moved and I would like a refund of my balance. Who do I contact?
Refund requests are processed by your school district. Please contact the school your child attended and request a refund. For more assistance you can contact the food service department in your district.
Other Items of Interest Regarding MySchoolBucks.com
- If you have more than one child in the district all electronic prepayments may be made through the same online account.
- A small processing fee for each transaction will be assessed to cover the bank fees for using the online prepayment service. The fee is $1.75 per deposit transaction.
- Parents placing money into multiple meal accounts will only be assessed the $1.75 fee once per deposit transaction.