Set up meals without using payments or having the Payments module

This article will cover what to do if you either:

• do not want to charge students for meals in Arbor, for instance if you use an alternative payment system
• do not have the Payments module - in this case you will not be able to set prices, or track account balances

Permissions

• Meals: Administer All Students - Set up meals for students
• Finance: Administer - Set prices for the meals

If you don't have the permission, you'll need to ask your admin team to give you permission using these instructions.

Setting up meals

We have the Payments module

The setup process will follow the main steps in our article here. Please review this article first and complete steps 1 and 2 of the setup.

To ensure the meal provisions you have set up can be selected for meal choices, you will still need to create a price. Once you have created the provision click on +Add to set a price.

Set the price to £0.00 to prevent students from accruing an outstanding meal balance in Arbor.

As you may wish to begin charging students in the future we recommend setting the prices up for each group, such as for FSM.

Then complete steps 4, 5 and the optional step (if required) to finish setting up your meals here.

This will enable Teachers or Admin staff to record meal choices, but without creating any invoices against students' meals accounts. This will also mean you can use our meal reports in Arbor.

We don't have the Payments module

The setup process will follow the main steps in our article here. Please review this article first and complete steps 1 and 2 of the setup.

You will not be able to complete Step 3 - Add pricing, because you will not have the +Add button.

Then complete steps 4, 5 and the optional step (if required) to finish setting up your meals here.

This will enable Teachers or Admin staff to record meal choices, but without creating any invoices against students' meals accounts. This will also mean you can use our meal reports in Arbor.

However, you will not be able to top up or track account balances.

We want to start charging in Arbor

If you do decide to begin charging students within Arbor, you can:

• upgrade to a package that includes the Payments module
• update the current price for those students who would normally be charged for a school lunch

If you have the Payments module, go to School > Meals > Setup. Click on Prices for your meal and select the provision. Click on the Meal Provision Price you wish to update and click Update Meal Prices.

Click on +Add to set a new price with a new valid from date and Save Changes.

Students will then be charged from the new date you have added.