SmartCity® Meal Plans

The SmartCity® Meal Plans System provides colleges and schools with a modular meal plan that can include a simple declining purse option or block meal plans for weekly fixed, flexible and extra meals.

As with all other applications in the SmartCity® System, SmartCity® Meal Plans can be included as a standalone module or as part of a wider SmartCity® Campus Card system.

SmartCity® Meal Plans differs from other Meal Plan Systems in that it is available on a contact or contactless smart card. Meals – whether weekly meals or declining balance – are stored offline on the smart card and can be spent directly from the card. This can mean a quick throughput of cardholders at point of sale terminals, without the need to verify meal credits against a database and less POS terminals needed at till lanes as the same terminal can be used for SmartCity® Meal Plans, credit and debit purchases.

All Meal Plans stored offline on smart student cards are reconciled later, typically nightly, and stored on a database. These records can be used both to replace value if the card is lost or stolen, and to provide for transaction processing, settlement and reporting.

SmartCity® Meal Plans

Three SmartMeal plans are available in the SmartCity® System:

• Weekly Meals: Consisting of Fixed and Flexible weekly meals, this is a traditional meal plan allowing the cardholder to purchase a number of meals per week, which can be fixed to mealtimes or flexible for use throughout the week.

• Extra Meals: A block meal plan that allows for the purchase of a number of meals for a fixed price. These meals may be redeemed at any point in the semester

• Meal Purse/Meal Dollars: A declining balance purse, similar to an ePurse which stores dollar value. Useful for a la carte meal choices actual value rather than a fixed meal is used.

All Meal Plans include flexibility for the campus to decide on activation of Meals and whether unused meals can be rolled over or forfeited after a fixed time period.

Key Benefits of SmartCity® Meal Plans

• Ability to load and store meals offline on a smart card
• Choice of three different Meal Plans
• Flexibility on Meal Plan rules, allowing the campus to decide whether meals will be activated, rolled over or forfeited at the end of a week, month or a Semester.
• Full transaction collection, processing and settlement
• Access to the SmartCity® Reporting System to monitor transactions and individual cardholder activity
• Meals can be purchased and loaded to the card over the web or in a card/dining office
• Ability to hotlist lost or stolen cards
• Funds used in declined balance systems can only be used in designated locations
• Add other applications over time
• Include merchants on or off campus

Transaction Settlement and Reporting

The SmartCity® Meal Plans System is fully audited and stores a record of all transactions in the SmartCity® Meal Plans database. This full history allows for detailed transaction processing, settlement and reporting for all merchants. Using the optional SmartCity® Merchant Acquirer will allow campuses to expand their SmartMeals plan to Merchants off-campus.

Click here to download the SmartCity® Meals Plans brochure >>