Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the correct e~Funds for Schools (EFS) website for my school district?
A: We are an online payment provider for many school districts. Each of our school districts have their own e~Funds for Schools (EFS) website which is differentiated by a unique URL and specific to your school. Our EFS links are provided to parents by each school district and are typically linked on your school district’s website. Googling e~Funds for Schools is not recommended as it not guaranteed to direct you to your school districts EFS website. To verify if you are on the correct EFS website, the name of your school district will be listed in the top left of the web page and can be checked before proceeding to create an account. e~Funds for Schools does recommend booking marking the correct EFS website for easy access in the future.
Q: How do I create an e~Funds for Schools user account?
A: If you are new to e~Funds for Schools and would like to create an account, please follow the steps outlined below:
- Select “Create an Account” (located on the left hand side of the website, towards the bottom of the screen).
- Enter the required information and Click “Create Account”. Once your account has been created, you will be able to login and attach your student(s) to your newly created account.
*Before creating an account, be sure the correct school district is displayed in the top left of the web page.
Q: How do I lookup my username?
A: You can have it emailed to you by following the steps below:
- Select “Login” (located on left hand side of the website, towards the bottom of the screen).
- Select “Forgot Username”. Enter the email address on your account to have your username(s) emailed to you. If you have more than one username, we recommend selecting one to proceed with and requesting the additional usernames be deleted.
*You can request a username be deleted by selecting the “Contact Us” link displayed at the bottom of the web page.
Q: How do I reset my password?
A: If you have forgotten your password you can reset it by following the steps below:
- Select “Login” (located on left hand side of the website, towards the bottom of the screen).
- Select “Forgot Password”.
- Enter your username and email address into the specified fields.
- Select “Submit”. A temporary password will be sent to your email address. This email may take a few minutes to arrive in your inbox. You may also need to check your spam/junk folder.
- Once you have your temporary password, you will need to go back to the “Login” screen on the e~Funds for Schools website.
- Enter your username and the temporary password. To avoid discrepancies in entering the temporary password, we do suggest that you copy and paste the temporary password.
- Once you have logged in using the temporary password, you will be prompted to change your password. The current password will be the temporary password that you used to login.
* Please be aware, work computers may not be compatible with our website.
Q: How can I reset my password if I no longer have access to the email address linked to my account?
A: Our Customer Relations department can update your email address on file. To request this update, select the “Contact Us” link at the bottom of your e~Funds for Schools website. We are happy to help!
Q: Can I change my username?
A: Once established, Usernames cannot be changed. However, you may request that we delete your existing account in order to allow for you to create another EFS account with your preferred username. Please be advised, once a username is deleted you will lose access to all payment history that was made under that username.
Q: What is my school district’s number to login?
A: Parents do not need a district number to login. If the website is requesting a district number, you are not on the correct website for your school district. We are an online payment provider for many school districts.Each school district has their own unique URL which is tied to their EFS . Our EFS links are provided to parents by each school district and are typically linked on your school district’s website. Googling e~Funds for Schools is not recommended as it not guaranteed to direct you to your school districts EFS website. To verify if you are on the correct EFS website, the name of your school district will be listed in the top left of the web page and can be checked before proceeding.
Q: Is there a particular internet browser that works best with e~Funds for Schools website?
A: e~Funds for Schools recommended internet browsers are: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari. Due to multiple security vulnerabilities within the web browser Internet Explorer, this browser will not give you access to our website and is no longer supported by Microsoft. Often times work computers may not be compatible with our website due to firewalls and anti-virus that may have been put in place by the employer. If a computer is not working, we suggest accessing our website from a cell phone (it’s mobile friendly!).
Q: Can I delete my e~Funds for Schools user account?
A: In order to request that your account deleted, please reach out to our Customer Relations department by selecting the “Contact Us” link at the bottom of the e~Funds for Schools website for your school district. We are happy to help!
Q: How do I add my student to my e~Funds for Schools account?
- Once you are logged in, you will select the menu options “Manage Account” from the left hand side of the website.
- Select “Manage Students” from the Manage Account options.
- Once you are on the Manage Students page you will enter your student’s last name and student number. You must enter the student’s last name exactly as entered by the school along with entering the exact student number that is assigned to the student. If you do not have this information, it can be provided to you by the school.
*Be sure you are on the correct e~Funds for Schools website for your school district. You should see the name of your school district at the top.
Q: Why am I being told my account and/or students do not exist?
A: If you receive this error, it is possible your student has not been added to your school district’s list of attending students. You can contact your school and make them aware of this discrepancy.
Q: How do I make a payment?
A: In order to submit a one-time payment, please follow the steps outlined below:
- Choose your specified payment option under “Make a Payment”.
- Select the student name.
- Select the payment option (Lunch or Fees).
- Enter the amount you wish to pay, or leave the default amount of the payment.
- Select “Add to Cart”.
- If you wish to pay for additional items, you can select the student from your list of attached student(s) or select the type of payment you are looking for from under the “Make a Payment” option on the menu on left hand side of the website.
- When you have entered all payments, you can review the payments in your cart by selecting “Begin Checkout”.
- Review your selected payment items(s) and total for accuracy.
- Select “Pay Now”. You will be given a reference number for your records and a Payment Notice will be emailed to your email address on file once payment is successfully submitted.
Q: How do I cancel a payment?
A: You are not able to cancel a one-time payment once submitted. If you wish to cancel a one-time payment please reach out to the Customer Relations department by using the “Contact Us” link located on the bottom left hand side of the e~Funds for Schools website. Please note that payments are processed at a specific time each business day and we may not be able to cancel the payment if it is has already processed. *You are able to cancel a recurring payment or a low meal balance payment from under the “Payment Settings” section of the website.
Q: How can I update my payment method?
A: In order to update the payment method saved on your account, please follow the steps outlined below. Please keep in mind you can only have 1 credit/debit card and 1 direct debit account saved to your account at a time:
- Select “Payment Settings” located in the menu options of the left hand side of the website.
- Select “Payment Methods”.
- Select the “X” next to the payment information to remove it.
- Select “New Direct Debit” to enter a checking account or “New Credit Card” to enter a debit/credit card.
If you have 2 payment methods saved on the account, you can set the preferred payment method by clicking the payment method on the “Payment Methods” screen. Once you have clicked on your preferred payment method a message will display on the bottom of the screen which states “Your preferred payment method has been updated” and the preferred payment method will be highlighted in light blue.
Q: How do I set up or edit Low Meal Balance auto replenish payments?
A: Some school districts offer Low Meal Balance (auto replenish) payments. If you your school district offers this feature, please follow the steps outlined below to set up or edit Low Meal balance auto replenish payments:
- Select “Payment Settings”.
- Select “Low Meal Balance Settings”.
- Toggle the notification icon to the right of the desired student. The icon should move to the right and turn blue (this activates the Low Mean Balance payments).
- Enter your desired Minimum Balance.
- Enter your desired Replenishment Amount. *Please note, when your students lunch account balance drops below the Minimum Balance, a payment for your Replenishment Amount will be automatically processed and you will receive an email for the confirmation of the payment
- Select “Confirm Settings”.
*This feature is not available to all school districts. If you do not see the above options, your school district may not have chosen to enable this feature.
Q: How do I stop/turn off the Low Meal Balance (auto replenish) payments?
To disable Low Meal Balance auto replenish payments for your student(s) please follow the steps outlined below:
- Select “Payment Settings” located on the left hand side menu.
- Select “Low Meal Balance Settings”.
- Toggle the notification icon located to the right of the student to the off position, it should change from blue to gray in color (this disables the Low Mean Balance payments).
- Repeat these steps for any additional students.
- Select “Confirm Settings”
Q: How do I set up a Recurring Payment?
A: In order to set up a Recurring Payment please follow the steps outlined below:
- Select the payment item you would like to create a Recurring Payment for.
- Enter the amount you would like to pay.
- Select “Add to Cart”.
- Select “Begin Checkout”
- On the Confirm Payment screen, select “Edit” next to Frequency.
- Select the arrow under “Frequency” to choose how often you would like the payment to occur.
- Then change the 1 under “Number of Payments” to the number of times you would like the payment to process.
- Select “Confirm”, which will bring you back to the Confirmation Payment screen.
- The Start Date of payment will default to today’s date. Change the Start Date to your desired payment date if you do not want the payments to start on today’s date.
- Review your scheduled payment then select “Schedule Now”. You will be given a reference number for your records and a Payment Notice will be emailed once the payment is successfully submitted.
*If you do not see the above options, your school district may not have chosen to enable this payment option.
Q: How do I cancel a recurring payment?
A: In order to cancel a recurring payment please follow the steps outlined below:
- Select “Payment Settings” located in the menu options on the left hand side of the website.
- Select “Manage Recurring Payments”.
- Select the the recurring payment you wish to cancel.
- Select the red “Cancel Arrangement” button located on the bottom ride of the screen.
- Confirm you would like to Cancel the Recurring Payment Arrangement by selecting “Yes”.
Q: Can I edit an existing recurring payment?
A: Recurring Payments cannot be edited. However, you are able to cancel a Recurring Payment and create a new Recurring Payment with the desired changes.
Q: Why is my payment pending?
A: We process payments once each business day. If a payment is submitted after your school districts processing time, it will not process until the next business day. This will result in a pending payment until it is processed on the following business day.
Q: Was I charged twice since I received two emails?
A: Payment Notice emails are generated after a payment has been successfully submitted for processing. Payment Confirmation emails are generated with the same confirmation number after the payment has processed through the e~Funds for Schools system. Transactions are processed in the morning on each business day. If a payment is submitted after your school districts processing time, it will not process until the next business day. This may cause a delay in receiving the Payment Confirmation email. You may view payments made through your e~Funds for Schools account in your Payment History once processed.
Q: Can I transfer payment/money from one student to another?
A: Payments made through the e~Funds for Schools website are deposited directly into your school district’s bank account and applied through their student management system. Unfortunately, e~Funds for Schools does not have access to transfer funds within your school districts student management system. Because of this, we are unable to transfer funds among students or issue refunds. To have your funds transfer between students, you will need to contact your school district or their food service department directly.
Q: How do I get a refund?
A: Payments made through the e~Funds for Schools website are deposited into your school district’s bank account. Unfortunately, we do not have access to the funds in this account. Therefore, we are unable to issue refunds. To have your payment refunded, you will need to contact the school or their food service department directly.
Q: Can I view my student’s lunch account balance?
A: Our ability to have student meal balance available on our website is dependent on the school district’s lunch program. Your school district may or may not provide us with lunch account balances. If your school district provides us with this information, it will be displayed under your students name after selecting “Fund Lunch” (or when you select “Manage Account/Manage Students”). *The funds in a student’s lunch account are tied to the student by their student number. In order to view your students lunch account balance, please verify that your student has been added to your e~Funds for Schools account.
Q: Why hasn’t a cash/check payment I gave/sent to the school been applied to the student’s balance?
A: We are a gateway through which online payments can be made to your school district and because of this, we only track payments made through our system. If you made a payment directly to the school via cash or check, these payments will not reflect in your student(s) balance until your school district updates your students balance to reflect these payments. You will need to contact the school or their food service department directly for inquiries regarding payments made to your school district in cash or check form.
Q: Why is the payment I made through e~Funds for Schools not reflecting in my student’s account?
A: We are simply a gateway through which online payments can be made for your school district. Payments processed through the e~Funds for Schools website are deposited into an account designated by the school and are typically applied to students immediately. If at the time of the payment we were unable to connect to your school district student management system in order to apply the funds to their account immediately, these funds may not reflect accordingly. Unfortunately, we are unable to apply these payments to your school districts student management system and your school district will need to be contacted to apply these payments accordingly. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.
Q: Is my student able to use the funds immediately after I submit a payment?
A: Yes! Once a payment is made we notify your school district student management system in real time (immediately). Unfortunately, student balance are provided to us by the school district once each business day and because of this, the student balance may not be updated in our system until the next business day (*if your payment is submitted after the daily balance has been provided to us by your school district). You may contact the school or their food service department directly to confirm immediately if necessary.
Q: Do lunch account balances move with the students from year to year or as they change schools within the school district?
A: It is our understanding that as long as a student attends school in the same district, their funds will follow them from building to building as they advance within the school district. Because of this, funds should move with your student from grade to grade and building to building. However, if your students lunch account balance has been zeroed out at the beginning of the school year, we would highly recommend that you confirm their previous and current balance with the school or their food service department directly.
Q: How do I setup Low Meal Balance emails?
A: Please keep in mind, activating Low Meal Balance emails, also activates Low Meal Balance Payments. In order to activate Low Meal Balance emails please follow the steps outlined below: Part 1.)
- Click “Manage Account” located on the left hand side of the menu.
- Select “Notification Settings”.
- Be sure “Low Meal Balance for All Students” is toggled on.
- Select “Confirm Settings”.
Part 2.)
- Select “Payment Settings” located from the left hand side menu.
- Select “Low Meal Balance Settings”.
- Please read the Low Meal Balance Agreement. Once you have done so, please select “Low Meal Balance Settings”.
- Toggle the notification icon to the right of the desired student. The icon should move to the right and turn blue.
- Enter desired Minimum Balance.
- Enter desired Replenishment Amount.
- Select “Confirm Settings”.
*This feature is not available to all school districts. If you do not see the above options, your school district may not have chosen to enable this feature.
Q: How do I stop Low Meal Balance notifications after I have already disabled the setting on my account?
A: To stop Low Meal Balance notifications, you will need to remove the student from your account.
- Select “Manage Account”.
- Select “Manage Students”.
- Select the X to the right of your student’s name. Before you remove the student, be sure to note the student number. You may re-add the student to your account after removed if desired.
Q: Can I get a receipt for the payments I’ve submitted?
A: We do not provide “receipts”; however, you are able to use your email confirmation as a form of receipt or view your Payment History in order to obtain the details you may need. To view your Payment History follow the steps outlined below:
- Select “History” located from the left hand side of the menu.
- Select “Payment History”.
- Select the line item which reflects the payment you wish to review the payment details of. As mentioned earlier, Payment Confirmation emails with the reference number and payment details are generated after the payment has processed through the e~Funds for Schools system and may be used as proof of purchase or as a “receipt”.
Q: How do I apply for Free/Reduced Lunch programs?
A: If your school district offers a Free/Reduced lunch program, this lunch program will be handled directly by your school district. To apply and/or receive more information regarding your school districts program, you will need to contact the school district or their food service department directly.
Q: Why am I being charged for lunch when I am approved for fee/reduced lunch?
A: If you have setup automatic payments on your e~Funds for Schools account, you will need to disable these payments. If your student is being charged for meals by your school district, you will need to contact the school directly.
Q: How do I get more information about a charge to my account or dispute a charge on my student’s meal transaction history?
A: We are simply a gateway through which online payments can be made for your school district. Students do not use e~Funds for Schools to purchase items at your school district and because if this, we are unable to handle disputes or give you any additional information regarding a transaction. If the information displayed on our website is incorrect or to obtain additional information regarding a transaction, you will need to contact the school district or their food service department directly.
Q: Can I restrict what my child purchases at school?
A: We are simply a gateway through which online payments can be made for your school district. Because of this, we are unable to restrict or limit what your student purchases at school. In order to inquire on if your school district can restrict or limit your student purchases while at school, you will need to contact your school district or their food service department directly.
Q: Why am I continuously being charged for my NSF payment?
A: There is a $15 charge for each payment that is returned NSF and the original payment is automatically scheduled for 1 additional retry payment. If the $15 charge is returned NSF, there is an additional $15 charge and this $15 charge is scheduled for 1 additional retry payment (in attempt to collect the NSF charge). No further charges or attempts to collect the funds will be attempted after the retry payments.
Q: Can I cancel the retry of my NSF payment?
A: Payments processed through the e~Funds for Schools website are deposited into an account designated by the school. Returned NSF payments are automatically scheduled for 1 retry payment (in an attempt to collect the original funds). We are unable to cancel retry payments without the school districts consent. To cancel a retry payment, you are strongly encouraged to contact the school district directly; however, we will gladly reach out to your school district to request the cancellation of your NSF Retry payment on your behalf. If approved, we will be in contact with you to confirm the retry has been cancelled. As mentioned earlier, you are strongly encouraged to contact the school directly as we have no way of guaranteeing the school will grant us permission to cancel the retry.
Q: Why was my credit/card payment declined?
A: We are not given the reason why payments were declined by your credit/debit card company/financial institution. To identify why your payment was declined, you would need to contact your credit/debit card company or financial institution in order to determine why your payment was declined.
Q: Is there a fee to use the e~Funds for Schools website?
A: We are the online payment provider for hundreds of school districts. Each school district is given the choice to pay the convenience fee for payments processed through our website or pass this fee along to the payers. If your school district has chosen to pass along the fee to their payers, this fee will be displayed 1.) when you first enter your payment information on your account and 2.) on the “Confirm Payment” page before you submit a payment.
Q: Why is the convenience fee different from my last payment?
A: If you changed payment methods, you may experience a difference in the convenience fee amount. There is typically a difference in amount of convenience fee for checking account payments vs and credit/debit payments
Q: Why is the outstanding student fee that has been assigned to my student no longer available for me to pay after my original payment was returned?
A: Student fees are assigned to students and made available for payment by your school district. You will need to contact the school directly to determine when the fee will be reassigned to your student and available for payment.
Q: Why is the student fee still showing as an outstanding fee when I’ve already paid it off?
There could be one or more reasons why a student fee is reflecting as outstanding even though you’ve paid it off. Here are just a couple things that can be verified in this circumstance:
- Verify if the payment you made was for the correct fee (you can verify this by checking your Payment History and Payment Confirmation email).
- Verify if the payment you made was successful (you can verify this by checking your Payment History and Payment Confirmation email).
- Verify if the payment you made was for the full amount due (partial payments made towards an outstanding fee will still reflect as outstanding).
- If the fee is an optional fee (vs. a student fee), it will remain available for payment unless the school decides otherwise.
*You may use our Contact Us option or your school directly if you need further assistance regarding an outstanding student fee.
Q: How can I correct an assigned student fee that has been assigned in error or a student fee that has not been assigned to my student?
A: Student fees displayed through the e~Funds for Schools website are assigned to a student by your school district and loaded into our system. If student fees are not accurate, you will need to contact school district directly.
Can’t find the answer to your question?
Please use the Contact Us option on your School District’s e~Funds for Schools Website and we will be happy to assist!