Kamar Web Portal and accepting Credit Cards

[Simon Wright]

Howdy,

Just wanting to know who out there using kamar and the web portal has enabled accepting payments via credit card?

I'm trying to push us towards this and can see it saving a lot of admin overhead by not needing to  or reduce the amount of manual reconciliation of bank transfers. 

Our office staff say most payments are done via bank transfer these days, in my mind i'm thinking that if the ability to accept credits was available, then bank transfer would decrease significantly.

Would others figure the same, have others schools seen this?

I'm no accountant, but would also like to know from anyone in the know how this reconciles into your accounting software, being that there is a lump sum from the payment provider i.e. DPS, and the transactions are auto updated back into kamar. Then that info/data is sent across to the accounting software as a batch? so then the amounts match?

Regards
Simon Wright
ICT Manager

Best for boys through the right learning
2 Arthur Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand p: 03 477 5527 | f: 03 477 5468 | c: 021 773 229 | w: obhs.school.nz

Respect - Whakaute | Courage - Toa | Honour - Hōnore | Perseverance - Manawanui | Excellence - Hiranga

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[Tim Harper]

Hi Simon,

You would probably need to come to an arrangement with one of the groups that does this sort of processing for schools.

The actual rules around processing credit card transactions are huge if you accept the details online and only the bigger players could do this.  It would be too much for a school to do for themselves.

Somewhere I have details about groups that process credit card transactions for schools and the rules around online credit card transaction processing.  I will find them and post back.

regards,

Tim Harper


Phone 03 443 5167 (messages cannot be left on this number)
Mobile 027 443 1236

t...@mtaspiring.school.nz
www.mtaspiring.school.nz

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[Tim Harper]

Payment operators:

http://kindo.co.nz/ - probably more orientated at primary schools.

https://flo2cash.com/nz/kamar-school-management-system/

regards,

Tim Harper


Phone 03 443 5167 (messages cannot be left on this number)
Mobile 027 443 1236

t...@mtaspiring.school.nz
www.mtaspiring.school.nz

[Simon Wright]

Thanks Tim, but thats not what im asking.

Kamar's web portal has the ability to use the likes of DPS Express, flo2cach etc to process credit cards. 

I'm wanting to know what schools are using this functionality and how they find it in terms of reducing admin over head for manual reconciliation of bank statements.

As most of our transactions are bank transfer, it can take hours to go through the statements and figure out what a payment is for as there is no consistency from parents.

My thinking is if we opt into doing this, it would potentially reduce the amount of people doing bank transfers and save a lot of time and head aches for the admin staff.

Regards
Simon Wright
ICT Manager

Best for boys through the right learning
2 Arthur Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand p: 03 477 5527 | f: 03 477 5468 | c: 021 773 229 | w: obhs.school.nz

Respect - Whakaute | Courage - Toa | Honour - Hōnore | Perseverance - Manawanui | Excellence - Hiranga

[Kent]

Hi Simon,

These are the payment gateways that the KAMAR portal currently supports: https://www.kamar.nz/105132

Each have different cost structures, but when you look into it - it's basically:

- Gateway Charge  (Normally a fixed amount per transaction - from $0.35 per transaction )

- Bank Charges  (Normally a % of the transaction fee -  ~ 2% )

You can configure to either absorb these costs or add them onto the transaction at time of payment  (there are options to add a fixed amount, % of charge or combination of both).

When you on-charge the transaction fees - upon payment the money collected is directed to a separate GL account (after GST is taken off) so that the transaction fees can be offset.   The Gateway charges are normally invoiced to the school at the end of each month.  The bank fees vary for each bank - some deduct from the payment, others as as separate transaction and others monthly.   If you use Flow2Cash - they handle all aspects themselves - but you also get the money into the school bank account as a lump sum and not per transaction.

We don't keep track of which schools use this feature.  I suggest you post this question on the KAMAR forums as I know a few financial people on this list and hopefully some of them will give you feedback on how it works.

regards

Kent.

[Pete Eaton]

Simon - what finance package are you using?  3 schools I’m involved with have transitioned across to xero and have seen good reductions in the overhead around internet transactions and matching to accounts - Xero makes this a very painless process.

Pete

@petethegeek

[Simon Wright]

Unfortunately we are still on IES, it has been talked about every year for a good number of years now to move and ive suggested Xero time and time again, with no action.

Someone on the finance committee had said they didn't like Xero. Personally ive never met anyone, accountant or not, that didn't like Xero.

Regards
Simon Wright
ICT Manager

Best for boys through the right learning
2 Arthur Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand p: 03 477 5527 | f: 03 477 5468 | c: 021 773 229 | w: obhs.school.nz

Respect - Whakaute | Courage - Toa | Honour - Hōnore | Perseverance - Manawanui | Excellence - Hiranga

[Matt Strickland]

Xero for us last year.

Lots of tracking and memorization options. We don't yet use CC transactions but would probably treat these like APs (Xero is very accurate at allocating these, the exception when there is an overseas trip against a different budget/department)

There are some providers offering student fee links with Xero/Kamar: https://theschooloffice.co.nz/xero-for-schools/

We are only at the  beginning stages mostly because of a new Accounts clerk.

Matt

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[Simon Wright]

Thanks Matt,

Yeah, we have been dealing with Glenis for many years (since she was at IES). she has also been trying to push the school to Xero.

I think the main issue is that certain members of staff are happy doing things the old slow inefficient way and just want to change this late in their career.

Regards
Simon Wright
ICT Manager

Best for boys through the right learning
2 Arthur Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand p: 03 477 5527 | f: 03 477 5468 | c: 021 773 229 | w: obhs.school.nz

Respect - Whakaute | Courage - Toa | Honour - Hōnore | Perseverance - Manawanui | Excellence - Hiranga

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DISCLAIMER
This e-mail is intended for the addressee only and may contain information which is subject to legal privilege. This e-mail message and accompanying data may contain information that is confidential and subject to privilege. Its contents are not necessarily the official view Otago Boys’ High School or communication of the Otago Boys’ High School. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this e-mail or any information in, or attached to it. If you have received this e-mail in error, please contact the sender immediately or return the original message to Otago Boys’ High School by e-mail, and destroy any copies. Otago Boys’ High School does not accept any liability for changes made to this e-mail or attachments after sending.

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[Nick Steenson]

Seems like a common trait, shame it costs the rest of the school/organisation.

If I ruled the world *shakes fist*...

Nick

Nick Steenson IT Manager Mt Aspiring College p: +643 443 0463 (Ext 830) e: stee...@mtaspiring.school.nz