The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically reshaped the traditional school experience. Gone are the days of the school cafeteria, with hundreds of teenagers sitting elbow-to-elbow eating and spreading germs. Everything taken away by COVID, however, must be replaced in some form.

It is exceedingly likely that these new COVID safety protocols in school will result in students eating lunch off-campus, in restaurants which have spent the past six months adapting to create an eating space which helps prevent virus spread. Even students who pack lunches will likely choose to eat outside, since eating outside allows for effective social distancing
(especially important considering masks aren’t on when eating).

It is important that students, parents, and schools are able to adapt to this increased independence that non-elementary students will find themselves with at the end of the pandemic. Since students will spend less time in school and more time spending money outside of school (e.g. buying lunch outside rather than from the cafeteria), it is imperative that both
parents, students, and schools are equipped with the right tool to enable responsible and secure spending.

Prepaid cards are the ideal option for this situation, as they allow the student, parent, and school to engage in a simple and seamless payment structure. Parents will be able to load kid’s cards directly from their bank account with either one-time payments or regular allowances, and will be able to track spending. Schools can streamline the process as a whole by issuing school-branded cards to students, which can be used as a trusted payment method both in school and out.

Another key benefit to making the switch to prepaid during the year is the greater control which parents will have over their children’s online shopping. If there is indeed a second wave of the virus and schools go back into lockdown, students will likely need to make purchases online (e.g. replacing diminished school supplies). Prepaid cards give kids autonomy over their online purchases by giving them a separate payment method, but, unlike a student paying with a debit card linked to a bank account, parents can use a two-card package to load their child’s prepaid card with allowances. Furthermore, if the card is hacked, only the limited funds stored on the card can be drained (as opposed to an entire bank account). Finally, parents can control which vendors the card will work with, ensuring that their children are making intelligent purchasing
decisions.

In a time where education is being turned on its head, the way that students conduct purchases will also be revolutionized. Prepaid cards are the best and most versatile way of making sure that students, parents, and schools are prepared for this payment transition.