Application & Payment FAQ

School Café is experiencing technical difficulties that may cause student(s) to appear inactive. We are aware of and working to correct the issue. Students will NOT be denied meals due to the error.

Application & Payment FAQ



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Do I need to fill out this form if I received free/reduced meals last year? Yes, all families are asked to fill out this form every year. I have a student in my household that does not go to a Minneapolis public school, do I include them on the application? Yes, include all students currently enrolled in the Minneapolis Public Schools district on the top portion of the application where it asks for student information. On the bottom half of the application it asks for household members. Here you will add the information of the person who is filling out the forms along with any spouses, cousins, sister, brothers, aunts, uncles, boyfriends, girlfriends, nephews, nieces, longtime friends, infants - anybody that lives in the house. Their information is included in the household members portion of the application – even if they do not receive any income. When visiting schoolcafe.com select "Register". Parents will be prompted to create an account that includes a username and a password. They will then be able to select the eligibility tabs in order to complete the application. PAYMENTS schoolcafe.com Once registration is complete parents will be able to view their students previous account balances as well as add funds. Parents can use their registration information from schoolmealapp.com to log into schoolcafe.com. All of their student’s information from schoolmealapp.com will be on the schoolcafe.com website. Parents will not be able to login in to school café with their Pay Pams account information. Parents can also register directly with schoolcafe.com though many parents have experienced issues if they had not already registered with schoolmealapp.com. Parents should register as a parent. They will then be prompted to add a student at which point they will need to input their students ID number. Parents can add multiple students to the account. From there they will be able to view account balances and manage the funds in the account. *Did my students PIN number change?* Many students received new Pin numbers with the new system. Pin numbers were sent in the mailing from the Nutrition Center along with student ID numbers. *Is SchoolCafé.com safe and secure?* SchoolCafé uses 128-bit encryption to secure data transfer between your browser and our server. From the time you login until the time you logout, all data is encrypted. They use the same security encryption as many major e-commerce web sites. *Where can parents find the menus?* Our menus are available on schoolcafe.com. REFUNDS & BALANCE TRANSFERS *How do I request a refund or balance transfer?* All refund or balance transfer requests may be directed to MPS Culinary and Wellness Services office at 612-668-2820 or by email. *What happens to an account balance at the end of the school year?* Balances remaining in a student’s account at the end of the school year will carry over to the following school year. If the student moves to a new building, the balance will transfer along with that student. *What if a Student is graduating or leaving the District?* Parents/guardians may request a refund or balance transfer. Requests may be directed to MPS Culinary and Wellness Services office 612-668-2820 by email. *What if the account has a negative balance at the end of the school year?* Payments for negative meal accounts can be made online at schoolcafe.com. We strongly encourage parents to check balances before school starts to ensure that there is enough money in their student's account. MPS STAFF MPS staff can register with schoolcafe.com as a parent. Staff will need to add themselves as a student by then entering their Staff ID number. If there are any issues parents can contact Culinary & Wellness Services office at 612-668-2820 or by email.