In today's fast-paced educational environment, schools require payment systems that are not only efficient but also adaptable to the needs of students, parents, and administrators. This case study details the development of a bespoke, end-to-end payment system designed to handle school fees and supplemental charges seamlessly.

Overview of the School Payment System Project

Project Overview: Our goal was to revolutionise the way school payments are handled by creating a seamless and intuitive end-to-end payment process. By integrating SOTpay and Link pay Bank Open Banking, we developed a bespoke form that allows for easy customisation and amendments, significantly reducing the need for developer intervention. The projected completion time was an efficient three days.

The Problem: The existing payment process at our client's school was rigid and did not cater to the specific needs of diverse payers. It struggled with handling different types of payments, such as UK and non-UK residency pupil deposits, entrance examination fees, and regular school fees, often resulting in a cumbersome and confusing process for users.

Understanding User Needs and Pain Points

Through in-depth user research—including interviews and feedback sessions with school administrators, parents, and students—we identified a critical lack of flexibility in the current payment process. This insight led to a focused effort to design a system that supports customisable payment amounts and descriptions to ensure clarity and efficiency in transactions.

User Summary: Our users, including school administrators, parents, and students, expressed the need for a payment process that is easy to use, flexible, and secure. They emphasised the importance of being able to customise payment details to avoid errors and ensure reliability.

Implementing the Solution: SOTpay and Open Banking

Our Role: As the designers, Gala Technology took responsibility for crafting a payment process that addressed these challenges. We worked closely with the client to ensure the feasibility of the new system and focused on a user-centered design approach.

User Journey Map:

• Administrator Experience: Sarah, a school administrator, logs into the portal, navigates to the payment form, and enters the necessary payment details.
• Parent Experience: John, a parent, accesses the same form to make specific payments, choosing options that allow him to define the exact amount and purpose.

Assessing the Impact and Learnings from the Project

The Impact: Implementing the new system resulted in improved satisfaction among all stakeholders. The school benefited from fewer errors in payment submissions and enhanced efficiency in managing diverse payment scenarios, which in turn bolstered its reputation as a user-centric institution.

Learnings: The success of this project underscored the importance of user research and customization in payment systems. The introduction of technologies like SOTpay  and Link Pay Bank Open Banking proved essential in offering convenient, secure, and compliant payment options.

By addressing specific user needs and integrating advanced payment technologies, this case study highlights significant advancements in educational payment systems, setting a benchmark for future implementations in this space.