In the next major release of PushCoin, the Student Wallet feature has been significantly redesigned.
PushCoin V1 (Current Version)
In the current production version (V1), the Student Wallet functions as an account that can accept both charges—typically from cafeteria point-of-sale (POS) systems—and deposits from parents. Charges for meals deduct the Wallet balance, while other charges, like student fees, are billed on a dedicated “Fees” account and must be paid separately by parents.
PushCoin V2 (Upcoming Version)
In PushCoin V2, the Student Wallet is strictly non-negative—it cannot go below $0.00—and it now represents the school district’s liability to the family, i.e., money the school holds on behalf of the student. When a cafeteria charge is made, available funds in the Wallet are automatically applied to pay it off.
However, only specific charges—such as meals—are automatically covered by Wallet funds. Other charges (e.g., course fees, activity fees) do not auto-deduct from the Wallet. Parents can still use Wallet funds to pay these charges, just as they do today.
Unified Student Billing Account
A key structural change in PushCoin V2 is the unification of student charges. Charges are no longer split between “Wallet” and “Fees.” Instead, all charges—regardless of type—affect a single student account. The categorization of charges (e.g., cafeteria vs. registration fees) is preserved in reports and filters.
This change brings several benefits:
- Schools can generate targeted reports, such as unpaid fees excluding cafeteria items, per student or for entire groups.
- Parents can enroll in custom payment plans, applying payments to all charges or only to specific types (e.g., meals vs. fees), which is especially useful for families with split financial responsibilities.
- Families receive unified invoices that list all outstanding balances in one place.
- In the PushCoin Parent Portal, filters help families view only the charges they care about—be it for courses, activities, registration, webstore purchases, or cafeteria meals.
Impact on Cafeteria Operations
Since Wallets can no longer accept charges and thus cannot have a negative balance, this affects how cafeteria cashiers handle transactions.
When a student reaches the cashier:
- Only the Wallet balance is visible—if it’s positive, per school policy, the cashier may allow the sale of à la carte items.
- If the Wallet is empty, certain types of sales may be declined.
Cashiers do not see a student’s total unpaid cafeteria balance. As a result, a student who owes $100—or even $1,000—appears the same at the register as one with no outstanding debt. Debt is managed discreetly between families and school administrators, with repayment plans arranged on a case-by-case basis.
Summary of Changes in V2
- The Student Wallet displays a $0.00 or positive balance when guardians deposit funds. It represents a liability in the school’s financial ledger.
- The Unified Billing Account consolidates all fees and lunch purchases. It never goes positive; any overpayment or refund (e.g., fee reversal) is transferred to the Student Wallet. This account is considered a receivable in the school’s financial ledger.
- The separation of the Student Wallet (liability) and the Unified Billing Account (receivable) follows standard GAAP accounting principles, ensuring accurate financial reporting and audit readiness.
- Cafeteria purchases are automatically covered by drawing funds from the Student Wallet to settle charges in the Unified Billing Account.
- Cashiers do not see the student’s Unified Billing Account balance—only the Student Wallet balance is visible to cafeteria systems.
- Guardians can use the Student Wallet to pay for other school charges (non-cafeteria) or during webstore checkout.
- When the Student Wallet reaches $0, it stays at zero until a guardian adds funds or a refund from a prior charge is credited back.
- Invoices to parents consolidate school fees and unpaid lunch charges into a single statement, which reflects the current Unified Billing Account balance.
Why change
PushCoin V2 continues to evolve with enhancements in payment flexibility, GAAP reporting, administrative controls, and user experience. In addition, PushCoin places strong emphasis on user data privacy and data security, particularly because it handles sensitive information for students, parents, and schools:
- Minimal data collection – PushCoin only collects essential personal and financial data needed to support school transactions and reporting.
- No data sharing with third parties – Personal data is not sold, rented, or shared with external marketing or ad services. Data is used strictly for school-related operations.
- Parent-controlled accounts – Parents manage their children’s accounts and can control Wallet funding, purchase notifications, and linked users.
- Account closure rights – Users can request permanent deletion of their accounts, which includes removing stored payment methods and personal data.
- No automatic Wallet charges – For added control and consent, PushCoin does not offer auto-reload features—requiring manual top-ups for Wallets.
- FERPA-aligned – PushCoin aligns its practices with FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) regulations, protecting student records.