ModulesCanteen
Canteen Management
Complete guide to cashless canteen payments, meal scheduling, dietary tracking, and POS integration in Ardent SMS.
StablePhase 7
Canteen Management
Cashless digital wallet payments, meal scheduling, dietary preference tracking, and POS integration for a modern school canteen experience.
PaymentCashless
POS ReadyYes
Overview
The Canteen module replaces cash-based canteen transactions with a digital wallet system, giving parents control over their child's spending while providing the school with complete transaction visibility.
Digital Wallet
Every student has a digital canteen wallet:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Balance | Current wallet balance in GHS |
| Top-Up | Parents add funds via Paystack (Mobile Money or Card) through the Parent App |
| Daily Limit | Configurable per-student daily spending cap (default: GHS 20.00) |
| Auto Top-Up | Optional recurring top-up when balance falls below a threshold |
| Transaction History | Complete log of all purchases and top-ups |
How It Works
Canteen Payment Flow
Meal Management
Menu Planning
- Define daily or weekly menus with item name, price, and nutritional info
- Categorize items: Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks, Beverages
- Set availability windows (e.g., "Breakfast items available 7:00–9:00 AM only")
Dietary Preferences
Track and accommodate dietary needs:
| Preference | Flag | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetarian | 🥬 | Menu filters to show vegetarian options |
| Halal | ☪️ | Ensures halal-compliant meal availability |
| Allergies | ⚠️ | Warnings when student tries to purchase flagged items |
| Medical Diet | 🏥 | Linked to Health module for prescribed dietary requirements |
POS Integration
The canteen POS terminal supports:
- Student ID Card Scan — Tap or scan the student ID card
- QR Code — Scan from the Student App
- PIN Entry — Manual PIN for backup
- Vendor Mode — Multiple vendors can operate separate POS terminals in the same canteen
Analytics
| Report | Description |
|---|---|
| Daily Revenue | Total canteen sales for the day |
| Popular Items | Most-purchased items for menu optimization |
| Student Spending | Per-student spending patterns |
| Vendor Performance | Sales breakdown per canteen vendor |
| Low Balance Alert | Students with wallet balance below GHS 5.00 |
Finance Integration
- Canteen top-ups flow through the Paystack integration, sharing the same payment infrastructure as fee collection
- Wallet transactions are excluded from fee accounting to maintain clean financial records
- End-of-term unused balances can be refunded or rolled over (configurable by the school)
Permissions
Canteen Module Access
| Feature | Super Admin | Admin | Teacher | Accountant | Parent | Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manage menus | ||||||
| Process POS sales | ||||||
| Top up wallet | ||||||
| View spending history | ||||||
| View analytics |
Full Access Read Only No Access