Instructions for the canteen app

The mobile app allows you to perform important everyday functions related to school meals. This essentially includes ordering food and canceling orders. The balance can also be viewed and the payment method adjusted.

The app intentionally focuses on the essential functions for daily use and is not intended to be a complete replacement for the web portal. It therefore does not offer all the details that the web version provides. To use the full range of functions (e.g. adding more children, managing BUTs, etc.), please use the application’s web portal.

After logging in, you will be taken to the app’s home screen.

Here you will see the school name and the name of your currently selected child. Likewise, the current credit balance available to all children within the same contract.

You can turn the customer card over by clicking on the orange background. A QR code will then be displayed, which your child can alternatively use to identify themselves when receiving food at school. This of course assumes that your child uses the app on their own mobile phone and that mobile phones are allowed at school.

Pulling down the screen or clicking the icon in the top right corner will reload your data from the server.

The lower section displays the child’s current meal for the day (if reserved).

Below are 4 menu buttons for additional functions:

• Card - Displays the home screen with the balance.
• Menu - Displays the weekly menu and allows you to reserve meals
• Reserved - Shows the child’s currently available reservations.
• Account - Offers further settings such as language, payment method

The app is available for free download for Apple iOS and Android via their respective app stores.

Unfortunately, the app cannot currently be used on Huawei phones due to US export restrictions. In that case, please use the web version of the customer portal.

After launching the app, you must first enter your institution number. This determines which school your child should be searched for at. You will receive this information from your school or caterer. It is usually also communicated to you in a letter from the caterer or school.

The facility number only needs to be entered once and is then saved.

If you have children in different schools, you can save the login details for each school in the app. These will then be displayed for selection at the bottom of the registration form, allowing you to easily and quickly switch between the contracts of the different schools.

Several children in one school can be managed through a single contract. Therefore, you do not need any further contract!

Login is also possible via the phone’s biometric functions (e.g., Face ID, fingerprint). In this case, the login data does not need to be entered repeatedly, but can be securely stored on the phone.

The link Create new account will take you to the PCA web portal. There you can create a new user account for your institution.

In order to use the app, a user account must first be created via the web portal. The registration process must also be completed once, even if you have already been sent access data by the school or caterer. Only then can the canteen app be used.

The weekly menu shows the individual meals served at the school.

You can switch between weeks using the buttons below the dishes or by simply swiping right or left.

You can reserve a dish by simply clicking on it, as long as the order deadline has not yet passed. If a dish is displayed in gray, it can no longer be reserved.

If a dish is reserved, a ‘reserved’ symbol will be displayed on the right.

As long as the cancellation period has not yet expired, the reservation can be cancelled by clicking on the dish again. Unfortunately, this is no longer possible after the cancellation deadline has expired.

The order and cancellation deadlines are displayed at the top of the window.

You can make further settings for your reservations via the ‘More’ button in the top right corner of the window. These will now be described in more detail below.

First, you will see general settings for automatic reservation.

You can pre-select meals for individual days of the week using the automatic reservation system. These will then be automatically booked for the respective day and no longer need to be selected individually.

This ensures that timely reservations for food can no longer be forgotten.

Cancelling individual meals is of course still possible until the cancellation deadline!

The first line shows whether automatic reservation is active or not. Similarly, when a reservation is active, the days for which meals are automatically reserved are displayed in green.

You can change the settings by clicking on the line.

In the lower section you can view the allergens and additives stored for your child.

When editing the automatic reservation, first enter the period for which you want to change it. If you do not enter an end date, the reservation will remain valid until further notice.

Next, select the relevant day of the week for which you would like to order food.

Now select the main course and, if applicable, the side dish, which should be automatically reserved for that day.

Then close the dialog by clicking on Done.

Then proceed in the same way for all weekdays for which meals should be reserved.

If you no longer wish to make automatic reservations, click on the link Delete automatic reservation at the bottom of the page.

This will end the automatic process, and you will have to manually select food for each day.

All future open reservations during the specified period that have not yet been booked will also be cancelled. Therefore, please remember to make a manual reservation on the relevant days.

This page shows you all currently stored reservations. You can choose between different display formats.

This display shows the reserved but not yet booked meals with their details. If a photo has been uploaded, the photo will also be displayed along with the dish.

The order can be cancelled by clicking on the dish.

In the ‘All’ section, you will find a calendar showing the days on which food is reserved.

The color of each entry indicates the status of the reservation. The following colors are available:

• Orange - The meal has been reserved but not yet booked.
• Blue - The food was booked but not picked up.
• Green - The food was booked and picked up.

Alternatively, all reservations can be displayed as a list.

This section displays past, current, and future reservations.

You can configure the most important settings in your customer account via the account settings.

For further extensive settings, please use the Webportal.

On the account page you will see the settings that can be changed.

On the children’s page, you can switch between different children under the same contract.

The reservations for the selected child will then be displayed, and you can make reservations and cancellations for the child here.

You can switch between direct debit and bank transfer via the payment method dialog, provided these are offered by the caterer.

In the case of direct debit payments, you can also enter the threshold and the amount to be collected, which will be automatically collected if the threshold is not reached.

Whether or not a system top-up should be carried out is checked once in the morning before the food reservation, Monday to Friday. A direct debit will only be triggered if the threshold amount has not been undercut at that time.

If you would like to transfer money, please use the bank details provided here. Alternatively, you can also use the displayed Girocode with your banking app.

You can make further settings via the Options icon in the top right corner.

Here you can specify, for example, whether we may show you push notifications for important events such as the receipt of a transfer or a reminder about today’s meal.

You also have the option to change the language of the app here. You will be offered the same language options as those available on the web portal.

Additionally, you have the option to rate the app. We would, of course, always appreciate a positive review. If you have any other questions or suggestions for improvement, please feel free to contact our customer service by email. We always try to integrate requests into newer versions whenever possible!