Payment Information


Payment Options

Cash and checks are accepted in all school cafeterias in the lunch line. Checks are preferred and can be made payable to your school cafeteria with the student’s name in the memo section of the check. Do not sent school fees, field trip money or money for other items in the same check for lunch money. Change is not given to students from checks. 

Guilford County Schools utilizes a computer based accounting system. With this computer system, each child is given a confidential food service account. This system maintains the daily account balance including free, reduced or full pay meals.

Online Payments

Guilford County Schools accepts online credit and debit card payments online through www.LunchPrePay.com.  LunchPrepay offers great convenience and the following benefits:

  1. You get quick and easy access to your student's meal account 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  2. The ability to pay for multiple students' accounts with one single payment.
  3. The ability to look-up your students' account balance, any time, any place the internet is available.
  4. The ability to see 90 calendar days of purchases and payments.
  5. Automated notification, via e-mail, when your student's account balance falls below an amount you have set.
  6. Peace of mind, knowing that the money is being used for good nutrition.

Payments made using LunchPrePay.com will generally be posted within 24 hours. No online payments will be posted to a student’s food service account between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on school days while computers are being used to record meal activity.  Payments made during this time will be posted to the accounts after 3 p.m.

A minimal transaction fee charged by the company providing the service will apply for this payment convenience. For more information see “Help/FAQ” on www.LunchPrePay.com

Free and Reduced Price Meal Benefits

USDA offers meals free or at reduced prices to families who qualify for this benefit. An application for meal benefits can be obtained at your student's school or from School Nutrition Services, 501 W. Washington St., Greensboro or by calling 336-370-3266. The completed application must be returned to your child's school cafeteria or mailed to Guilford County Schools, School Nutrition Services, 501 W. Washington St., Greensboro, NC  27401. Only one application per family is required but all students and household members should be listed on the application.

A new application must be completed each year.  Students who were approved for benefits last year must complete a new application by October 5, 2011. Those students who do not have an approved meal application on file will need money for meals beginning Thursday, October 6, 2011.

If you received a letter that you child is directly certified to receive meals, you do not need to complete an application for meal benefits. However if your letter does not include the names of all students in the household, please call 370-3266 to let us know so all children may receive the benefit.

An application can be completed anytime during the school year if you feel that your family may qualify. If there is any change in income, job loss, additional household members added, etc., please check to see if your family qualifies for benefits.  Parents are responsible for payment for any meal until the application is approved. 

New students must have applications approved before meal benefits can begin.

Free and Reduced Meal Application - Instructions

Free and Reduced Meal Application - Instructions Spanish

Household Application for Meal Benefits Form

Household Application for Meal Benefits Form - Spanish

Charge Policy

Sometimes students forget or lose their lunch money. The Guilford County Board of Education Policy allows elementary and middle high students to eat and charge their meal but payment is expected within the week. Children who have lunch charges are not allowed to purchase any extra items such as ice cream, cookies, etc. if there are outstanding charges on their account. Board Policy - Student Meals Charge DE

Return Check Procedures

A company, RFB will provide collections on returned checks written to School Nutrition Services. RFB is a contract vendor for Guilford County Schools. A service charge will be assessed for each check in addition to the face value of the unpaid check. A sticker advising the customer that returned checks are sent to collections is posted at each school cafeteria. Checks are no longer accepted if insufficient checks are presented more than two times.