# PaySchools Central — user reviews > 281 indexed App Store user reviews of PaySchools Central by Data Business Systems, rated 1.40/5 from 581 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/payschools-central/id1614493880/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/payschools-central/id1614493880.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 38 · 4★ 8 · 3★ 13 · 2★ 26 · 1★ 496 ## What do users think of PaySchools Central? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 👍 Easy to add funds - 🚀 Convenient for managing lunch accounts **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent login issues - 🔍 Lack of transparency in transaction history - 💰 High convenience fees - 🤯 Confusing and unintuitive interface - 🔒 Security concerns with account access **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes and freezes - Password reset process not working - Inconsistent functionality between app and website - Auto-replenish feature not functioning as expected **Most requested features** - Ability to transfer funds between student accounts - Detailed meal purchase reports - Improved mobile optimization - Removal of convenience fees ## Newest reviews (20 of 281) ### 1/5 — How Can an App be This Bad on 2026?! *2026-07-18, version 07-13-2026* If I could give 0 stars, I would. This app is doing nothing but taking up storage. None of the features work, adding money to an account is impossible, the web version just keeps spinning and never takes you anywhere. I don’t even know what to review because it just doesn’t work. I can’t believe our school district uses such an awful program. They should have never switched from Paycor. ### 1/5 — Update *2026-07-14, version 07-07-2026* I tried to log into the payschool central app and it has a banner that says require update hit that it takes me to the Apple Store which doesn’t have an update option just ‘open’ and it’s a loop and can’t actually log into the app. ### 1/5 — SAYS UPDATE NOW *2026-07-14, version 07-07-2026* Says I have to update now and when I click ok it takes me to the App Store. But guess what app is up to date. Now I can’t use the app to check my balance before school starts. ### 1/5 — Won’t update *2026-07-14, version 07-07-2026* When I try to sign in it tells me mandatory update. I click update and it just goes to the app and says start. I click start and it takes me right back to mandatory update. I can Google PaySchools Central and sign in with no issue, just can’t on the app. ### 1/5 — Broken app *2026-07-14, version 07-07-2026* App is broken after update. After updating app and opening it, the app suggests to update. I click update only for it to navigate back to the app page with no update. ### 1/5 — doesn’t work *2026-07-14, version 07-07-2026* does not update ### 1/5 — Doses not update *2026-07-14, version 07-07-2026* Will not update properly the app will tell you a update is required then send you to the App Store but there is no update available it just says open ### 2/5 — Going in circles *2026-07-14, version 07-07-2026* Says I need to update to move forward, it switches screen and the option is open. I click open then it says I need to update first:/ ### 1/5 — Update *2026-07-14, version 07-07-2026* Says I need to update now, when clicking update it takes me to my apps and then says open. It will not update, showing it’s already updated. ### 1/5 — Manual update *2026-07-14, version 07-07-2026* Need rework the website and app it keep saying manual update but it not there a big bug in system ### 1/5 — Update issue *2026-07-14, version 07-07-2026* It asks me to update, there is no update available ### 1/5 — Recommended Update *2026-07-13, version 07-07-2026* Recommended update will not work. ### 1/5 — Couldn’t make a account *2026-06-12, version 06-04-2026* i couldn’t make a account, it sent me countless emails to me and when i clicked on them it took me to the main page, horrible app, many bugs and needs to be fixed ### 1/5 — Notification Settings Do Not Work *2026-06-05, version 06-02-2026* We’ve received an email every. night. for months. that the balance on our child’s account was under the Low Balance threshold when it wasn’t. We’ll have all the notifications disabled too, but the emails keep coming anyway. And the balance in the email is incorrect, too—it always says there’s $1.25, but there could be $10 or $40, it doesn’t matter. Something broke this app months ago and it was never fixed and it sucks. ### 1/5 — Such a difficult app *2026-05-20, version 04-14-2026* This app is so difficult to use I’m trying to log in to pay a balance and the mobile version is terrible, you can’t move pages and pop ups away easy. I never give reviews but I had to take the time out of my day to comment on how terrible this app is ### 1/5 — Nothing submits *2026-05-20, version 04-14-2026* Will not let cafeteria balances be transferred from one student to another in the same family. You can set it up but the transfer will not submit. ### 1/5 — Not ADA Complaint *2026-05-19, version 04-14-2026* Not ADA Complaint ### 1/5 — Terrible *2026-05-19, version 04-14-2026* This app is terrible. You can’t get answers to simple questions. The options don’t work, you can’t delete your account, you have to ask permission for money not spendt, even though it’s YOUR MONEY. Don’t waste your time with this app. ### 1/5 — Awful *2026-05-12, version 04-14-2026* Hard to use for anything other than paying for lunch. Very annoying ### 1/5 — Won’t work *2026-05-12, version 04-14-2026* You follow the instructions and it still won’t work. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Sucks *2026-08-28, version 07-28-2026* App doesn’t work 90% of the time ### 1/5 — Embarrassingly bad application. *2026-08-25, version 07-28-2026* Navigation is poor, functionality is inconsistent, help is effectively an unsupported FAQ that references prior version screens and functionality. I’m not sure who the salesperson is who successfully sells this load of trash to school districts, but that person deserves recruited to a better firm. ### 1/5 — Do not like app *2026-08-24, version 07-28-2026* Charges additional fee for each child you add money to even if it’s the same transaction. Fee is determined by the amount you are applying instead of a standard set fee. ### 1/5 — What a joke. This app never works. *2026-08-21, version 07-28-2026* My school uses this app and they wonder why lunch balances are always negative. It’s because the application won’t ever let you load money. Worst app ever!!!!! ### 1/5 — I wish I could give it zero stars. *2026-08-20, version 07-28-2026* Absolutely ridiculous that I can’t use the same email for kids in different districts and have to make up a whole new email. And when I try to call someone it’s all automated and the wait time was over an hour. My child who is still a considered a student in his school district now goes to a career center school I had to make a whole new account for just to get him his lunch money. I also am not able to get a refund on a timely manner as I have to write a letter to the board requesting one with all the information as to why it’s being requested because they can’t even transfer the money to his new account. My only saving grace was he still has a younger sibling in the school district he is enrolled in so I just transferred the money to his account. There for there isn’t (X) amount of dollars floating around all Willy Nilly not being used. Honestly there needs to be a way to add children from different districts or schools to just one account. Should that ever happen I may change my rating but until then it’s a 1 star for the absolute ridiculousness of it all. ### 1/5 — Horrendous App *2026-08-19, version 07-28-2026* I moved my kids to a new school district and just when I thought the most difficult parts were over, this app came into play! This app infuriates me on so many levels: crashes, dead ends, poorly organized, third party fees for school lunches, and in this day and age of AI.. how can there be such poor grammar and incoherent sentences in their policy statement.. after reading through part of it to figure out what was going on, it gave me the impression that it was a scam. I could not find any evidence of that but I’m definitely going to have a word with the school district about it.. after I pick up the hair that I pulled out trying to set up a simple account.!! ### 1/5 — Unreliable *2026-08-18, version 07-28-2026* I have never been able to use this app successfully, even one time, to schedule an upcoming payment in the course of 2 1/2 years. We need a better system. ### 1/5 — Terrible App *2026-08-17, version 07-28-2026* It is disappointing that schools are using this app instead of allowing kids to pay for themselves, or at least giving them the option. Additionally, the amount of the extra fees you have to pay to add funds to the account is insane. Let’s take away the ability to pay and chart them more to use this app. You also can’t have more than 1 student in the same account if they are from different districts. ### 1/5 — No Refund *2026-08-12, version 07-28-2026* One of my kids graduated and she had a little money left and I was getting notifications every week that she has low meal balance. So I wanted to transfer the balance to her sibling and zero out her account but there is no option to do that. And even when I click on her it just says she is no longer active patron and only thing I can do was delete her account. Thinking if I delete it they would ask what to do with the balance but heck no it just removed her immediately. Now she is no longer showing with the money gone. Lucky it was only $1.50 that I could just brush it off (still upset though) what if it was bigger amount? There is no chat or customer support where I can ask on the app. Next time just tell your kids to zero out before they graduate!!!! ### 1/5 — I cannot get my money out *2026-07-31, version 07-28-2026* They have $99 in my account. My school switched vendors. Now the website is not working and this app has no message option for help. Kiss you money goodbye I have no way to get my money out. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Worked for this “old person” *2025-11-18, version 11-10-2025* I was skeptical because of all the bad reviews, but this app worked far better than my mobile browser. I was able to immediately add funds and could see my kid’s balance. It did everything I needed it to. ### 5/5 — Works great! *2025-04-07, version 03-19-2025* I think this app works great on my iPhone and it is easy to use and navigate. I am pleased with it! ### 5/5 — Works *2024-10-01* I had the online account set up so the app worked very easily however it keeps asking me if I want to use digital thumbprint. I don’t have digital thumbprint for this phone. If I say no, it shouldn’t keep asking me every time I log in! Do you have facial recognition? That would be helpful. When I checked out it made me check the “I am a human” box several times. If that is to trick the computer bots okay but it didn’t seem right. ### 5/5 — Smooth process *2024-09-26* Not sure why this has one star. I’ve had a good experience with the app. ### 5/5 — So easy! *2024-09-12* Was already set up with the website online. Making the transition to the app was super easy. Can perform task so much faster, reload money, add student. Overall super happy with the app! ### 5/5 — This app works just fine! *2024-08-15* Everything works and goes quickly on my end as far as this app goes. It’s very easy to add lunch money to your child’s account or pay school fees with this app. You have to actually read the prompts and people are just lazy. ### 5/5 — Horrific *2023-08-12* App is unusable since the last 2 updates. It will not allow me to login properly. After entering my credentials, it just sits there on “please wait” I even uninstalled and reinstalled. Same issue. Useless. **Developer response:** Hello, Thank you for bringing this to our notice. We deeply regret the inconvenience caused. We will certainly work towards improving our services. (Please delete the app and redownload using our main page https://www.payschoolscentral.com)to update the latest version of this application as we have enhanced the features. Need help with your PaySchools Central The PaySchools Team Phone Support: 1-877-393-6628 Monday – Friday 8:30am to 7:30pm EST Email Support: psc_help@payschools.com ### 4/5 — It’s working very well *2026-03-17, version 03-09-2026* The app has considerably improved its flow; it’s quick, clear, and practical. ### 4/5 — All the negative reviews are from old people *2023-08-18* The app works perfectly for me. I’m a senior in high school. I can see all the fees that I owe. I never get a service fee. It’s so easy to save my preferred payment and just add money onto my account. All the bad reviews are the same problems because old people don’t know how to work technology, I love this app because I don’t have to stand in line all day to wait and see my balance on my lunch account. I put money in there and I can check it in. It’ll be on my school account in minutes. ### 3/5 — PaySchools *2024-10-15, version 10.21.2024* This I never use before but it is pretty good for now to pay for my daughter school fees --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-06.*