# School Gateway — user reviews

> 108 indexed App Store user reviews of School Gateway by ISUZ Limited, rated 2.50/5 from 2 ratings.

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/school-gateway/id596039615/reviews
- App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/school-gateway/id596039615.md
- Rating breakdown: 5★ 0 · 4★ 1 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 0 · 1★ 1

## Newest reviews (20 of 108)

### 2/5 — Doesn’t remember credit cards

*2025-10-16, version 2.40.1.54*

Every time we top up our daughter’s lunchtime money, we have to re-enter the credit card.  Other apps remember the credit card or are well integrated with Apple Pay.  This one doesn’t. Surely that must be possible.

### 2/5 — Update the app

*2025-09-30, version 2.40.1.54*

I see people are leaning similar reviews, why aren’t you listening. Spending cap on dinner money is needed, and why can’t you save card details or accept Apple Pay

### 3/5 — Outdated card payment

*2025-09-16, version 2.39.1.40*

Why can’t this app use Apple Pay. Or remember card details, or even use the camera to read card details.

### 2/5 — Paying is a pain

*2025-09-08, version 2.39.1.40*

Please add the ability to use Apple Pay or at least remember payment details. It’s a pain having to type it in every time.

### 2/5 — Card details

*2025-09-07, version 2.39.1.40*

This app needs a way to save cars details to make adding money easier!

### 1/5 — 0 effort app

*2025-05-23, version 2.39.1.40*

Stuck with this app cause my kids school uses it but if you’re picking a system for your school, don’t pick this one, your admin team will be constantly messaging parents reminding them to pay cause you have to manually select and pay for each individual after school club session, there’s no automated billing or patterns you can set, nor can you automate payment reminders. The UI is so confusing and this thing genuinely takes so much time out of my week, I hate hate hate it.

### 2/5 — Not great

*2025-04-27, version 2.37.1.3*

Could be a lot better, biggest gripe is no autofill support for card payments and no way to store payment details

Just generally a very basic app, appreciate the school probably isn’t using all the features and seems to only be using it for paying for trips but just that alone is frustrating.

### 2/5 — Fix bugs

*2025-04-27, version 2.37.1.3*

Please fix the slow/ delayed typing issue on iPhone when you send a message to the school. It is very frustrating. The type function does not keep up with the speed at which you use the keys. Snail pace. This never used to happen until recently

### 3/5 — Unable to access

*2025-03-06, version 2.37.1.3*

I have had this app for the last 10 years or so. I have both my children added. The last two days I am unable to open it. It is saying waiting to link to schools. This is obviously concerning as I am unable to pay clubs , school dinners etc. can you let me know how to fix this please?

### 1/5 — Worst

*2025-03-03, version 2.37.1.3*

Genuinely the worst app I have ever had the misfortune to use. 
Not sure if the app is poorly made or how the school has applied its services. But it’s just shockingly misjointed. 

No clear work flow. 
Able to add balance to account but not transfer full or parts of balance to a service. 
Payment history only work for the person who made the payment 
Very glitchy and not practicality in the workflow.

### 1/5 — Basic and obvious flaws ignored

*2025-02-27, version 2.37.1.3*

A good idea in principle? …yes.
Well executed? …not one bit.

Glitchy, buggy, slow to update payments, and absolutely zero help for any issues that arise other than a small linear FAQ section.
The makers have no idea at all what ‘user friendly’ means.
The final straw for me is that my younger child goes to a different school to her sister as they provide better care for her autism. That school has now decided to use gateway as well…. and guess what?! 
There seems no way at all to add a second child, never mind a second school. If there is, you’ve done a great job of hiding it and are fighting hard not to share this info.
Really basic points that you thought would have come up during development for such an app. 
So now it looks like I have to set up a second email address jto have two separate accounts, where I can only log in one at a time, to monitor the activities and payments for each child! 😡 

I really don’t like being so Dawn and grumpy about anything.. but it’s causing me many more issues that it has ever solved.
How you keep conning schools into believing this app makes things easier and smoother is beyond me. 
Easier for who?? It certainly isn’t the parents.

### 2/5 — Keep crashing

*2025-02-20, version 2.37.1.3*

I dont see any new vesrion update aswell

### 1/5 — Poor for payments

*2025-01-27, version 2.37.1.3*

This is the app my son’s school uses for payments, such as lunch money, so I am forced to use it. I cannot understand why in this day and age an app cannot retain payment details so you don’t have to input them EVERY SINGLE TIME you need to make a payment (at least twice a week in my case). Why no Apple Pay integration either? 

Useless.

### 3/5 — Apple Pay

*2025-01-22, version 2.37.1.3*

Please add Apple Pay as it’s so annoying having to find my purse every time I want to pay for something or top up lunch money

### 1/5 — Worst experience

*2025-01-13, version 2.37.1.3*

My daughter just started high school and from using parent pay which was very nice and reliable. Now at the new school they use school gateway which is a nightmare. Funds transferred do not reflect or reflect on something you did not pay for. Horrible horrific experience.

### 2/5 — Login in and pin invalid

*2025-01-02, version 2.37.1.3*

It kept saying the combination of email and pin is invalid even though it was totally valid one week ago and was working fine.

### 1/5 — Jesus wept

*2024-12-02, version 2.37.1.3*

How slow is this app,even a msg takes all day via the key board

### 1/5 — No Apple Pay

*2024-11-25, version 2.37.1.3*

Come on devs, an app without apple pay really!!!

### 1/5 — Negative experience

*2024-11-24, version 2.37.1.3*

We are forced to use this app because school does not accept cash. One day instead of making a payment for the school meals by card I just tried one click payment option and did not realise that I was setting up a direct debit. I decided to cancel the direct debit but let my bank to proceed with the payment and then cancel the DD. The money left my bank account but has never reached the app. I got in touch with my bank but they advised me to contact the merchant. Not sure how this can be done. Besides other negative issues, like no cap on the amount spent, I cannot give a positive review!

### 1/5 — No Notifications

*2024-11-21, version 2.37.1.3*

Will not send me notifications of a message. Drove to school, waiting for my child, only to check this app to find they messaged me 1 hour ago telling me my child has recieved a detention. Why does it not come through as a notification? And yes all my push notification settings are on. I work with phones for a living, i know how notifications should work. This app is just low tech, clunky and has no right to be ‘the preferred’ app for schools.

## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated)

### 1/5 — Logged me out of nowhere

*2026-07-01, version 2.40.1.54*

The app logged me out of nowhere today due to recognising a new phone which I’ve changed two months ago and there were no issue at all till now. 
I can’t recover the PIN as it doesn’t recognise my data which didnt change at all. I have the same e-mail and the same phone number registered at school. This app is a joke

### 1/5 — Like the idea.. hating the app right now

*2026-06-02, version 2.40.1.54*

It is absolutely painful to write a message when needed to the school as it types so slooooow and is getting worse its takes ages to catch up and if you make a mistake take ages to delete each individual letter. Please can you sort this issue and make typing normal on here again.

### 1/5 — Sometimes good, sometimes awful

*2026-05-18, version 2.40.1.54*

I’m currently repeatedly getting ‘this service is unable’ when trying to pick out lunch for my child. It is ever since the last update.

### 1/5 — Payment

*2026-05-01, version 2.40.1.54*

Can there be a way to save payment details on this app or the option to use Apple Pay added at all?

### 1/5 — Awful app

*2025-10-09, version 2.40.1.54*

Cannot even sign up as it says the details are incorrect however they are the details the school has!!!!!

### 1/5 — Awful system

*2025-10-07, version 2.40.1.54*

In 2025 there are way better systems than this one, most of my child’s class has been unable to get into this app. A basic CRM system causing this much issues cannot be worth it!

### 1/5 — Non functional

*2025-09-24, version 2.39.1.40*

App opens and closes doesn’t boot up. I’m on an iPhone 15 this really shouldn’t be an issue. My child’s lunch money has to be paid through this app or he can’t have his lunch. Tried app support and it says it no longer exists. That’s appalling.

### 1/5 — How secure really is this site

*2025-08-30, version 2.39.1.40*

Given most apps and logins today have to have a login of 15 characters or 2FA or require you to change a password/pin once you have been sent one for the first time, which this has none of these… how secure is this site actually when it only uses a 4 digit pin. Seriously nervous about having to use this app when security seems non existent in how it has been developed

### 1/5 — Reminders stopped working

*2025-07-14, version 2.39.1.40*

Reminders for payments stopped working, very bad if you were relying on them

### 1/5 — Terrible

*2025-07-07, version 2.39.1.40*

Had to use this app throughout my child’s high school as some communications and payments for activities through this app. Communication with the company if there is a problem is nonexistent. Mistakes made for dinner payments were rife and very difficult to rectify via school. Now he’s left due a refund of account and this is not happening. School says it’s the company but there doesn’t appear to be ANY method of contacting them. Awful app, designed to make money in my opinion.

## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated)

### 5/5 — Purrfect

*2024-11-01, version 2.37.1.3*

It's perfect details information and online payments

### 5/5 — Payment

*2024-09-26, version 2.37.1.3*

It will be nice if there is apple payment and balance top up option to safe time have it done anywhere anytime. Entering card details is really frustrating

### 5/5 — Great App

*2024-02-26, version 2.30.1*

Never had an issue. My child primary and now secondary have both used this app and it is great.

### 5/5 — Excellent app

*2023-11-23, version 2.30.1*

Good app tell us about non uniform day

### 5/5 — Good

*2020-03-16, version 2.19.19*

Found the app really great for the better part of 4 years. 
Now my son is in Y10 and this app is good for reports, achievements points and the behaviour points. It’s good to see the achievements. 

As of today, the app crashed when I went to show my husband the latest report, low and behold it’s fully kicked me out! Stated I had no internet connection (wireless was working fully and so was my mobile data, so that was not an issue). 
Requested a new pin with email and phone number, NOTHING came through or stated it had received request, did a few times and now account locked and got to wait at least an hour to go through the same procedure again. Dealing with the school can be tedious for a reset of pin, rather have it unlocked via my email or number, which would be far quicker and less time consuming. 
Not having a message to state that the request has been acknowledged, is frustrating. 

I would of left a 5 star review, as I find it a really good app but this problem has rendered a 3 star review. 

I do like the fact that i could see when the achievements were given and what for (he gets some money for all achievements earned per month) and the behaviour points (any behaviour points accumulated will weigh against the achievements by taking money off, say we give him £1 per achievement point, any behaviour points is 50p reduction).
I like seeing the school reports and how I can easily flip between them, especially the Y10 reports to see what kind of grades he is sat at and what’s improved over the terms. 
The function to message the school is really good, there have been times when kids and household have been rather ill and to send a text to school, to let them know kids won’t be attending for XXX reason, via the app is so helpful. I know that school has been contacted and records can be updated. 

Overall, the app is good but this problem is a pain.

**Update** 
School reset the pin so can access the account fully again. Not crashed since, which is great. 
I think the main thing for requesting a new pin, would be to have an acknowledgement that pin has been requested, and either text or email within an hour with a new pin to access account. 
As I have finally mama he’s to have a pin reset and back to full access, I have changed my rating from 3 to 5*. 
Apart from that, brilliant app.

### 5/5 — Great idea.

*2019-10-09*

Found this app easy to use. Made paying for school things easier and faster.
I can keep an eye on what still needs paying when it comes to school trips or donations and school items including dinner money. It lets me see what my child has bought for lunch too so if you need to keep an eye you can.
 I Can keep up to date with my child’s school progress with behaviour, attendance and achievements.
Her timetable is on it too so if I need to contact her I can do it at the right time and not during a lesson.
Such a great app.

**Developer response:** Thanks for your feedback, we're glad you enjoy using School Gateway!

### 5/5 — Excellent app

*2019-04-08*

I find this app works really well,makes payments for school dinners and breakfast club so much easier,no more scrabbling around for change while rushing out the door in the money,school can get consent for activities on line including trips and after school clubs and we also receive communication and reminders as well(non uniform days,comic relief etc).A while ago it was a bit glitchy and I had to remove the app and download again a couple of times to get it to work but it has worked fine for months now,great app.

**Developer response:** Thank you for you great feedback.

### 5/5 — Great app - 5 stars

*2018-01-19, version 2.6.9*

This app is the best and easiest app to use in the marketplace. All of the rants I’ve just read are ridiculous. It is down to the school not setting it up properly not the actual app. I can pay with a couple of taps, see my child’s timetables and reports. I receive alerts for behaviour and achievements among lots of other useful things. It was was easy to set up and the school love using it too.

### 4/5 — School app

*2024-04-29, version 2.34.4.63*

It’s helpful app. Easy to use.

### 4/5 — It works fine for me!

*2024-01-18*

There’s a lot of ranting and my first point is if YOU as a parent cannot control your own 11 year olds spending? Give them a packed lunch. Problem solved. It’s not the apps fault. Mine knows she can’t spend over £5 a day and she understood this.
It’s a basic app but does what is required. It’s not rocket science it’s lunch money. I can’t comment on after school club payments however. Anyway it’s fine. Thanks

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*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 2026-08-28.*