# Spare - Smart Communities > Campus community platform for schools, parents, and students with cashless payments. (iPhone/iPad app by Spare Payments.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spare-smart-communities/id1364027146 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Spare Payments](https://appshunter.io/developer/1364027145) - Category: Finance, Education - Price: Free - Rating: 4.70/5 from 387 App Store ratings · 18 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 14.0 · 34 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2019-01-19 - Data updated: 2026-09-09 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spare-smart-communities/id1364027146/reviews.md ## What is Spare? The Spare platform connects schools, stores on campus, parents, and students. At Spare-enabled schools, parents can rest assured that their children have arrived at school safely, and are able to buy whatever they want without carrying any cash. Furthermore, they can add limits to their child's account to promote healthy spending habits, and can keep track of their child's nutritional intake. The on-boarding process is simple: parents download an app, pair their child's wristband, and recharge their account using cash at the school or using their credit card in-app. The platform does not require a credit card nor a bank account, nor does it require any complex sign-up procedures; all you need to get started is a valid phone number, a Spare Digital ID, and a quick visit to the app store. ## Key features - Child arrival monitoring - Cashless payments - Spending limits - Nutritional tracking - Parent-school connection ## Recent user reviews (10 of 18) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spare-smart-communities/id1364027146/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Inconvenient app *2026-01-04, version 3.9.1* It’s 2026, progressive country we live in, and no apple/google pay? Insecure form, where everyone could see my all details of the card, while I’m entering them. There is a time’s approved UX, why don’t you use it? ### 3/5 — Can’t see the updates *2025-10-27, version 3.8.3* Please make sure to update in daily basis ### 1/5 — Support cannot fix my issue *2025-10-22* Lots of bugs - cannot recharge my sons lunch card for a week, support is slow and it has not been resolved. ### 1/5 — Cranleigh *2025-10-19* Constantly wrong amount deducted. We even have been charged for the school lunch during the half term. I’m afraid very dodgy **Developer response:** Hi, please reach out to our support team at support@paywithspare.com and we will be happy to assist you with any inquiries. ### 1/5 — Menu not available *2025-10-19, version 3.8.3* Ordering without menu ### 1/5 — 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡 *2025-10-13* I hate this app and it’s not working anymore **Developer response:** Hi, please reach out to our support team at support@paywithspare.com and we will be happy to assist you with any inquiries. ### 1/5 — Card replacement *2025-10-06* I had to pay now the second time for a card and I hope we get it. Can’t get in touch with anyone. The school doesn’t know. It’s very hard to communicate with you really disappointed! **Developer response:** Hi, please reach out to our support team at support@paywithspare.com and we will be happy to assist you with any inquiries. ### 3/5 — Better choices *2025-09-07, version 3.7.7* Please add photos of the food as it is relevant when choosing for picky eaters ### 5/5 — Apple Pay adoption for Topups *2025-09-04, version 3.7.7* I would kindly request to add apply pay as payment method instead of every time adding card details, will be much easier and I think faster ### 1/5 — Yogi *2025-08-27, version 3.7.6* One of the worst apps if patent has to place a weekly repeat order without having to opt for an expensive meal plan. Reported several times but no one cares ## Frequently asked questions about Spare ### What does the Spare platform do? The Spare platform connects schools, stores on campus, parents, and students. It allows parents to ensure their children have arrived safely at school and enables cashless transactions for students. Parents can also set spending limits and monitor their child's nutritional intake. ### How do I set up an account for my child? Parents download the app, pair their child's wristband, and then recharge their account. This can be done using cash at the school or via credit card within the app. A valid phone number and a Spare Digital ID are required to get started. ### Does this app require a credit card or bank account? No, the platform does not require a credit card or bank account. The on-boarding process is designed to be simple and does not involve complex sign-up procedures. All that is needed is a valid phone number and a Spare Digital ID. ### What are the benefits for parents? Parents can gain peace of mind knowing their children have arrived at school safely. They can also manage their child's spending by setting limits and track their nutritional intake, all through a convenient cashless system. ### Is this app free to use? Based on the provided information, the app is free to use. There are no mentions of subscription fees, in-app purchases, or advertisements, indicating a free monetization model. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 4.0.5 — 2026-08-20 Minor bug fixes. ### 4.0.4 — 2026-08-20 Minor bug fixes. ### 4.0.3 — 2026-08-14 Minor bug fixes ### 4.0.2 — 2026-08-06 Minor bug fixes. ### 3.9.9 — 2026-07-01 In this update we added better support for expanded events at your community. ## Apps similar to Spare | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [CIB OTP Token](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cib-otp-token/id1074048518) | 2.8 (37) | Free | Finance | | [Leap - Youth Financial App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/leap-youth-financial-app/id1599141697) | 4.6 (41) | Free | Finance | | [Telda](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/telda/id1519608437) | 4.8 (2,571) | Free | Finance | | [CIB Mobile Banking App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cib-mobile-banking-app/id6618151705) | 3.2 (116) | Free | Finance | | [HSBC UAE](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hsbc-uae/id1459836567) | 4.7 (3,144) | Free | Finance | | [Wio Personal](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wio-personal/id1658472726) | 4.8 (648) | Free | Finance | ## Related topics [spare](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/spare) · [uf snap by spare](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/uf-snap-by-spare) --- *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 2026-09-09.*