SIMS Agora Frequently Asked Questions If you need a free Microsoft account please click here to sign up

What is SIMS Agora – what does it do? SIMS Agora online payments provides a safe, secure and easy way for parents and carers to pay for school items such as school meals, trips, events, music lessons, transport and other school activities. SIMS Agora supports schools in their drive to improve efficiency by reducing costs and streamlining payment collection administration. Parents and guardians are able to manage their school payments with the peace of mind that all transactions are processed safely directly to the school using the highest level of security. SIMS Agora is the trusted online payments solution for the whole school community.

How do I get started with SIMS Agora? 

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You will receive an Agora activation letter from your school containing a unique reference number for your child – you will need this reference number to set up your SIMS Agora account for your child. If you have not yet received an Agora activation letter, please contact your school. To access SIMS Agora, you will also need a free Microsoft Account (see below for more information). Please log into SIMS Agora from the school website or visit www.payyourschool.co.uk When accessing SIMS Agora for the first time, please follow the step-by-step online instructions to register and activate your account. Once registration has been completed, you will receive a confirmation email. Click on the link in the email to activate your account. You will be able to buy and make payments for school items straight away.

Why do I need a Microsoft account? 

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We have chosen to use Microsoft Account (previously Windows Live), which covers a range of other services (including Outlook, SkyDrive, Xbox Live and Hotmail), as many parents and carers will already have one of these accounts. This has the added advantage that you don’t have to remember different usernames and passwords – and you are always in control of your own access details. You can use your own email address (it does not have to be a Microsoft email address) and create your own password. SIMS Agora uses Microsoft Account for safety and to provide secure authentication when you log in to make a payment – we do not require any additional information from your Microsoft account, only what is needed for authentication. If you do not have a Microsoft Account yet, please create one - they are free of charge and easy to setup.

How do I sign up for a Microsoft account? You can use an email address you already have as your Microsoft Account or create a new Microsoft email address. For more information and to sign up for a Microsoft Account: 1. Go to the Microsoft Account website. 2. Click the Sign up now link at the bottom of the page and follow the instructions. To use your own email address for your Microsoft account, please enter it in the field marked 'Microsoft account name 3. Provide the rest of the information, and then please read the Microsoft service agreement and the privacy statement. If you agree to the terms, click the I accept button. Please note: If you used an existing email address to sign up, you will receive a verification email from Microsoft to the email address you are using.

Can I use my existing email address for a Microsoft account? Yes, you can use any existing valid email address. You have to create a Microsoft account, but you do not need to use a Microsoft specific email address.

SIMS Agora: Frequently Asked Questions for Parents You will be able to view details of balances and transactions, and make payments that are immediately credited to your child's account. SIMS Agora is the trusted online payments solution for the whole school community.

Is Agora safe - are my payments secure?     

Yes - Agora is safe and secure and tested for the highest security All information on Agora is secure and only accessible by completing several security steps and automated checks Payments are secure - no card details are ever stored on the system or accessed by the school Agora is PCI DSS Level 1 certified and uses the highest levels of card payment security & 3D fraud protection measures You will receive a full receipt for all payments and you can check at any time what and when you have paid the school through Agora

All online card payments made through SIMS Agora are protected by Secure Socket Layer (SSL) with an encryption key length of 128 bits, which is the highest level commercially available. Your payment card details are directly processed by the Payment Management Division of Capita Software Services, a leading provider of secure online payments services and are not collected nor accessible by the school. Capita Software Services' online payment management solutions are independently and rigorously security assessed, and are certified by Visa and MasterCard as a Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) Level 1 payment processor. Further information about this payment card security standard can be found at https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/security_standards/pci_dss.shtml .

Which credit/debit cards can I use to pay through SIMS Agora? You can pay with any of these debit or credit cards (Diners Card or American Express are not accepted)

Does it cost me anything to use SIMS Agora for payments? No - using SIMS Agora is free for parents and guardians; there is no extra charge to your payment. You only pay for the items you buy or school meals or services you making a payment for.

How do I log into SIMS Agora?     

The school will send you an activation letter containing a unique reference for your child - you will need this reference to access your child's account To access Agora you will also need a Microsoft Account - you can use an existing account if you already have one, or create a new one online - they are free, very easy to setup and you can use any email address and password Please login to SIMS Agora from the school website or go to: www.payyourschool.co.uk Follow the simple online instructions to activate your account You will receive an email to confirm your account has been activated; once you have clicked the link in the email you will be able to make payments for school items straight away

What details do I need to log into SIMS Agora? To access SIMS Agora for your child's Account, you will need the following details:    

Activation letter - the school will send you an activation letter containing a unique reference for your child - you will need this reference to access your child's account Your child's date of birth A valid Microsoft Account - you can use an existing account if you already have one, or create a new one online - they are free, very easy to setup and you can use any email address and password Please login to SIMS Agora from the school website or go to: www.payyourschool.co.uk

How do I sign up for a Microsoft Account? You can use an email address you already have as your Microsoft Account or create a new Microsoft email address

To sign up for a Microsoft Account:    

Please go to the Microsoft account sign-up webpage To use your own email address for your Microsoft account, please enter it in the field marked 'Microsoft account name' Provide the rest of the information, and then please read the Microsoft service agreement and the privacy statement. If you agree to the terms, click 'I accept' Once you have created a Microsoft Account you will be able to access SIMS Agora and complete the simple account activation steps

If you used an existing email address to sign up, you will need to verify it to prove that it's yours. You will receive a verification email from Microsoft to the email address you are using.

Can I use my existing email address for a Microsoft Account? Yes, you can use any existing valid email address you have to create a Microsoft Account - you do not need to use a Microsoft specific email address.

Who do I contact with queries relating to my SIMS Agora account? If you have a question about your child's SIMS Agora account please contact your child's school directly, who will be able to help.

Getting started with SIMS Agora How do I get started with SIMS Agora?    

The school will send you an activation letter containing a unique reference for your child - you will need this reference to access your child's account To access Agora you will also need a Microsoft Account - you can use an existing account if you already have one, or create a new one online - they are free, very easy to setup and you can use any email address and password Please login to SIMS Agora from the school website or access: www.payyourschool.co.uk Follow the simple online instructions to activate your account

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You will receive an email to confirm your account has been activated; once you have clicked the link in the email you will be able to make payments for school items straight away.

Please note: You can create a single account that includes all your children. If you have received activation letters for more than one child or school, please use only one of the activation letters to register. Additional children can be added once the account is active, by clicking on the Account Details link at the top of the page, selecting the Children Administration tab and then entering the child reference and date of birth for each additional child. This also applies where a child attends more than one school and the school also uses SIMS Agora. You will receive one time-limited Agora activation letter and reference per child per school. If the activation period has expired, you will need to contact the issuing school to request a new activation letter and child reference.

Why do I need a Microsoft Account?   

Agora uses the Microsoft Account as many parents will already have an account setup, which means you don't have to remember different usernames and passwords - you are always in control of your own access details If you don't already have a Microsoft Account they are free of charge and easy to setup online You can use your own existing email address (it does not have to be a Microsoft email address) and create your own password. Agora uses the logins for safety and security and only to provide authentication when you log in to make a payment

You can also use a Microsoft account to sign in to any PC running Windows 8

How do I sign up for a Microsoft Account? You can use an email address you already have as your Microsoft Account or create a new Microsoft email address To sign up for a Microsoft Account:    

Please go to the Microsoft account sign-up webpage To use your own email address for your Microsoft account, please enter it in the field marked 'Microsoft account name' Provide the rest of the information, and then please read the Microsoft service agreement and the privacy statement. If you agree to the terms, click 'I accept' Once you have created a Microsoft Account you will be able to access SIMS Agora and complete the simple account activation steps

If you used an existing email address to sign up, you will need to verify it to prove that it's yours. You will receive a verification email from Microsoft to the email address you are using.

Can I use my existing email address for a Microsoft Account? Yes, you can use any existing valid email address you have to create a Microsoft Account - you do not need to use a Microsoft specific email address.

What is account activation? Once you have logged into SIMS Agora, you must complete the simple activation steps to activate your account. You will receive an Agora activation letter containing one time-limited reference per child per school. Please note: If the activation period has expired, you will need to contact the issuing school to request a new activation letter.

My activation letter/child reference has expired - what do I do? SIMS Agora activation letters are time limited for reasons of security. If the child reference provided to you by your school has expired, you will need to contact your school and request a new Agora activation letter.

I have more than one child to activate - can I have a single account/login? Yes, once you have completed the registration process and activated your SIMS Agora account, you can add additional children by clicking on the Account Details link at the top of the window, selecting the Children Administration tab and entering the child reference and date of birth for each additional child and school as applicable, where a child attends another school that uses SIMS Agora.

How do I access SIMS Agora?  

Please login to SIMS Agora from the school website or access: www.payyourschool.co.uk If you have not yet activated your account you will need to go through a simple activation process, where you will need your child's unique Agora reference, the child's date of birth and a Microsoft Account.

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You will receive an email to confirm your account has been activated; once you have clicked the link in the email you will be able to make payments for school items straight away

Contact information Who do I contact with queries relating to my SIMS Agora account? If you have a question about your child's SIMS Agora account please contact your child's school directly, who will be able to help.

How do I edit my contact details within SIMS Agora? The contact information within SIMS Agora uses the information your school currently holds for you. You can change the address and email details within SIMS Agora if required by going to the Account Details page, and updating the personal details. Please note : any changes made to the contact information in SIMS Agora will not update the contact details the school holds for you - the information will only be stored within the Agora payment system for your account.

Merging accounts for multiple children How do I merge accounts if I have more than one child? SIMS Agora allows you to add multiple children to one single combined account, including children attending another school or more than one school, provided their school also uses SIMS Agora. This allows you to use just one account, with one username and password to make payments for all your children's school items available through SIMS Agora. Your SIMS Agora account allows you to view and pay online for any school-related activities or items for your child or for all of your children in a single place. You can easily get an overview of your child's or children's account balances and you can settle multiple accounts with a single payment.  

Login to SIMS Agora at www.payyourschool.co.uk If this is the first time accessing SIMS Agora you will need to follow the simple online instructions to activate your account.

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You will receive an email to confirm your account has been activated; once you have clicked the link in the email you will be able to make payments for school items straight away. When you are in SIMS Agora, to add further children to your account go to the Account Details link at the top of the screen. Select the Child Administration option from the left-side menu. On the Child Administration page, please enter the new child reference and date of birth into the 'ADD CHILD' panel for the additional child you would like to add to your account.

The relevant information for the child that has been added will appear automatically within SIMS Agora for your account. You can complete this step as many times as you need to for additional children - you just need a unique Agora reference from the child's school.

Making payments and requesting funds How do I select and pay for an item in SIMS Agora?      

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Please login to SIMS Agora at www.payyourschool.co.uk If you have not yet activated your account you will need to go through a simple activation process, where you will need your child's unique Agora reference, the child's date of birth and a Microsoft Account. You will receive an email to confirm your account has been activated; once you have clicked the link in the email you will be able to make payments for school items straight away Once you have accessed Agora you should see your child's details and the items you can make payments for or purchase. If you have more than one child within Agora, by clicking on your child's photograph will move it to the top of the list and show the items that are available to pay for or purchase. Choose a product from the items available for your child or make a payment for school meals using the 'school meal balance' panel on the homepage. To purchase an item, simply click on the 'Add to basket' button on each item page - this will automatically add the item to your Agora basked, which is available to see on each page at the top right hand-side of the page. To view your shopping basket and pay for items, simply click on the 'Your basket icon' at the top right hand-side of the page. (insert image of basket & value) When you are ready to pay, follow the step-by-step checkout process just click on the 'Checkout' button (insert Checkout button)

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Once the payment has been successfully processed and the order process is complete, you will receive a confirmation email wit h a reference number and details of your purchased items. The order will also be available in your Payment History and appear on your credit or debit card statement - your payment will appear as 'School Payment-Capita'. (Please note: your payment card number or card details are not stored by the School or Capita Payment Management Services)

The item I need to pay for is not listed in SIMS Agora? If the item you are looking for is not listed, it may not yet be available or it may have sold out. Items may be time limited or be made available on a 'first come, first served' basis, and then removed. If an item has temporarily sold out, the school will add a message to let users know when the item will be available again. Please note: If you have paid for more than one item of the same type in a single transaction, e.g. when paying in instalments, you can check your Payment History for a list of recent transactions. Please contact your child's school if you have a query about an item you wish to pay for through SIMS Agora.

Which credit/debit cards can I use to pay through SIMS Agora? You can pay with any of these debit or credit cards (not Diners Card or American Express)

How can I find out if my payment was successful? You will receive a payment receipt by email as soon as a payment is made, plus all your purchases will be shown in your Payment History within your SIMS Agora account. Your payment will appear on your credit or debit card statement as 'School Payment-Capita'. (Please note: your payment card number or card details are not stored by the school or Capita Payment Management Services)

How do I know if a payment was unsuccessful? If a payment was unable to be processed through SIMS Agora you will receive an email advising you that the system has been unable to complete the transaction - the error may have occurred for a number of reasons:   

We may not be able to obtain payment authorisation - it may be that your card issuer has declined payment You may have supplied incorrect payment details The website may be experiencing problems - you may want to try again at a later point

Can I save my payment card details within SIMS Agora? For security, SIMS Agora does not store any payment card details.

Will I get a receipt using SIMS Agora? Yes - whenever you are paying for items through SIMS Agora you will receive a receipt email with a reference code to confirm your order and details of purchased services and products. You will receive a payment receipt by email as soon as a payment is made - your payment will appear on your credit or debit card statement as 'School Payment-Capita'. (Please note: your payment card number or card details are not stored by the School or Capita Payment Management Services) You can also view details of your orders and transactions in your Payment History, or individually for each child by clicking on the appropriate Statements category tab next to their photograph.

I've paid for the wrong item - can I get a refund? If you have paid for the wrong item or require a refund please contact your child's school to request a refund.

I owe money to the school, but my child has left and I can no longer see their details?

When your child leaves the school, you may not be able to purchase items or make payments for them. Your school should advise you about refunds or outstanding amounts and details on how to arrange payment.

My child has left the school - how do I obtain a refund? Your school will contact you by sending a letter and issue a cheque for any outstanding amounts. If you have not received a communication, please contact your school with details of your account who will be able to issue a refund where applicable.

Transactions, balances and statements How do I check my transaction and payment history? There are two ways you can view details of transactions and orders: 1. Payment History - You can access your Payment History by clicking on the Account Details link at the top of the window to view orders and details of purchases by date. 2. Statements - You can view monthly statements by clicking on a child's photograph to display the Statements category tabs, then selecting School Meals or Products and the desired month to view details of recent payments per child, and school if applicable.

How do I check my balance and statement? The current balance for each child is displayed below their photograph on the left-hand side of the window. Balances are colour-coded, allowing you to see at a single glance if an account is in credit or debit. For details click on the photograph to move the selected child to the top of the list and display the Statements category tabs. View purchases by clicking the required tab and selecting the required month.

Dinner Money & School Meals If your child's school uses SIMS Dinner Money you may be able to pay online and top-up their balance through SIMS Agora for their school meals.

Payments made for school meals through SIMS Agora payments are credited against your child's account automatically within the school's SIMS Dinner Money system - the balance of your SIMS Agora account and your child's Dinner Money account will be updated together to show the correct amounts.

Can I see what my child's Dinner Money/School Meal balance is? Yes - where a school uses SIMS Dinner Money, the school meal balance for your child is automatically updated within your SIMS Agora account when the system synchronise together. The balance is displayed on your Homepage below your child's photograph and colour-coded so that you can see at a glance if a top-up payment is required.

When will my payment be credited to my child's dinner money account? Online payments made for school meals through SIMS Agora are credited to your child's account when Agora synchronises with the school's SIMS Dinner Money system - this usually 3 or 4 times each day depending on the school's SIMS Agora setup.

My payment has not been credited to my child's dinner money account? If your payment was processed successfully, your payment for your child school meals will usually update within your SIMS Agora account straight away. Depending on how the school has SIMS Agora setup, payments made for school meals through SIMS Agora are credited to your child's account when the school's system updates with SIMS Agora - this is usually 3 or 4 times each day depending on the school's SIMS Agora setup. If your payment has not credited to your child's Dinner Money account - please your Payment History within your SIMS Agora account to make sure your payment went through successfully. If you still cannot see your payment credited against your child's school meal balance, please contact your child's school providing details of the transaction so your school can check for you.

Can I still pay with cash or cheque to the school for school meals? Yes - if the school uses SIMS Dinner Money and SIMS Agora, then all cash and cheque payments made to the school for school meals will show in SIMS Agora against the child's balance.

How do I check the school meal balance for my child? The School Meals balance for a child is shown underneath their photograph on the left-hand side of your SIMS Agora Homepage . Balances are colour-coded: positive balances are highlighted in green, negative balances are highlighted in red. Clicking on your child's image on the left-hand side of the screen moves the selected child to the top and displays the available Statements categories. Clicking the required tab allows you to select and view monthly account statements by child, and school if applicable.

Account management and security Can I be certain that using SIMS Agora is absolutely secure? The SIMS Agora online payment system is secure. The system is independently and rigorously security assessed, and are certified by Visa and MasterCard as a Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) Level 1 payment processor. You are given a unique reference for your child and access to SIMS Agora can only be activated by using this reference. When you use the service for the first time will need this unique reference plus your child's date of birth to validate your account. All online card payments made through SIMS Agora are protected by Secure Socket Layer (SSL) with an encryption key length of 128 bits, which is the highest level commercially available. Your payment card details are directly processed by the Payment Management Division of Capita Software Services, a leading provider of secure online payments services and are not collected nor accessible by the school.

Which credit/debit cards can I use to pay through SIMS Agora? You can pay with any of these debit or credit cards (Diners Card or American Express are not accepted)

What information do I need to log in to SIMS Agora?      

You will receive an Agora activation letter from your child's school containing a unique reference for your child - you will need this reference to activate your account. If you have not yet received an Agora activation letter, please contact your school directly. You will need your child's date of birth To access Agora you will also need a Microsoft Account for your username and passwordPlease login to Agora from the school website or access: www.payyourschool.co.uk For the first time access, please follow the simple online instructions to activate your account. Once the simple activation steps have been completed you will receive an email to confirm your account has been activated. Once you have clicked the link in the email you will be able to make payments for school items straight away.

Please note: SIMS Agora activation letters are time limited for reasons of security. If the child reference provided to you by your school has expired, you will need to contact your school and request a new Agora activation letter.

What should I do if I am unable to login to SIMS Agora? Please check that you have the following details and have entered them correctly: 

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Your child's Agora reference - this can be found on the activation letter your school provides. Please note: SIMS Agora activation letters are time limited for reasons of security. If the child reference provided to you by your school has expired, you will need to contact your school and request a new Agora activation letter. A valid Microsoft Account - you can use an existing account if you already have one, or create a new one online - they are free, very easy to setup and you can use any email address and password During activation - you will need your child's date of birth

If you are still unable to login to the SIMS Agora website please contact your child's school and provide details of the access problem.

What do I do if I've forgotten my password? Your username and password details are contained within your Microsoft Account and are not provided by your child's school or Capita Children's Services. If you have forgotten your password for your Microsoft Account this can be easily reset by accessing the 'Can't access your account?' link on the Microsoft Account login screen. You will then be able to reset the password for your Microsoft Account.

How do I change my username and password? Your username and password details are contained within your Microsoft Account and are not provided by your child's school or Capita Children's Services. You can change your username and/or your password at any time by accessing your Microsoft Account at https://account.live.com, and updating your details within the ' Password and security info' section Note: Please ensure that you have access to the email address that SIMS Agora holds for you. Clicking on the Account Details link and selecting the Personal Details tab displays your current email address and contact details.

My child has left the school - how do I delete my account? You cannot delete your SIMS Agora account. When your child leaves the school, you will receive a notification about your SIMS Agora account from your child's school

Does SIMS Agora share any of my personal information? No - SIMS Agora is fully secure and does not share any of your child's or your personal information outside of the school or the SIMS Agora system.

My child is moving schools - can I use my existing account? Whether you can still pay for items using your existing SIMS Agora account depends on whether your child's new school also uses SIMS Agora. When your child joins the new school, you will receive an activation letter with a unique child reference that will allow you to set up your child at the new school by clicking on the My Accounts link and selecting the Manage Children tab. This may allow you to order school uniform items, for example, before they start their new school. Please note: Balances cannot be transferred between schools, you should receive a letter from your current school detailing any outstanding amounts.

What is 'Verified by Visa'? Verified by Visa is a free service available to Visa debit card holders providing extra protection when shopping on the internet. It works by asking you for a pre-registered password before your transaction is completed. This is designed to stop fraudulent use of your card and to make online shopping even more secure, as only you will know your personal password. You can find up to date information on Verified by Visa by clicking here.

Technical questions about SIMS Agora How secure is SIMS Agora? Agora is safe and secure and tested for the highest security - we understand how important security is for schools and our online payment system is independently and rigorously security assessed, and is certified by Visa and MasterCard as a Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) Level 1 payment processor. All information on Agora is secure and only accessible by completing several security steps and automated checks. You are given a unique reference for your child and access to SIMS Agora can only be activated by using this reference. When you use the service for the first time will need this unique reference plus your child's date of birth to validate your account.

SIMS Agora uses a range of security procedures, including.       

Capita Software Services is certified as a Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) Level 1 payment processor Compliance with PCI DSS is certified for Capita Software Services by Trustwave 3D Secure (Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode) Card Security Code (CSC) Validation and Address Verification System (AVS) checks 128-bit SSL encryption Third-party security monitoring

Payments are secure - no card details are ever stored on the system or accessed by the school

Can I use my mobile/ipad to access SIMS Agora? We do not currently offer a special mobile SIMS Agora application for smart phones, ipads or other mobile devices; however if your device is Internet enabled you may be able to gain access. Please be aware that access to the Internet via public Wi-Fi may not be secure. We recommend that if you are able to access the Internet via your phone or ipad that you only visit trusted websites and download only trusted "applications" from sites that you know. This will help prevent malicious software from being downloaded onto your mobile device.

Will SIMS Agora work on my browser? You should be able to access the SIMS Agora online payment website using any browser but the user experience provided may be of a better standard if using one of the following browser versions: PC users:  

Internet Explorer version 7 or later Firefox 1.5 or later

MAC users: 

Firefox 1.5 or later

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Safari 3 or later

You may download the latest browser versions of Internet Explorer from: www.microsoft.com You may download the latest browser version of Firefox from: www.getfirefox.com You may download the latest browser version of Safari from: www.apple.com/safari/download/

What technology do I need to use SIMS Agora? Minimum required PC set up To use SIMS Agora you need to ensure that your computer is set up correctly and has the right hardware, operating system and web browser. If you don't have the right set-up, your experience with SIMS Agora may be affected. What will you need? The list below indicates the technology you will need to ensure you can use SIMS Agora. Supported operating systems     

Windows 8 Windows 7 Windows Vista Windows XP Apple Mac OS X

Supported Browsers PC users:

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Internet Explorer version 7 or later Firefox 1.5 or later

MAC users:  

Firefox 1.5 or later Safari 3 or later

Screen resolution The SIMS Agora website is best viewed at a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. Please check your operating system manual for details of how to amend your screen resolution.

Can I use SIMS Agora abroad or on a shared PC? Yes, you log in the same way as you do within the UK. We do not recommend that you access your SIMS Agora account from public computers, e.g. Internet cafes or hotels, as anyone could have installed spyware on the computer to obtain your personal data. Accessing the service from outside the UK is at your own risk.