Auburn University has joined the now dozens of universities that are permitting students to use their campus ID cards to pay for fares on popular transportation app Uber.

The program is the result of an agreement between Uber and card system vendor CBORD. A deal was finalized with Auburn after the university’s auxiliary services fielded a proposal by the two companies.

The deal was first established back in 2016, making Auburn one of several universities to have joined Uber's campus card initiative, including Vanderbilt University, the University of San Francisco and Seton Hall University.

Benefits for Auburn students

According to The Plainsman, the Uber deal offers plenty of benefits for students. By allowing students to use their student ID, the Tiger Card, students may be less likely to drive while intoxicated and instead opt to ride with Uber. Additionally, Auburn Auxiliary Services officials point out that adding Tiger Cards as another payment method for Uber could help decrease parents’ worries, as Auburn students now have another option to get home safely.

According to Uber, in order for students to use the service, students simply need to download the app on their phone, choose their school, and then provide their student ID card information as a payment method. It will also be easier for students to keep track of how much they spend on Uber rides and other expenses they pay for with their campus ID card.

As students continue to leverage their smartphone for daily activities, along with transit apps becoming the go-to method of quick, local travel, more campuses will likely partake in the program. Uber encourages institutions whose campus cards are not linked to Uber to sign up for a place on the company's wait list.