Card, mobile credential, payment and security
In this episode of CampusIDNews Chats, Dave McQuillin, co-founder and VP of Sales and Marketing for Atrium Campus, shares how new technologies are reshaping campus dining and retail operations.
McQuillin says colleges are turning to semi-autonomous and fully autonomous solutions to meet evolving student needs and overcome staffing shortages. “Students these days really expect to have great food options available 24-7 because that’s how they live,” he explains. Traditional hours no longer meet expectations, and it’s increasingly difficult to staff late-night or off-hour locations.
At UGA, Atrium worked with AiFi to deliver a fully autonomous retail store that doubled sales and reduced shrinkage from high double digits to less than 2%.
Atrium’s partner ecosystem includes semi-autonomous solutions like Mashgin, which uses AI and computer vision to scan items instantly. “You grab what you want, you put it on a tray, you hit pay, and it uses AI algorithms and cameras to ring that check up very quickly,” McQuillin says. Average transaction times are just 12.5 seconds—significantly faster than manual self-checkout—and shrinkage is reduced.
Atrium also supports fully autonomous retail, integrating with technologies like Zippin and AiFi. The University of Georgia’s AiFi store, for example, “doubled sales, reduced shrinkage from high double digits to less than 2%, and students are super happy,” McQuillin reports.
To watch the full interview, click the image at the top of this page.
TRANSCRIPT
Atrium is an a la carte, cloud-native campus card program that supports mobile credentials, meal plan management, and the full suite of one-card offerings.
One of the trends we're definitely seeing in higher ed is a shift to semi-autonomous and fully-autonomous dining in retail.
Why is that important?
Students these days really expect to have great food options available 24-7 because that's how they live.
Locations that are just staffed from 8 to 5 p.m. just don't cut it. Staffing shortages also have been a driver for this. It's increasingly hard to find staff that will work the hours that are required. But more than anything, it's about improving the student experience.
Some of the solutions that we have been bringing to market through our partner program include Mashgin, which is a semi-autonomous solution.
You grab what you want, you put it on a tray, you hit pay, and it uses AI algorithms and cameras to ring that check up very quickly.
In fact, Mashgin talks about an average transaction time of 12 and a half seconds, much faster than self-barcoding items.
The other advantage of that technology is it reduces shrinkage. A lot of universities are struggling with this when they have unattended self-serve checkouts, which rely on the integrity of the students to barcode every item.
In addition to Mashgin, we have integrated with services like Farmer's Fridge, Just Baked, Costa Coffee, Vicky the AI-powered vending machine, and Robo Burger. It seems like almost every other week there's a new robot-driven vending machine that's coming to market, and we are able to onboard those services very, very quickly.
Now, the other category in that area is fully autonomous.
Our first foray into that was to integrate with Zippin at Towson University. In addition to Towson, we have UNLV that also has a Zippin store.
But true to our roots, we want to give clients lots of options, so we just recently integrated with AiFi, which is another leader in the fully autonomous store space. We had a very successful opening of the AiFi store at University of Georgia.
They report that sales doubled, shrinkage dropped from high double digits to less than 2%, and students are super happy.
They're so happy with the results that they've already released a PO to Atrium to open a second AiFi, fully-autonomous store in their student center.
As we've discussed, there's a lot of change in the air.
Clients are looking at end-of-life with their campus card system, or their point of sale, or their access control.
They're looking to elevate the student experience.
What we would like is to have a conversation with those clients. Give us a call. Give us an opportunity to talk with you. I think you'll find that Atrium could be a very good fit for your campus.
VandyCart is Vanderbilt Campus Dining’s new mobile grocery ordering program designed to give students a fast, convenient way to buy groceries on campus.
Using the Transact Mobile Ordering app and Vanderbilt’s single sign-on, students can choose from more than 150 products and place an order for pickup at several convenient on-campus locations. Products include fresh produce, frozen food, and common kitchen staples.
The service provides flexibility for students to use their meal plan for items they can use to eat or prepare meals at home.
They can spend up to three meal swipes per transaction. Each swipe is valued at $12. They can also use Commodore Cash, Meal Money, or a debit/credit card. Students are limited to six meal swipes per week through VandyCart.
VandyCart is a great example of how an institution can expand the use of things they already have in place – dining facilities and mobile ordering tech – to add new services for students.
Other common non-food convenience store items are also available, but meal swipes cannot be used for these purchases. In this case, Commodore Cash, Meal Money, and debit/credit cards are accepted.
Orders can be picked up during four specific two-hour time windows each day. The windows are 9-11 am, 1-3 pm, 5-7 pm, and 9-11 pm. Students select their pickup window and must arrive during that timeframe. If they do not, their groceries are removed to make room for the next round of orders.
Pickup is offered at four campus locations, including Vanderbilt’s three Muchie Mart grab-and-go markets and its Rand Dining Center.
VandyCart is also making it easier for students to order a healthy meal when they’re sick and not able to visit their dining hall. Campus Dining’s popular Get Well Meals program is now available via VandyCart on the Transact Mobile Ordering app.
Students can order a nourishing meal that can be picked up by a friend or roommate.
Each Get Well Meal kit is designed with health in mind. Breakfast includes Oatmeal, fruit, Gatorade, and a protein bar. Lunch and Dinner feature Soup (vegan or non-vegan), fruit, Gatorade, and a protein bar.
VandyCart is already seeing an average of 400 orders per week and serving 200 unique users per week.
Orders can be paid for using a meal swipe, Commodore Cash, Meal Money, or debit/credit cards. Orders can be picked up at one of four dining locations.
VandyCart is a great example of how an institution can expand the use of things they already have in place to add new services for students.
Through creative utilization of existing kitchens for food prep, dining halls for pickup, and c-stores for basic items, the service required no additional facilities. By adding this new feature to the institution’s already deployed Transact Mobile Ordering app, additional tech investment was not required.
Grocery pickup provides a new service to boost the student experience, and it provides added value to the meal plan offering.
Though new, it is already showing promise.
According to an article in the Vanderbilt Hustler, Campus Dining reports that VandyCart is seeing an average of 400 orders per week and serving 200 unique users per week.
Genius, a unified Point-of-Sale solution from Global Payments, is now available for colleges and universities through TouchNet, A Global Payments company. Genius helps drive commerce and simplify back-end processes for higher education by integrating with existing campus systems, centralizing payment operations, and delivering real-time transaction data.
Data protection is a central component of the Genius solution. The system uses end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to protect payment information and maintain compliance with PCI standards.
With Genius, institutions can accept campus card tenders, credit and debit cards, mobile wallets, and gift cards, both in store and on the go.
For campus dining, the solution supports mobile and kiosk ordering, digital menus, and meal plan management. This allows institutions to efficiently manage the spectrum of different transaction types expected by modern students
Global Payments recently expanded the Genius POS solution specifically for the higher education market. The solution provides a unified payment experience across campus facilities, including bookstores, dining services, recreation centers, and student organizations.
For campus retail and food service environments, key benefits include:
By integrating with student information and financial systems, Genius allows institutions to coordinate payments across departments while maintaining consistent reporting and security standards. Introducing a unified Point-of-Sale solution for higher education is designed to consolidate previously fragmented systems, reduce reliance on cash, and improve payment efficiency across campus.
In this CampusIDNews Chat episode, we talked with Tim Nyblom, HID Global’s Director of End User Development for Higher Education. He outlined three key innovations shaping campus identity and security.
One of the most transformative changes is the expansion of mobile credential options. “The tech giants engaging in this space and are now opening up different channels, different partners, and different integrations,” says Nyblom. “[With this,] different companies will be coming into this space to be able to offer wallet-based solutions.”
Apple and Google are now opening up different channels, and this will enable new companies to offer wallet-based credentials.
This will give institutions the ability to adopt mobile access in ways that best fit their environment.
Nyblom also points to biometrics as a major area of progress. HID recently introduced a new facial biometric reader called Amico, designed to enhance campus security.
“Universities have been asking for this for a long time,” he explains. “There are different use cases on campus, from recreation centers, athletic buildings, server labs, data centers, medical campuses — anywhere you want that extra layer of security.”
Another key development centers on HID’s Mercury controllers, the long-standing backbone of many access systems. Their open architecture controller gives institutions freedom to integrate new solutions and providers without costly hardware replacement. “You have the ability to pick and choose your partners and not have to rip-and-replace readers,” Nyblom says.
With so many advancements converging, Nyblom says the current environment in higher education identity and security is “ever-changing and exciting.”
To watch the full interview, click the image at the top of this page.
TRANSCRIPT
It's an exciting time in the higher education industry. There's so much happening, so much innovation, so much new technology entering this space. There’s more flexibility, more choices for universities than ever before.
One example is obviously mobile credentials. It has been a huge topic over the last couple of years and what's really exciting is there's now going to be more choices than ever.
The tech giants have been engaging in this space and are now opening up different channels, different partners, and different integrations.
Different companies will be coming into this space to be able to offer wallet-based solutions and mobile access-based solutions using an app as well like we've been doing for a very long time. There's just a lot more choice and flexibility that universities now are going to be able to take advantage of.
Another example is innovation in the biometric arena. We have a new facial biometric reader called the Amico that we're super excited about. Universities have been asking for this for a long time. There are different use cases on campus, from recreation centers, athletic buildings, server labs, data centers, medical campuses – anywhere where you want that extra layer of security.
Another example on the innovation side is around our Mercury controllers. It's been the leading controller in the industry for a very long time.
One of the greatest things about Mercury is that it is an open architecture platform where you have the ability to pick and choose your partners and not have to rip and replace hardware.
Recently we just introduced the latest line, the Blackboards as they're referred to or seen on the MP controller side. It really gives universities a ton of flexibility. As systems are going end of life, universities are now being able to take control of that hardware and protect themselves on all future investments.
We are talking a lot about this, we're getting a lot of questions, our partners are bringing a ton of opportunities around the Mercury controller and it's a really exciting time.
These are just a few examples of what's happening in this space, it is a great time to be in this industry, it is ever-changing, there's so much excitement and passion right now and, our team is here. If you ever need us, please feel free to reach out.
We want to be that trusted advisor and make sure that you are making the best decisions for your institution.
When many think of Allegion, they picture locks and hardware. But Jeff Koziol, the company’s business leader for higher education, emphasizes that Allegion is also focused on mobile credentials.
“A lot of people think of us as a hardware supplier, an electronic lock provider, but we also do mobile credentials,” he explains. The company not only manufactures devices that work with its own mobile IDs, but it also ensures compatibility with other providers including Transact and HID.
Partnerships are key to that strategy.
With Google recently announcing Wallet credentials for TouchNet and Atrium campuses, Allegion can support both iOS and Android users, even offering Google Wear compatibility.
“One of the things that Allegion has been very aggressive about – especially in higher education – is making sure that we have established partnerships that address all use cases for mobile credentials to mimic what’s happening with the campus card,” says Koziol.
That includes collaboration with vendors in areas such as vending, laundry, printing, and point of sale.
To date, Allegion’s mobile solutions have been widely deployed with CBORD, but the company is broadening its reach.
“Our credentials now work with TouchNet’s OneCard access system and Atrium as well,” Koziol notes. With Google recently announcing Wallet credentials for TouchNet and Atrium campuses, Allegion can support both iOS and Android users, even offering Google Wear compatibility.
To watch the full interview, click the image at the top of this page.
TRANSCRIPT
In this episode of CampusIDNews Chats, we spoke with Jeff Koziol, Allegion’s business leader for higher education. He discusses the company’s approach to mobile credentials, including ensuring their access control readers support both their own credential as well as credentials issued by other mobile credential providers.
Here is what he had to say:
Hi I am Jeff Koziol. I am the business leader for higher education and wanted to give you some updates on where we're at with our business and our portfolio.
A lot of people think of Allegion as a hardware supplier, an electronic lock provider, but we also do mobile credentials.
We manufacture devices that work with our credentials, and we manufacture devices that work with other people's credentials in the industry.
Specifically in higher ed, these would be companies like Transact and the HID wallet type of solutions.
One of the things that Allegion has been very aggressive about, especially in higher education, is making sure that we have established partnerships so that we can address all use cases of where mobile credentials can be used to mimic what's happening with the campus card.
That means getting outside of what we do.
That means working with companies that manufacture vending readers, readers that are going into copy print applications, laundry applications, library, bookstore, and point of sale.
We realize we can't do it by ourselves with our own portfolio, so we've got a nice network of partners.
Many of our mobile installations to date have been with CBORD and CS Gold and such, but not every campus is not on Gold.
We have a lot of hardware on Transact's credentials, but again, not every campus is Transact either, so we have rounded out our portfolio a little bit in 2025.
Our credentials now work with Touchnet's OneCard access system and Atrium as well.
So many of you have seen the release recently about a new Google Wallet credential that's going to be specifically for TouchNet and for Atrium campuses.
We have the ability to work with Apple Watch with Apple Wallet credentials, but what's unique about it is it will allow us to offer a Google Wear credential as well with Google devices.
If people are looking to get a hold of us, if they want to talk and discuss where they may want to go, they can always reach out to us.allegion.com. They can find case studies, and they can find articles that we've done. You can look at our portfolio.
Or please feel free to email me directly at jeffrey.koziol at allegion.com.
Happy to have that conversation.
Transact + CBORD’s latest version of the Transact IDX® cloud-based transaction system includes integration with the company’s popular mobile credential offering. The update is available now, and clients can leverage these enhancements without additional hardware investments or complex migrations.
The first institution to rollout mobile ID with IDX is Northeast Mississippi Community College (NEMCC). In just the first two weeks, nearly 40% of the students adopted the new credential.
"We jumped at the chance to be the first school to launch [mobile credential] on the IDX platform," said Chris Murphy, Vice President of Finance at Northeast Mississippi Community College. "Transact + CBORD worked closely with us to scale and adapt the system to fit our needs and resources, ensuring our students could benefit from the same innovative mobile credential technology used at much larger universities."
It was always our intention to offer mobile credential in IDX, but we needed to ensure it was delivered in the appropriate priority for clients.
Prior to this release, IDX supported an array of physical credentials, but it did not support a mobile option. Now, however, students at institutions using IDX can add their campus ID directly to Apple and Google Wallets.
“The journey we took with IDX was to identify key functionality and place it in priority order to serve the most clients with the most features in a logical progression,” says Kent Pawlak, Sr. Director, Product Strategy, Transact + CBORD.
He says the development team first created a solid foundation for managing cardholders and credentials with stored value accounts. Next, they added enhanced meal plan functionality.
“It was always our intention to offer mobile credential in IDX,” explains Pawlak. “But we needed to ensure it was delivered in the appropriate priority for clients to achieve the best value.”
In addition to mobile ID integration, the update also includes new features designed to reduce administrative overhead, improve campus services, and give students a better experience.
One major upgrade is the incorporation of Transact’s popular eAccounts mobile app for iOS and Android. eAccounts provides one place for students to check balances, make deposits, provision credentials, and report lost cards.
Other key upgrades include:
A Transact + CBORD announcement says the NEMCC deployment positions the company, “as the leading provider currently serving community colleges with live mobile credential solutions.”
This is the seventh community college to adopt the technology.
It proves that mobile credentials can be scaled for institutions of any size, with or without large residential populations.
"It proves that advanced mobile credential technology can be successfully scaled for institutions of any size, with or without large residential populations," says Rasheed Behrooznia, EVP and GM of Campus ID and Commerce for Transact + CBORD.
According to the company, future updates to IDX will add features like AI assistance, advanced reporting, guest deposits, and entitlement tools.
When Apple released iOS 26 last week, a highly anticipated feature – the ability to add U.S. passports to the Wallet app – was notably absent from the update.
However, Apple has since updated its website to provide clarification regarding the timeline for this functionality stating, “digital ID will be coming later this year with U.S. passports only.”
This suggests that the feature may be introduced with either iOS 26.1, expected in late October, or iOS 26.2, anticipated for early to mid-December, says 9to5mac.com.
They could use Wallet as their ID at any mobile-enabled airport checkpoint across the country and even in some retail locations for age verification. They will not, however, be able to use it for international travel.
According to Apple’s description of the new iOS version, users can, “create a digital ID in Wallet using your U.S. passport. It can be used at TSA checkpoints, in apps, and in person.”
Digital ID has been part of the Apple Wallet ecosystem for years, but implementation has been slow. This is because state governments must get on board with digital driver’s licenses. Many states have found the effort to make bring this to fruition is immense, and the desire to see it through has often waned.
Currently, only about a dozen states and territories in the United States offer digital IDs through Apple Wallet.
The addition of passport support, however, represents a significant expansion of digital ID for Americans. Once launched, any iPhone user running iOS 26 and holding a valid U.S. passport will be able to add it as a digital ID in the Wallet app.
This means they could use Wallet as their ID at any mobile-enabled airport checkpoint across the country and even in some retail locations for age verification. At this point, however, they will not be able to use it for international travel.
Still, it is a first step – though a significant one – toward digital ID in the U.S.
College athletic departments are more than just sports programs – they are complex business operations that manage major events, high-traffic facilities, and thousands of student and fan interactions. Many, however, still manage operations using a series of disparate systems for critical processes like payments, ticketing, access control, and reporting. According to TouchNet’s article Rethinking Commerce and Access in College Athletics, this outdated approach is no longer sustainable.
“Athletic departments aren’t just playing games – they’re running enterprises,” the article states. “To meet the growing demands of students, fans, leadership and financial stakeholders, they need to modernize the way they manage commerce and access.”
Most athletic departments juggle dozens of commerce and access points for students, fans, and athletes. Too often, each area is managed by its own system, leading to inconsistent user experiences and high operating costs.
When access and commerce systems are integrated with the broader institutional ecosystem, everything from accounting to student engagement becomes easier to manage.
While the rest of campus IT systems have adopted integrated platforms, athletics often operates as an island due to separate budgets, vendors, and leadership structures.
As demands and opportunities rise, athletic departments must evolve. Modern solutions can unify payments, campus ID access, ecommerce, and reporting under one system. This can simplify financial tracking and reconciliation, streamline event and facility management, improve security and consistency.
Overview of key TouchNet stats
“When access and commerce systems are integrated with the broader institutional ecosystem, everything from accounting to student engagement becomes easier to manage,” the article explains.
By breaking down digital silos, athletic departments can connect to the broader campus infrastructure, reducing costs and complexity. The same commerce and access solutions used by campus card, auxiliary service, and finance departments can transform athletics’ operations.
The article closes stating, “investing in connected infrastructure isn’t just an IT decision, it’s a strategic one.”
The head of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s ID program spoke with CampusIDNews about the decision to require all students, faculty, and staff to use mobile credentials. Unlike many institutions that allow individuals to choose between a mobile ID or physical card, Chapel Hill adopted a mobile-first approach to streamline access and align with sustainability goals.
“On campus we are mobile first, which means that is your requirement. You get your mobile credential – you don’t get anything else,” says Melinda Bakken, Director of Campus Services and Person ID at UNC Chapel Hill.
Physical cards are still provided for rare circumstances, such as secure laboratory environments where phones are prohibited or for police officers who need backup access in case of phone failure.
Bakken explains that the mobile requirement was motivated by UNC’s “three zeros” initiative, which includes reducing waste by eliminating the routine issuance of plastic cards.
In addition to sustainability, the shift has also enhanced security and reduced card sharing, particularly in dining halls.
At least once a day someone will come and tell us that they have to have a physical card. They say 'I'm going non-digital.' I say, no problem, show me your canceled phone bill.
“We used to have situations where students would drop their card down [from the second floor] to a friend after swiping in,” Bakken says. “You’re not going to drop your phone. Most people will barely give you their phone to look at.”
While the transition has been largely positive, some students and staff have expressed concerns. Some simply prefer having a tangible ID while others want it as a souvenir of their college years. To address these needs, Bakken is exploring commemorative cards made from sustainable materials.
To listen to the full interview, click the image at the top of this page
TRANSCRIPT
On campus we are mobile first, which means that is your requirement. You get your mobile credential – you don't get anything else.
We do of course have always special cases. We have our labs, our BSL3 labs and BSL2 labs, where you are not allowed to bring a phone into the laboratory. They must have a physical card to bring and badge in.
Our police officers also get both just in case there is an instance where they have phone damage. We still want them to be able to get in, protect, do whatever they need to do.
And then of course animal labs, which we don't talk about.
I came to the decision to be mobile required because it would save on plastic. At UNC we are trying to be three zeros.
Of course, you know, there are always the caveats. There are special cases, but I think it's a good move for the campus and it supports our mission.
At least once a day someone will come and tell us that they have to have a physical card.
We are considering a commemorative card, and I think that's a good plan for us. I want to look into possibility of getting more sustainable products in order to print those cards.
Sometimes it is needed, for example, we actually just had a case where a Spanish visa was needed and the requirement online is that there is physical card, it cannot be a screen print. A physical card has to be copied three times and sent to the consulate.
He had to send a copy of his UNC one-card student card to the consulate in order to get approved for a student visa.
Some of the other ones that we have are, I don't want my phone anymore, I'm going non-digital. I say, no problem, show me your canceled phone bill and I'm happy to take care of you.
I won't say all, but some people are just kind of giving an excuse because they want that physical representation.
I've actually gone to a number of sessions and meetings about doing a commemorative card, and I think that's a good plan for us. I want to look into possibility of getting more sustainable products in order to print those cards.
I think going mobile is a great idea for other campuses because are connected to that phone. They always have it. They don't lose it. They don't even lend it out.
So it stops some of the sharing in places like dining halls.
They do have their concerns like 'What if my battery dies?' I'm actually working on a solution for that too with a power bank vending machine.
We used to have actually a situation where the student would go up the escalator and then they would drop the card down to their friend.
You're not going to drop your phone. You're not going to get in. Most people will barely give you their phone to look at. So, I think it is a good solution.
With mobile credentials, it's really exciting when you see the students getting excited about it. The first experience I had is when we were actually testing, and we went to the gym to test the readers.
We were not supposed to be telling the students yet, but he was at the front desk and saw it, and he was so excited about it. That's the thing that I enjoy about it when they get excited and pumped for using it.
They do have their concerns. What if my battery dies? What if this? What if that?
I'm actually working on a solution for that too with a power bank vending machine.
We're trying our best to help with all the concerns.
In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, understanding student behavior has become essential for improving learning outcomes and offering personalized support. A new study combines large language models (LLMs) with data from multiple campus sources to gain deeper insights into how students’ daily habits relate to academic performance. By analyzing student information system data, dining transactions, and exam scores in tandem, this system could provide a new tool to identify at-risk students early and improve educational interventions.
Traditional methods of analyzing student behavior often focus on isolated data sources, such as exam results or campus card usage. But this study, An Intelligent Educational System: Analyzing Student Behavior and Academic Performance Using Multi-Source Data, integrates multiple data streams, including demographic information, test scores, and more than 375,000 campus card transactions. The goal is to uncover hidden patterns linking daily behaviors, like dining habits, with academic performance.
Future studies could broaden the approach by integrating additional behavioral indicators, such as library visits, dormitory access logs, participation in campus events, or online learning activity.
The research team developed an AI-driven agent powered by LLMs that uses time-series analysis to track changes in both student behavior and academic outcomes. Though the data for the study was anonymized, the agent could ultimately produce individualized reports for teachers and parents, summarizing progress, behavioral trends, and potential warning signs. This would allow for data-driven decision-making, helping educators intervene before students fall behind.
For example, if a student’s dining patterns shift dramatically alongside declining exam scores, the system can flag potential challenges such as stress, health issues, or disengagement, prompting timely outreach from faculty or advisors.
At the core of this system is a meticulously constructed dataset drawn from three sources:
By fusing these diverse data sources, the research team created a resource that supports predictive modeling. When evaluated against traditional models, this new LLM-powered system demonstrated high accuracy and consistency in generating behavioral insights.
The study highlights the transformative potential of intelligent agents and LLMs in education. By providing accurate, interpretable reports, the system empowers universities to detect risks early, improve student outcomes, and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
For example, if a student’s dining patterns shift dramatically alongside declining exam scores, the system can flag potential challenges such as stress, health issues, or disengagement, prompting timely outreach.
However, the researchers acknowledge its current limitations. The dataset was drawn from a single college within Xinjiang Normal University, which may limit its applicability across other institutions. Additionally, the focus on exam scores and dining data captures only a small slice of student life.
They note that future studies could broaden this approach by integrating additional behavioral indicators, such as library visits, dormitory access logs, participation in campus events, or online learning activity. Expanding these data streams would provide a more comprehensive picture of how students engage with their educational environment.
This research marks a step forward in connecting everyday student behaviors with academic success, proving that when diverse data streams are intelligently analyzed, they can unlock valuable insights to guide the future of education.
