Stevens Institute of Technology has deployed mobile credential from Transact Campus. The move will enable Stevens students to use their Mobile DuckCard to make purchases at participating off-campus merchants, as well as for door access, meal payments, or printing across campus.

According to the Stevens DuckCard Office website, the mobile credential initiative will cover both Apple and Android devices. Also worth noting, the DuckCard Office will no longer issue new plastic DuckCards or replacement cards after May 31st of this year.

TO get started with mobile credential at Stevens, students must first download the Transact eAccounts App. From within the app, students select Stevens Institute of Technology, login with their university username and password, and finally select "add to Wallet" and accept the terms and conditions.

In a recent article in campus newspaper, The Stute, Tej Patel, Vice President for Information Technology and CIO at Stevens commented on the role of the plastic credential in greater detail.

“During the rollout of Mobile DuckCard, Plastic DuckCards were kept enabled to serve as a backup option in case anyone encountered issues with their Mobile DuckCard, device, or card readers,” said Patel in a statement to The Stute. “However, soon, plastic DuckCards will be disabled for individuals who have an active Mobile DuckCard. The upcoming update to the Transact software will introduce a tool that will automatically disable plastic cards when a Mobile DuckCard is created.”

In a statement to The Stute, Patel also said that the mobile credential program will be "cost-effective and fully managed by Stevens IT, ensuring a seamless and hassle-free experience for all.”

The full discontinuation of plastic credentials does, at least for the time being, have its exceptions. Specifically, for those students who still may not have an NFC-capable smartphone, the DuckCard Office will continue print plastic cards.

Oscar Hernandez, Operations Coordinator for the DuckCard Office also spoke with The Stute, and explained why mobile credential is a good fit for Stevens.

“The initiative was taken to keep Stevens at the forefront of innovation, says Hernandez. "We are the first university in New Jersey to have implemented mobile credentials."

Beyond the innovation factor, Hernandez added that the move to mobile will reduce plastic waste, save cost for students by eliminating lost card loss fees, and save time for the DuckCard Office by removing the task of mass card issuance.