Campus ID News
Card, mobile credential, payment and security
FEATURED
PARTNERS

Penn College goes off-campus, students spend $400k in under a year

Chris Corum   ||   Jun 24, 2004  ||   , ,

Penn College took their CBORD Odyssey PCS™ one-card system off campus at the request of their students, in hopes of increasing revenue and giving students more options. Known as the WildCat Plus Plan, students and employees have the ability to put funds into an account that may be used at various locations around town. Current partners in the program include Burger King, Wendy’s, a gas station/convenience store, and a sub shop. Merchants selling alcohol are prohibited from participating. Campus administrators describe the initial results simply as “amazing.”

Pennsylvania College of Technology, an affiliate of The Pennsylvania State University is known as Pennsylvania’s premier technical college. Penn College offers bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees and certificate majors that combine hands-on experience with theory and management education.

Vendors participating in the WildCat Plus Plan pay a monthly fee and a transaction fee of around 5%, though specific terms are negotiated with each business. In the first year of the program, Penn College set up their contract with vendors as an annual contract, but they are now asking for three-year renewals. To opt out of the program vendors must give thirty days notice.

To market the off-campus program, Penn College has developed an informative website. Penn College partnered with JSA Technologies to launch a series of web pages that are specifically designed for students, faculty and staff to have easy access to their campus card accounts. The WildCat Plus Plan web pages allow cardholders to add funds to their account, check balances and track transaction histories. There is a listing of all off-campus vendors participating in the program including their address and any special terms for the location. Vendors advertise their participation with window decals, and the College distributes brochures to create awareness and to drive up account deposits.

Results have been strong to date. Students are using their ID card at these off-campus vendors, which benefits both the merchants and the College. According to Linda Sweely, Director of Foodservice, “our program has only been going since mid August and students have spent almost $400,000 with off-campus merchants…we are amazed.”

Penn College has seen deposits to the card program increase as students embrace the ability to take their card off-campus. “Sheetz (the gas station) is thrilled about the program and has significantly increased their gas sales and seen an additional increase in (food) sales between the hours of 1a.m. and 4a.m., times when the schools dining services are not open,” stated Ms. Sweely.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

RECENT POSTS

Jun 08, 23 / ,

NACCU Blog: 9 keys to managing an on-site team remotely

Employees and positions traditionally tethered to an office are now increasingly hybrid or entirely remote. A recent entry to NACCU's Positive IDentity Blog, Director of Campus Card Services at The New School, Bankim Patel, discusses some of the important considerations for remotely managing an on-site team.

Student card data at Alberta helps piece together campus life puzzle

Jennifer McNeill, manager of the ONEcard program at the University of Alberta, explains how card system data can potentially lead to a safer, more welcoming student experience. She describes how data collected from campus card transactions can be used to improve operations like dining, residence life, fitness and other vital campus tasks.
May 26, 23 / ,

Penn State adds mobile ordering to campus app

Penn State has added a mobile ordering feature to its comprehensive campus mobile app, Penn State Go. The Penn State Eats Mobile function is available for use by students on the flagship University Park campus, as well as across the university's Commonwealth Campuses.
CIDN logo reversed
The only publication dedicated to the use of campus cards, mobile credentials, identity and security technology in the education market. CampusIDNews – formerly CR80News – has served more than 6,500 subscribers for more than two decades.
Twitter

Join us, @NACCUorg, and @TouchNet to explore how campus card programs can successfully navigate the sales and procurement process. Join the webinar on June 6, 2 pm EDT. https://go.touchnet.com/l/652093/2022-05-18/lsndq

Webinar: Learn how the University of Arizona uses campus cards, mobile ordering, kiosks, lockers, and robots to revolutionize campus dining. April 7, 2-2:30 EDT. Register Now at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7821245544009488910?source=campus-id

Load More...
Contact
CampusIDNews is published by AVISIAN Publishing
315 E. Georgia St.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
www.AVISIAN.com[email protected]
Use our contact form to submit tips, corrections, or questions to our team.
©2023 CampusIDNews. All rights reserved.