TouchNet + Heartland has revealed the availability of its new OneCard VIP offering – a hosted, vertically integrated platform for campus-wide payments and permissions.

A comprehensive, hosted system, OneCard VIP is the company’s cloud-based campus ID software. At a high level, OneCard VIP allows a campus to have TouchNet host the campus’ OneCard system in the TouchNet Secure Datacenter. The company is already in the process of deploying new installations of the system.

“OneCard VIP is leading the way in the transformation of campus ID systems from physical, plastic cards to digital, mobile credentials,” says Ron Farmer, President Global Payments Campus Solutions. “Over 80% of students today use a smartphone - this solution offers innovative technology to these students to enhance their campus experience.”

For campus administrators, the new OneCard VIP system enables real-time integration, transaction automation and centralized operations. The solution manages physical access, meal plans, event ticketing, student attendance tracking, and campus ID validation.

Running in the cloud, OneCard VIP is an enterprise-grade credentialing system that supports a broad range of functionality including student ID credentialing and verification, library access, time and attendance, event check in, declining balance payments with online deposits, real-time alerts and flexible configurations.

OneCard VIP also lays the groundwork for a campus to take its campus cards mobile. “It can provide students with a mobile application that will virtualize their student IDs, allowing them to use their smartphones for purchases, event check in, and to open doors in place of plastic cards,” says Fred Emery, Director of OneCard Sales at TouchNet. “Students can manage their card accounts from their mobile devices and receive additional campus information, while administrative applications enable smartphones and tablets to serve as transaction terminals.”

Campuses can also choose to further build upon the system with optional application suites. For example, the OneCard Dining Solution delivers a full-function dining and meal plan option to campuses. It can individualize dining options by student, including daily, weekly, or open meal plans – for example 14 meals per week, 120 meals per semester, or a per-day dollar allotment – and configurable meal time ranges and locations. This module also includes declining balance payments and POS operations.

Another application suite, OneCard Access Control, enables campuses to restrict access to residence halls, classrooms, labs, and other secure areas to only authorized personnel. It supports a variety of options for door locks and access methods and also includes a Master Security Monitor to serve as a campus’ central dispatch station.

Through an established Partner Ready Program, OneCard VIP can link disparate systems from third-party vendors – be they print management, bookstore, parking, etc. – through one central, secure and PCI-compliant payments and permissions system. OneCard VIP joins TouchNet’s U.Commerce financial technology platform – now licensed to over 800 colleges and universities – to further bolster the company’s unified commerce and credentialing solutions for higher education.