Graig MantleCash, checks, Campus Express cards and even your student ID have been accepted as payment for most transactions on campus. Now a new option will emerge next fall if things go according to plan.
If outgoing ASI President and mechanical engineering senior Todd Maki gets his way, students would be able to use their credit cards next year.
“If the credit cards were to be implemented this summer, they will be available for students on campus when we return in fall quarter,” Maki said.
Currently the only places where students can use a credit card are at El Corral Bookstore and Vista Grande restaurant. The plastic cards, along with a small percentage fee, can also be used to pay academic tuition.
In the case of tuition fees, there is a 2.9 percent “convenience fee” if students pay with a credit card. Student Accounts, which is in charge of tuition payments, says on its Web site that they will not take Visa cards.
“For any credit card charge that you make, the way that credit cards make money off of those is that they take a percentage of the transaction,” Maki explained.
Maki believes that the 2.9 percent fee will not extend to other parts of campus when students use their cards. He believes that opening up this new payment transaction method will lead to increased business on campus.
“By opening up the credit cards, they will have greater uses of their resources,” Maki said.
However, Maki admitted that he has not personally seen what the new credit/debit card system would look like next year. He claimed that the costs of implementing the new system would not be passed on to students.
“As of now, it’s in the budget for the Cal Poly Corporation this year,” he said. “That means the corporation will be able to implement it over the summer, assuming that we (ASI) can do so.”
Cal Poly Corporation, a non-profit organization directly connected to the campus, is also responsible for providing services like Campus Dining and El Corral Bookstore. However, they are a separate organization from the university.
“It’s similar to how ASI operates with the Rec Center and the union,” Maki explained. “Cal Poly itself doesn’t run dining, but the corporation does.”
Maki stated that Cal Poly is the only college in the California State University system that doesn’t allow credit cards across campus. However, students like aerospace engineering junior Jonathan Hernandez expressed second thoughts in regards the new system.
He claimed that the current system has worked for him and many other students and thought it would be a waste of resources to put in a costly credit card system.
“I don’t think we should have credit cards in place,” Hernandez said. “I put money in my ID card or simply use cash. There are also concerns brought up as a result of the new credit card system. Depending on what system Cal Poly Corporation chooses, no signature would be necessary for purchases under $25.
Maki thought it would result in fewer lines all around campus.
“Credit and debit cards take a while because they’re a lot slower than cash or campus express cards,” he said. “So if we can speed that up by sliding your card, getting your receipt and not having to sign, it would take out about 20 seconds per customer.”
The plan to implement credit cards as part of Cal Poly’s payment system several years ago hit a roadblock due to the high costs associated with a renovation project.
“The plan was to renovate building 19, which is the building that houses the Avenue, Lighthouse, Sandwich Factory and Veranda Caf‚,” Maki said. “Within that renovation they were going to implement the credit and debit cards system.”
Maki explained that the credit cards would have been in place there after the renovation. However, there are currently no dates set for the renovation of building 19.
Rec Center and the union,” Maki explained. “Cal Poly itself doesn’t run dining, but the corporation does.”
Maki stated that Cal Poly is the only college in the California State University system that doesn’t allow credit cards across campus. However, students like aerospace engineering junior Jonathan Hernandez expressed second thoughts in regards the new system.
He claimed that the current system has worked for him and many other students and thought it would be a waste of resources to put in a costly credit card system.
“I don’t think we should have credit cards in place,” Hernandez said. “I put money in my ID card or simply use cash. There are also concerns brought up as a result of the new credit card system. Depending on what system Cal Poly Corporation chooses, no signature would be necessary for purchases under $25.
Maki thought it would result in fewer lines all around campus.
“Credit and debit cards take a while because they’re a lot slower than cash or campus express cards,” he said. “So if we can speed that up by sliding your card, getting your receipt and not having to sign, it would take out about 20 seconds per customer.”
The plan to implement credit cards as part of Cal Poly’s payment system several years ago hit a roadblock due to the high costs associated with a renovation project.
“The plan was to renovate building 19, which is the building that houses the Avenue, Lighthouse, Sandwich Factory and Veranda Caf‚,” Maki said. “Within that renovation they were going to implement the credit and debit cards system.”
Maki explained that the credit cards would have been in place there after the renovation. However, there are currently no dates set for the renovation of building 19.