PENNcard may lead to the end of quarters at U.

For University students tired of squirrelling away quarters to feed washing machines, dryers and vending machines, the end may be near. But for students who hope the University's identification card, the PENNcard, might eventually become a debit card, as at Duke University and several other schools across the country, it may be a while – or never at all. At Duke, students or their parents can deposit money on their school identification cards. Students can then use their cards for everything from books at the school bookstore to pizza delivery at their dorms. The amount of each purchase is automatically deducted from the student's card balance, similar to the method used by stores that accept MAC cards for payment. Frank Neithammer, the director of the PENNcard Center, said yesterday that students might be able to use their PENNcards instead of change for laundry machines and vending machines as soon as next fall. Students would either add value to their PENNcards in the same way that value is added to photocopier cards in University libraries, or students might be billed on their bursar bills – which is how some students used their PENNcards to buy their books this fall. The University has not decided which method to use. The University has been investigating the feasibility of eventually becoming a "cashless campus," with nearly all campus area purchases paid for by the PENNcard, Associate Vice President for Finance Frank Claus said. Claus said the University is interested in the concept because it would be convenient for students and because it would largely eliminate the need for students to carry cash. He said one roadblock to the plan is that Pennsylvania law only allows banks to hold deposits. For the University to offer a debit card, a bank would have to come in and actually handle the banking transactions. He said the University has been discussing the issue with several area banks, including the University's Student Federal Credit Union, but no definite commitments have been made and no timetables have been set. Wharton senior Francisco Bayron, the Credit Union's vice president for planning, said no official agreements with the University have been reached. He said that neither the Credit Union or the University is rushing to implement the plan. "If it's going to be done, it's got to be done right," Bayron said. He added that before the plan goes forward, the Credit Union and the University want to make sure they will not lose money on the plan. A debit card would also raise new security concerns, Neithammer said. If the PENNcard becomes widely used instead of cash, he said, "do we make the card worth stealing?" Neithammer said he does not think creating a debit card is a top priority. "I think [the University would] like to do it," Neithammer said, "And if they could do it without cost to the University, fine." He said he also doesn't want students to be charged for the service. "The school doesn't come to its knees if we don't do this," Claus said.

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