PennCard's power to purchase rises

The first step in a large-scale project to improve the University's debit card system -- and eventually incorporate a multi-use computer chip in all PennCards -- is underway. Students can now use their PennCards to buy food and drinks in the student-run commissaries in the high rises. This brings to seven the number of campus locations where students can use their PennCards for purchases, including Chats, Stern Dining, The Book Store and Wharton Reprographics. Since students may use their PennCards either to charge purchases to their bursar bills or as a debit card by putting money into an account, cash transactions are eliminated. "This new service will offer late-night convenience, enable students to avoid going out at night and in inclement weather and enhance 'cashless' convenience," said Ira Hillman, manager of Penn Student Agencies. By February, the PennCard service should expand to include the Quad Commissary. Wharton freshman John Baker, who works in the commissary, said the wiring process necessary for the new system began this month. "I think a lot of students will be happy that they can buy things without paying for them," Baker said. "And it also makes my job much safer and easier -- I won't deal with as much cash." Commissaries in other campus residences will also eventually be included in the new service, according to Telecommunications Director Laurie Cousart. And by next fall, students should be able to use their PennCards for an even greater number of services. Representatives from Dining Services, the Department of Housing and Residence Life and area retailers are working with students and administrators to make Penn one of the first universities to use a student identification card that contains an integrated computer chip. Currently, the University of Florida and Michigan State University are the only two schools that use an identification card with a chip. To prepare for this new debit system, the PennCard was revised at the beginning of this school year. All newly issued PennCards use digital photographs, said Cousart, who is also project leader for the investigative PennCard team. The new IDs use plastic cards rather than laminated paper, making alterations almost impossible, according to Director of Student Financial Services Operations John De Long. "This new card will prevent a lot of shady business from going on," De Long said. Currently, "several [possible] partners are negotiating" for the right to provide the University with a cost-efficient integrated chip for use in the PennCard. Cousart said the University will select a company within a few weeks. The new PennCard will be used as an electronic cash card, with access to vending, laundry and copy machines, De Long said. Although last year the committee proposed a debit card system with a magnetic strip, they decided instead on the card with a chip because it will not require wiring of campus machines -- saving the University the cost of the expensive process. Cousart added that using the chip will make it possible to provide the same services both on and off campus, without charging wiring fees. "When we have everything working properly, students should be able to swipe their cards at residences and have their computerized pictures appear on a screen for the guards," De Long said. "This type of process will make it so much easier to apprehend unwanted visitors."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.