Any time students stop by a campus vending machine from now on, they will now have the option to make their purchase with their SDSUcard.
SDSUcard office manager Haunani Mees said, while vending machines accepted SDSUcards, or OneCards, in the past, the university has decided to bring this option back in an attempt to make the cards more functional around campus.
“Since it’s so useful on campus, this is just the next step,” Mees said.
Mees said while SDSUcards mainly cater to those living in campus housing, the cards serve all students in paying for printing services and at dining facilities, as well as making payments at the SDSU Bookstore or Aztec Markets. For those living on campus, the cards can also be used for laundry and access to residence halls. They may also be used as visual validation for access to school events.
“You have to use your (SDSUcard) quite a bit here on campus, so it’s probably to everyone’s best interest even if you’re an off-campus student to have it with you, being that you don’t have to deal with a credit card,” Mees said.
Students may also use their SDSUcards to host a checking account through U.S. Bank, allowing users to condense their student ID and checking card into one product, according to the U.S. Bank website.
As for loading money on SDSUcards, Mees said students can easily use cash or card to their balance from almost anywhere on campus with a cash register.
“They can put money in at the any of the on-campus markets, the bookstore or through the online GET website,” Mees said.
Business freshman Dahlia Wong said the option of being able to use her SDSUcard at vending machines would eliminate the struggle of not having her debit card when trying to buy a snack.
“I think it’s a good thing because sometimes I won’t have my debit card or credit card, so the SDSUcard is really useful because I already have money in it and I would be able to easily purchase from vending machines,” Wong said.
Kinesiology freshman Krista Bumatay said adding the option of using SDSUcards at vending machines is an overall good idea and that it is well in line with the university’s goal to increase the card’s usefulness.
“I think it’s a good idea because people can utilize their SDSUcard more than just using it at the market, for printing, laundry (and) other things,” Bumatay said.
