Students at Higher One colleges quickly using added ID card benefits

Many university card managers are interested in enabling their ID card to be used off-campus to provide students with added purchase power. ID card managers who have partnered with Higher One to meet this need have achieved unparalleled success. Students at universities that have implemented the Higher One OneAccount service can use their ID card to make purchases wherever MasterCard Debit is accepted. In the past six months they have done so repeatedly, making over 500,000 transactions with a total volume of more than $25 million.

When students activate a Higher One enabled ID, they have the option of opening a free checking account, which becomes accessible via their card. For students it can serve as a primary bank account, allowing cardholders to get cash from ATMs, write checks, send and receive money electronically and monitor their accounts on the web.

In addition to being able to easily add banking services and the ability for cardholders to spend at off-campus and online merchants, card office managers have found that Higher One has brought other unexpected benefits to the card office. Jackie Mitchell, Cougar 1Card Manager at the University of Houston found that Higher One has simplified the semesterly card issuance process. "We used to have long lines in the card office at the beginning of each semester and I would have to rent additional equipment and hire temporary staff," Mitchell shared. "Now, I don’t have lines, and don’t have to rent equipment or hire temporary staff. I estimate I’ll save $17,000 per year or more."

Bonnie Christianson, the ID Card Office Manager at the University of Wisconsin -Stout has seen a slight increase in on-campus spending spurred by Higher One’s Campus Autoload feature. Campus Autoload helps students automatically transfer money from their OneAccount checking account to the on-campus spending account. "Over 51% of our students actively use their OneAccount – and with Campus Autoload, it’s very easy for them to choose to have money available to spend on campus for dining, snacks, or other purchases."

Higher One continues to add new university partners, having most recently launched the OneAccount integrated ID card / banking / refund payment service with University of Wisconsin-Parkside in January. The company continues to look for ways work with the card office and is planning to be in attendance at the National Association of Campus Card Users Conference being held March 14-17th in San Antonio Texas.