Diebold, Financial Institutions Partner To Give Students One Powerful Card

What do you get when you combine an automated teller machine (ATM)/check card with a campus identification card? A multipurpose card that provides tremendous convenience and marketing opportunities for everyone involved.

"Savvy marketers know that what college students lack in savings account balances they more than make up for in relationship potential," says Bradley J. Stephenson, general manager, Diebold Card Systems. "Becoming part of a campus card system offers financial institutions access to, and the potential loyalty of, a powerful demographic market."

With the help of the North Canton, Ohio-based Diebold, Incor Wachovia Bank and UNC-Chapel Hill Team Up To Simplify Student Life

porated, many of the nation's campuses, from Stanford University to Texas A & M and the University of Buffalo, have transformed the student ID into a multi-use card enabling students, faculty and staff to do everything from open doors to borrow books and purchase meals. But the most dramatic change in the student ID is the addition of banking capabilities, made possible with Diebold's CS Gold(tm) card system and partnerships with major financial institutions.

"When we started our campus card system we wanted to get students away from having to carry six cards in their wallet," says Jim Clinton, operations manager at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "Today, you can't survive on campus without the UNC One Card."

That's because the UNC One Card is a student's official ID, library card, meal ticket, door key and now, a Wachovia Bank card.

"Adding banking services to the card was a high priority for students and we wanted to be responsive to that input," says Carolyn Elfland, associate vice chancellor for auxiliary services at UNC. Wachovia, the fourth largest bank holding company in the country, responded by developing a special package of services for UNC's students and employees.

Now, UNC One Card cardholders can access their Wachovia accounts at on-campus ATMs to withdraw and deposit funds, or transfer funds to their university stored value account. And with the help of software interfaces specially designed by Diebold, students can access their accounts online and use their One Card at off-campus retailers.

"Students like the ability to use the card both on campus and at the mall," says Clinton. "And they also like the fact that their parents can make online deposits directly into their accounts."

Eliminating the need to carry cash and keys and making campus life easier for students is just one of the benefits of the combined campus/bank card. Universities also realize cost savings from reduced cash handling and the consolidation of card programs, as well as increased revenue-not only do users tend to buy more with the card than they would with cash, merchants are often willing to pay transaction fees to gain access to student customers.