The Commons, The Cove, The Anchor and the Franz coffee cart now take cards
By Hannah Gray
Bon Appétit customers at UP can now pay with plastic.
Effective last Wednesday, its vendors - The Cove, The Commons, Franz coffee cart and The Anchor - accept credit and debit cards, as well as cash.
"It gives people more options," said Kirk Mustain, Bon Appétit general manager. "ATM machines aren't a great value for people, and to be honest, people don't carry cash anymore."
The transition to the debit and credit card machines took more than a year.
Mustain attributed the delay to technical difficulties.
In the 2008 fall semester, ASUP passed a resolution that demanded the option of electronic transactions in The Cove.
The University told ASUP three or four times that the debit and credit card machines were coming soon, according to Alyssa Schmidt-Carr, senior and ASUP vice president.
"And it's finally happening before I graduate," Schmidt-Carr said.
However, the debit and credit card machines were contingent on the University's security process, in order to secure the system from hackers, Mustain said.
"Bon Appétit has been ready since September," Mustain said.
Regardless of technical snags, the administration was on board from the beginning.
"The administration was supportive of it because a lot of people who work here wanted it too," Schmidt-Carr said.
The resolution was originally created to accommodate students who don't live on The Bluff.
"It was a way to create a community for off-campus and commuter students," Schmidt-Carr said.
According to the resolution, due to the modern age of technology, many people no longer carry cash, which led to a student demand for debit and credit card machines.
"I never carry cash, and it was always a hassle when I wanted to purchase a snack in The Cove or a coffee in Franz," said junior Dannica Hutton.
"I never drank coffee at the beginning of the year because I never had cash. I'll probably buy coffee more now," Hutton said.
Schmidt-Carr noted that the debit and credit card machines also will make it more convenient for visitors to campus.
"It provides more opportunities for people," Mustain said.
