New debit card planned

A large-scale project is underway to make debit cards more user-friendly in the University community. Representatives from dining, residential living and the retail community are working with students and a four-person administrative team to negotiate the details of becoming one of the first universities to use an I.D. card that contains an integrated computer chip. As part of the new plan, the PennCard is also being revised in order to make the debit card system plausible. Beginning this fall, all newly issued PennCards will use computerized pictures, said Telecommunications Director Laurie Cousart who is also the project leader for the investigative PennCard team. The new type of pictures will also use plastic cards, making alterations almost impossible, according to the Director of Student Financial Services Operations, John De Long. "The new card will prevent a lot of shady business from happening," De Lond said. "Students will no longer be able to change their birthdays to say '21'." There is currently a search for a company to provide the University with a cost-efficient integrated chip for use in the PennCard. De Long said that the chip could be used as early as November or December of this year. The PennCard will be able to be used as an electronic cash card, giving access to vending and laundry machines, Penn Student Agencies' commissaries and copy machines he said. Differing from the first proposed debit card with a magnetic stripe -- the card with a chip would not require the machines to be wired. "The first debit card was almost impossible to implement because of all the expensive wiring," Cousart said. "The card with the chip is much more practical." She added that using the chip will make it possible to provide the same services both on and off campus, without charging wiring fees. Cousart said it will be easier for both the University and venders. Eventually, the PennCard with a chip should be able to be used in innovative ways. "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." No students will be required to have the new PennCards. All cards issued beginning this fall will have computerized pictures and De Long said that the chip will probably follow later this year. In order to avoid crowds, the PennCard committee is planning on organizing separate registration booths once the chip card is implemented. Cousart said she is very excited about using the new technology. "I think it will be really cool," she said. "This is really new stuff and we are right on it." Currently Florida and Michigan State are the only two schools that use an I.D. card with a chip.