Does anyone know the reason why we can't pay with debit or credit when we buy food on campus? You can only use the ATM if you have 20 dollars in the bank which I can't always maintain hence why I have a Visa Card. However, I can't use my Visa Card to get money from the ATM. I love Union Market for allowing us to use credit and debit even for 5 cent candy but during lunch time I want a meal. Also, I can't afford to go to Phoenix all the time. I normally do bring a lunch from home but I forgot to today and I am going to be hungry in two hours =( So yeah, why can't we pay with debit or credit at La Piazza and such?

Every time you use debit or credit the company you are buying things from needs to pay a rental/useage fee. This can vary from anywhere between $0.10 and $0.50 per use.

So if students are using debit or credit to buy a $1.09 item the company is loosing money on the transaction.

That's why I assume Hospitality doesn't want to implement a credit/debit system.

Originally Posted by ferreinm

Does anyone know the reason why we can't pay with debit or credit when we buy food on campus? You can only use the ATM if you have 20 dollars in the bank which I can't always maintain hence why I have a Visa Card. However, I can't use my Visa Card to get money from the ATM. I love Union Market for allowing us to use credit and debit even for 5 cent candy but during lunch time I want a meal. Also, I can't afford to go to Phoenix all the time. I normally do bring a lunch from home but I forgot to today and I am going to be hungry in two hours =( So yeah, why can't we pay with debit or credit at La Piazza and such?

Probably has something to do with transaction fees they'd have to pay to MC/Visa/AMEX.

Also, they might be encouraging responsible spending this way.

You can add money to a meal plan online from a credit card and use it that way.

Oh okay cool. Thanks! I figured it'd be something along those lines

Originally Posted by lorend

Every time you use debit or credit the company you are buying things from needs to pay a rental/useage fee. This can vary from anywhere between $0.10 and $0.50 per use.

So if students are using debit or credit to buy a $1.09 item the company is loosing money on the transaction.

That's why I assume Hospitality doesn't want to implement a credit/debit system.

Personally, I think this is a stupid reason NOT to have debit because I know I would be buying food at La Piazza waaaaaaaay more if they accepted debit. They lose so much business being cash only.

I always thought it was because debit takes time to go through, and the lines can get pretty bad at lunchtime.

Originally Posted by HeatherH

Personally, I think this is a stupid reason NOT to have debit because I know I would be buying food at La Piazza waaaaaaaay more if they accepted debit. They lose so much business being cash only.

I always thought it was because debit takes time to go through, and the lines can get pretty bad at lunchtime.

You can always take some cash over to commons, throw it on your student card and Voila!

Good point about debit taking time. That's why Timmy's doesn't accept it.

Also, it costs us, the students, more to take money out of the ATM than it does to just use debit/credit.

Those Campus Cash (... I mean.. DC Bank) machines charge $1.50, and my bank (TD) charges $1.50 for using a non-TD machine. That's $3 for EVERY time I want to take out cash. Ouch.

Originally Posted by DannyV

You can always take some cash over to commons, throw it on your student card and Voila!

Good point about debit taking time. That's why Timmy's doesn't accept it.

Yeah, very good point. I can't believe I totally forgot about the Student Card. So convenient.

Originally Posted by Chad

Also, it costs us, the students, more to take money out of the ATM than it does to just use debit/credit.

Those Campus Cash (... I mean.. DC Bank) machines charge $1.50, and my bank (TD) charges $1.50 for using a non-TD machine. That's $3 for EVERY time I want to take out cash. Ouch.

I hear that! One of the reasons I switched banks were TD's ridiculous fees.

Also, by paying with your student card, you avoid taxes.

Originally Posted by DannyV

I hear that! One of the reasons I switched banks were TD's ridiculous fees.

Unfortunately, most banks do this. My bank charges $1 every time I use an ATM machine other than my own bank. It does cost a lot of money to take cash out of an ATM. I never even bother anymore.

Originally Posted by HeatherH

Unfortunately, most banks do this. My bank charges $1 every time I use an ATM machine other than my own bank. It does cost a lot of money to take cash out of an ATM. I never even bother anymore.

For sure. I switched to PC / CIBC and luckily we have a CIBC ATM on campus.

I thought they didn't accept credit/debit for time reasons. The student centre and other food places can be really busy, especially around the typical meal times. Students want to get in and out quickly. Accepting debit and credit would take a lot more time than just swiping a meal card or using cash.

That said I think you can add money to your meal card using credit or debit. So if you don't want to waste money on fees to take out cash or you need to use your credit card you might want to go over to Commons and add a bit of money to you student card and just use that. It's the fastest way for you to get your food and you can pay by a method you want.

Originally Posted by sew12

I thought they didn't accept credit/debit for time reasons. The student centre and other food places can be really busy, especially around the typical meal times. Students want to get in and out quickly. Accepting debit and credit would take a lot more time than just swiping a meal card or using cash.

That said I think you can add money to your meal card using credit or debit. So if you don't want to waste money on fees to take out cash or you need to use your credit card you might want to go over to Commons and add a bit of money to you student card and just use that. It's the fastest way for you to get your food and you can pay by a method you want.

Note necessarily true. While your statements hold true for debit, credit cards can be swiped and no signature required for certain amounts

Also, Tim Hortons now has the PayPass readers so you just have to tap your card and be on with your day.

I thought they were adding chip and pin technology to credit cards. In which case it would take the same time as debit.