Originally Posted by DannyV

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.

That's true, but hospitality would have to buy that service and I'm not sure how much it costs. There's also credit cards with a chip so you don't have to sign, just punch in a pin. (But I guess that's like debit)

When I go to Fortinos I don't have to sign and haven't had to for a while now that I think about it. It's kind of scary because sometimes I buy $100 worth of groceries and it just charges my card without asking for a signature.

Not everyone on campus is a student though, so there are people who don't have student cards. In that case, they can't use their visa cards at all...

Perhaps they should consider using one cash for debit and credit and one for student cards and cash. That would at least eliminate the speed problem.

As for the money limit maybe they could put a $4-5 minimum on it. You really shouldn't be using a credit card to buy gum for 99 cents or whatever but for people who want to buy a meal and a drink or whatever they might appreciate more payment options.

It all depends on the cost too. I think they'd need to know in advance how many people would actually utilize these options if they paid the money to have a debit/credit machine. If it's only a small percentage of people who would use it obviously it wouldn't be cost effective for them to go ahead and offer debit and credit.

I also figured they didn't take debit/credit because it would take too long.

I just wish they had an ATM for all the different banks instead of just CIBC and put them all in one spot so it would be like a mini mall of banks lol. I probably spent at least $25 on ATM charges last year.

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

Oo, I've never heard of doing that. This may be a dumb question but do you have to have a meal plan to add money to? Or can anyone do it without a plan? I'm off campus so I'm clueless. hehe

Originally Posted by jachill

I also figured they didn't take debit/credit because it would take too long.

I just wish they had an ATM for all the different banks instead of just CIBC and put them all in one spot so it would be like a mini mall of banks lol. I probably spent at least $25 on ATM charges last year.



Oo, I've never heard of doing that. This may be a dumb question but do you have to have a meal plan to add money to? Or can anyone do it without a plan? I'm off campus so I'm clueless. hehe

You need a meal plan but it's literally 5 minutes to fill out the form and then you're set.

Ahh I see, but isn't the minimum meal plan like a thousand dollars? lol

Nope!

You can go to the hospitality website and put as much money on as you choose/as your credit card can handle.

It's SUPER convenient to do this on campus. I usually put $50 a month on so that I can grab a coffee, or something small between classes.

Yeah you don't have to have a meal plan anyone can add food. I think they might call it an off campus meal plan option or something. I know my friend did it last year when she lived off campus. You just go there and set it up and add whatever money you want, they have different options.

There is a tax free option which I believe means you have to add a set amount and spend it within a set period and it's tax free.

Or you can just do it regular and add whatever amount you want and spend it as you please.

I usually add about $100 in September and use it for emergencies (i.e. 8:30 classes) When it gets down to like 5 bux (usually around the time exams hit) I round it back up to $100 and I'm set.

Thanks for being so helpful guys! I was completely oblivious to all this. Lol I'll deffinitely be doing that this year.

I usually add about $100 into my account and use it throughout the year. It's safer than walking home with a wad of cash anyways :p


http://mealcard.mcmaster.ca/acctnfo.htm

I don't think the excuse "debit is too slow" is valid anymore. Debit used to be slow, and places with slow internet connection or old machines are still slow, but at the McDonald's I work for, our debit literally takes >30 seconds to work, and in many cases (people with cash) is faster.

I think the main reason (and this is just speculation) they don't allow debit is because of the cost associated with it, as well as the fact that the student card is so convenient and easy to use.

sometimes I wish Tim Horton's took debit, so I wouldn't get awesome people who sit at my window for OVER A MINUTE counting out nickles and dimes. One day, I will write a book about DT etiquette, but that's another thread altogether.

don't want to pay through the nose in bank fees and need cash?

head to titles, pick up a pack of gum (or chocolate bar, whatever) and get either $20 or $40 cash back. No bank fees, you get your money, and a treat too =)

(or the bank machine by La Piazza only charges $1 for a withdrawal).

oh the things you learn

do you get an alert of some kind your funds on the student card are low? (I'm kind of bad at budgeting without money in my hand)

and ferreinm, I'm always find myself in your position, it sucketh greatly