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M-Card report Card

After one semester, the University's ID/bank card gets mixed reviews

Since last summer, nearly 16,000 students have been carded by the University -- M-Carded that is. Like a bouncer at The Blind Pig, the new card has raised quite a ruckus.

After one semester on campus, the M-Card has integrated into student life. From students and faculty to local merchants and administrators, the M-Card has gained the attention and criticism of many University students and Ann Arbor residents.

Student ID

However, the combination bank card, phone card, cash storage chip and student ID can be found only two schools: the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University.

Bank Card

"It was a legal decision to scale back Entrée Plus ... the University was collecting money from students on behalf of non-University vendors," he said. "It was providing, in essence, a bank function and the University lawyers decided this was not appropriate.

"At the same time, students wanted to use Entrée Plus off campus and off-campus vendors wanted access to it -- that's how the M-Card developed."

Meanwhile, the program has received mixed reviews from local merchants.

"Hopefully, as it becomes more universally accessible on campus and different merchants begin to take it and the more choices on campus that they (students) have, it will definitely become more popular," said Steve Waimsley, manager of Where-house Records on South University Avenue.

Wherehouse has accepted the M-Card since last summer. "It gives students a better variety in ways to pay," Waimsley said.

He estimated that 2 percent of the store's sales are M-Card transactions, while 50 percent remain on Visa or MasterCard.

Dave Richard, general manager of Ulrich's and Michigan Book and Supply, had fought for more than three years to obtain Entrée Plus accessibility from the University.

"When the University moved it out, we were the first ones on the M-Card bandwagon in the pilot program," he said.

At the two bookstores, M-Card sales account for 3-4 percent of total sales and the cash chip -- with a $50 limit -- exceeds the bank stripe in popularity, Richard said. Bank stripe users must have a checking account at First of America Bank.

"Sales are up due to the M-Card," he said, "because students who would have ordinarily gone to the Michigan Union Bookstore to use Entrée Plus are now free to shop around.

"I know M-Card is not being used as much as Entrée Plus would be," Richard said. "It was very easy for students to put money into their Entrée Plus accounts -- with the M-Card, it's not as simple."

The two bookstores have invested more than $10,000 in M-Card equipment and training, in addition to the 4-percent charge paid to First of America on all M-Card purchases, Richard said. This is similar to the bank fee merchants pay for sales on credit cards like Visa or MasterCard.

Richard also estimated that the University receives more than half of that surcharge.

These costs, however, prevented Footprints on South University Avenue from entering the program, said Terry Reilly, the store's manager.

"It was exorbitantly expensive to get involved in it," Reilly said. "On top of it all, the University mandated that First of America take a 4-percent service fee -- I'm not going to lose that much on a sale.

"I'm not saying I would never take the M-Card ... I'd like to see what bugs they work out of it and have them make me a better offer," he said.

He also noted that few customers ask if the store takes the M-Card.

That may be due to the fact that many students don't appreciate the purpose of the card.

"I think the concept is a bit foolish and unnecessary," said Chris Dubuis, an LSA senior. "The only thing I've heard so far is that it's easy to lose."

"There's no reason for the M-Card," said LSA junior Daniel Schwartz. "I have an ATM card, I have a credit card, I have an ID -- I don't need to put all my eggs in one basket."

Second-year Law student Ellen Wheeler said she never considered getting an M-Card.

"I don't know anyone who has it," she said.

LSA senior Kevin Paul got an M-Card because he lost his old ID.

"I think it's pretty useless. ... I just see it as an ATM card," he said. "I wouldn't have gotten on otherwise."

However, first-year LSA student Chris Mcvety found his M-Card useful.

"I like the fact I can use the little (cash) chip," he said. "I live in West Quad and so its easy to use in the Union. ... I don't have to carry cash, just a card.

"If I had to carry change, I'd probably end up wasting it in the arcade."

Entrée Plus

Larry Durst, business manager for University Housing, equated this drop in usage to several factors, including misinformation. Residents have been unsure of Entrée Plus' status after the advent of the M-Card.

"I think I didn't do as good a job as I should have to explain Entrée Plus," he said. "It really was a bit confusing.

"We know washers and dryers are being used as much as in the past which means that students are having to go get quarters."

Additionally, Durst links changes this year in the residence hall meal plans to decreased Entrée Plus usage. By changing the dining halls' hours of operation, limiting rate increases and adjusting features of the different meal plans, the popularity of the plans has grown. This change has decreased the amount of money deposited in Entrée Plus by student meal plan modifications.

"We're still serving the same number of meals as last year, but more of them are on meal plans," he said. "We tried to make the meal plans more reasonable for residents. ... I think we've done that."

Additionally, Entrée Plus' loss of Union business has eliminated $2 million in transactions. In fact, last year, the Union's Subway was the highest grossing franchise in the country, second highest in the world, said franchise supervisor Corey Frane.

Security Card

Whenever an M-Card is used to attempt access to a campus door, a record of the event is recorded in a University computer. This information is used to track door traffic, especially in computing lab environments, Durst said.

Under most circumstances, a student's information is only accessible by that person. However, certain authorities can also request such information.

"It's certainly going to take a high level of security -- with the proper signatures," said Durst. "DPS could (have access)."

He estimated that in the past five years, personal information has only been requested 25 times.

The information is kept infinitely, however.

All you need?

Users may soon see acceptance of the cash chip on Ann Arbor city buses and on the road by food delivery services. Pizza House is expected to begin sending a portable card reader with its drivers.

In addition, more than 250 new cash chip vending machines will soon appear on campus, the first of which appeared in Angel Hall on Monday. Library copying machines and parking meters may also soon take the M-Card cash chip.