Starting Aug. 1, dining services at the University of Notre Dame and Texas A&M University are going cashless, a change both universities say is aimed to boost efficiency across campus.
For Notre Dame, the move to cashless includes transactions at dining halls, concession stands and other foodservice locations, as well as eateries at nearby Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College, which Notre Dame also manages.
To ensure dining services are accessible to those without debit cards, the university installed kiosks that transfer cash to Visa gift cards that can be used anywhere on or off campus where Visa is accepted, at no additional charge.
Notre Dame said the cashless environment will lead to faster transactions and reduce potential health and security concerns.
“I am excited for this move to a cashless campus as transactions will be faster, saving time for both visitors and staff alike,” Rich Bellis, associate vice president for finance and treasury services, said in an announcement on the university’s website. “Going cashless will eliminate security risks associated with transporting cash and will reduce end-of-day reconciliation for our employees. I am grateful to our team and campus partners for working together to implement this transition where possible.”
Dining locations at Texas A&M University are also going cashless, and most are launching mobile ordering as well, which the university said is part of a strategy to reduce wait times and enhance convenience.
Texas A&M is using the Transact app, which will allow students to pay for food in advance at many retail dining concepts. Similar to Notre Dame, it will have kiosks available to convert cash to prepaid debit cards.
“Our new technology and systems being put in place will bring a smoother service to our customers and speed up wait times,” said David Riddle, regional vice president of Aggie Dining. “We are excited about these big changes and the positive impact they’ll have on the customer experience.”