CDS begins to accept credit cards

Finally.
On Tuesday, Campus Dining & Shops announced that after intense pressure from the Student Association, the organization will begin accepting credit cards at all of its locations.
This decision has left many students feeling that for once, their requests to the university have been met.
Janelle Limber, a junior psychology major, is excited for the new changes.
"I have been waiting for two years for this change in the meal plan. I never really got a meal plan because I felt they were a waste of money," Limber said. "I always have to make sure I have cash because without it, I couldn't eat on campus."
Limber isn't the only student that felt this way. In a recent poll, 83 percent of students said that if the organization offered the choice of using credit cards, they would use it.
"I feel like the only reason we weren't allowed to use credit cards is because the school wanted to make more money," said Jason Powell, a senior engineering major. "I have always said we should be able to use them, but never heard any response when I sent in e-mails."
Powell cites this lack of communication with students as a main problem with meal plans on campus. While students are excited about this change on campus, Campus Dining & Shops employees aren't quite as thrilled.
"This is going to make my job increasingly difficult," said Erik Hillserker, a student who works at Campus Dining & Shops. "Now I will have to have people sign receipts and spend another hour of my life learning a new system. It is just ridiculous."
While the addition of credit cards on campus is huge for students and faculty alike, there are some limitations. Due to high costs, Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express will not be accepted on campus. Approved credit card companies are Bankcard, Diners Club, Choice, Access and enRoute.
"These companies will only require us to raise food prices by 10 percent," said Dick Winters, finance director for Campus Dining & Shops. "If we used your typical companies like Visa and such, we'd have to raise all food prices by nearly 30 percent to offset the cost that these companies require for the use of their cards."
Parents of UB students, however, are worried that they will not be able to control how much their children spend on food throughout the semester.
One parent expressed increased concern that her son would use his credit card in an irresponsible way.
"There are enough pressures on students in college as it is," said Loretta Appler. "My son has gained enough weight on the food from Sizzles. I cut him off at $400 worth of Dining Dollars, but now he can use his card and I have no control over it."
Appler also stated that by instating credit card use, UB is promoting obesity and diabetes, and that as a parent, she is worried about the well-being of the student population, not the money the school could possibly make.
When students were asked about this downside to the opening of credit cards, Matthew Sanchiguri, a junior journalism major, cited the importance of trust in the relationship between a parent and his or her child.
"If parents are worried that their children will be irresponsible with their credit cards, perhaps the students shouldn't have them or be in college at all," Sanchiguri said. "Personal spending is something we all have to deal with in life as well as weight management. Parents should trust their kids more."
This new program will begin on Wednesday. If the system works out in a positive manner, officials will permanently allow credit cards at all on-campus dining areas.

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