The USF One Card is getting smarter –
it’s going contactless! The contactless One Card uses smart card technology,
which increases security and makes it easier for cardholders to open doors and use
their Don Dollars for purchases.
During the course of the next two academic years, any access point that falls
into one of the following categories will be migrated to a contactless smart
card reader: 1) residence hall perimeter and hallway doors, 2) administrative
building perimeter doors, 3) high security access points, 4) high traffic
access points and 5) access points installed via new construction/renovation. Campus
dining locations and many point-of-sale (POS) locations also will be migrated to contactless smart card readers.
The timeline for installation of the
new contactless smart card readers is as follows:
Academic year 2012-2013: All
residence hall perimeter and hallway readers will be migrated to contactless
smart card readers, as will readers in new construction and renovation access
points.
Academic year 2013-2014: All administrative
building perimeter door readers will be migrated to contactless smart card
readers, as will campus dinning and POS locations.
A contactless One Card performs all the same functions as your current One Card. The difference is there is a smart card chip inside the contactless One Card that allows you to wave your card within proximity of a reader instead of physically swiping your card into it. Also, because a smart card is encrypted, transactions made with a smart card are much more secure than transactions performed via a magnetic stripe on the back of your non-smart card.
You may upgrade your card at any time by visiting the One Card Office in Lone Mountain 130. Simply present your current One Card to a front desk assistant and a new One Card with the smart card technology will be issued. The entire process takes less than five minutes.
No. The One Card Office will not charge you to upgrade to a contactless One Card.
Look on the lower right corner on the back of your card. If it says “Color ID” then it is not a contactless One Card and you need to upgrade it.
Yes, in most cases, you may keep the same picture. If you would like to upload a new photo of your choosing onto your contactless One Card, you may do so by visiting our Photo Upload page. You also may take a new photo of yourself in the One Card Office when you visit LM 130 to obtain your upgraded card.
Many POS locations (e.g., printers, copiers, etc.) will continue to process transactions via the magnetic stripe. In addition, many interior access readers (including office doors and residence hall doors with pin-pads for added security) will continue to process transactions via the magnetic stripe.
No, the USF One Card, using contactless smart card technology, does not interfere with any other contactless cards. However, if two contactless cards are presented at a contactless reader simultaneously, the reader may read the “wrong” card. The reason for this is that a contactless reader functions like an ear waiting to “hear” a card. If, for example, two contactless cards are in a wallet or purse and the entire wallet or purse is presented to the reader, the reader may “hear” the card you did not intend it to hear. Therefore, the best practice is to only present the card that you are trying to have read, rather than presenting multiple cards.
The USF One Card Office has piloted the use of Near Field Communications (NFC), which does allow people to use their smartphone as a smart card. This emerging technology has proven successful with 15 participants in an on-campus residence hall during our Phase One Test. Check back for updates during Fall 2012, as we complete our Phase Two Test.
