Having no money and being thirsty on campus is no problem.

Many vending machines have a card swiper that allows students, faculty and staff to purchase items without having cash on hand.

The University has a contract agreement with AVI Foodsystems that was set up by Jane Schimpf, assistant vice president of Auxiliary Services. The agreement is for the maintaining of the vending machines and also to have card swipers on them. The University decided to put the card swipers on some of the machines for a more customer service friendly effort, Nancy Joseph said, associate director of Dining Services.

“Sometimes students, faculty and staff don’t have money available but they have their i.d.’s with them,” she said.

When i.d. holders swipe their cards in the machine, their Big Charge is credited with the amount purchased. The Big Charge is credited and not the meal plan because the meal plan is only supported by the residence dining facilities.

“Big Charge goes above and beyond the meal plan, it is a convenience in having to utilize the card in locations other than the dining room,” Joseph said.

Not all of the vending machines on campus have card swipers for the convenience of University students, faculty and staff. There are about 36 available, according to Scott Blackwood, data systems coordinator of Dining Services. The reason why not all machines have the swipers on them is because of the expense.

“It costs $800 a machine for the swipers, and that’s not including the expense of wiring and the controller,” Joseph said. “The building controller costs $2000 a machine.”

Because the cost is so high, the locations of the vending machines with the card swipers depends on the most trafficked areas of the students. Students can find card swipers in the Education Building, BA, the Library and many other locations.

Some students, though, who don’t have a reason to travel to these buildings or are in the same buildings everyday may not know about the card swipers.

“I didn’t know you could use your card (for vending machines),” Felicity Strauss said, senior University student.

Strauss has been with the University for two years and in those two years she not once saw, or paid attention to, the vending machines that had card swipers. Strauss does use the vending machines occasionally to get a beverage or two, but she said that she would rather use cash.

“It’s easier to use cash. I know where my money’s going,” Strauss said.

It could be easy for students to use their cards and not worry about the money that they are putting on it because they don’t pay for the bill, one University student said.

No matter what the reason for using the vending machines, they are there for the convenience of students, faculty and staff members. An added bonus is the Big Charge use, but it is not necessary.