JumboCash can now be added to student accounts online with credit or debit cards, as part of a feature that debuted in early September on a new Web site, www.jumbocash.net.
The JumboCash Web site lets students manage their accounts, track spending and budget funds. It does not utilize deposit slips for credit card transactions, as JumboCash online allows students to set up personalized accounts to deposit funds.
The new payment options resulted from efforts by Dining Services and the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate's Services Committee to make JumboCash, a debit program run by Dining Services, more accessible to students.
"Moneys you add online can be used anywhere JumboCash is accepted," said Patricia Klos, director of dining and business services.
The Web site allows students to extend access to family members, who can add money to students' accounts and can receive alerts when balances are low. Students can also report stolen or lost cards via the site.
The online option has been in the works for over two years, according to junior Sam Wallis, a co-chair of the Services Committee.
"We knew students wanted an easy way to access [JumboCash]," Klos added. "It was just a matter of getting a contract, working out the financial details of being able to take credit cards and having funds deposited into the correct accounts."
The payment option comes after a slew of changes designed to streamline the way students use money on campus. The university has combined a number of services that had previously used different payment systems, including Dining Dollars and Points Plus, into the JumboCash program; on-campus printers and copiers transitioned earlier this semester to taking JumboCash.
"JumboCash encompasses and cuts down on confusion about which credits apply to what," Wallis said.
Dining Services has not experienced any problems with the new feature yet, Wallis said.
"The credit transactions are completely safe," he said.
Students can also use JumboCash at the campus bookstore, laundry rooms and on- and off-campus eateries through the Merchant Off-Campus Partners (MOPs) program. Wallis said that the Services Committee plans to bring more eateries into the MOPs and JumboCash fold, increasing dining options for Tufts students and supporting local businesses.
