Smaller Colleges outsource off-campus card payment services to maximize operations

Ithaca, New York — Off-Campus Advantage™, a leading provider of off-campus payment services for universities and colleges, announced it has launched off-campus payment programs with Suffolk University, Centre College, and Ohio Northern University. Off-Campus Advantage (OCA) enables smaller institutions without traditional card offices to extend their university ID cards’ purchasing power to surrounding communities, allowing local merchants to accept the IDs as forms of payment.

“Smaller colleges and universities often lack the resources to handle specialized auxiliary operations,” says Shawn McCarthy, Vice President of Wide-Area Commerce for The CBORD Group, Inc., the parent company of OCA. “Each of these universities had different reasons for partnering with OCA. Whether they want to improve town/gown relations, expand existing programs, or create more value for the university ID, OCA’s management expertise focuses and grows their programs.”

Each of these schools was already utilizing the Odyssey PCS™ campus card solution from CBORD® to power their card systems. Since OCA’s service offering is fully integrated with all CBORD card systems, each school was able to add the new features while managing its off-campus programs in a familiar environment.

<strong>*Suffolk University</strong> in Boston, MA contracted with OCA to establish an off-campus program as a springboard for building university-community relations. Once the program launched, students were transacting with their Suffolk Ram Card every day at participating merchants surrounding the campus in Beacon Hill.
<strong>*Centre College</strong> in Danville, KY wanted to expand its self-administered off-campus program. As a small, private institution, Centre was supporting one off-campus location; partnering with OCA has enabled the school to increase its base of participating merchants, providing students with more choices when using their Centre Bucks.
<strong>*Ohio Northern University</strong> in Ada, OH was interested in expanding the functionality of its Polar Card. OCA recruited merchants to accept Polar Dollars off-campus, giving students the ability to use their existing discretionary accounts at their favorite off-campus locations.

“We wanted to enable local businesses to accept the Polar ID Card as a form of payment; however, leasing equipment, negotiating merchant contracts, check cutting, and day-to-day management requires extensive manpower and overhead,” said Amber Carpenter, Bursar, Ohio Northern University. “Working with OCA simplified the process. OCA handles all program management while providing comprehensive reporting tools which allow our staff to stay on top of the program’s progress.”

About Off-Campus Advantage Off-Campus Advantage, LLC, expands the functionality of the university-issued ID card by enabling merchants in the local community to accept it as a form of payment. With its suite of services, including UGyrd™ Central Server Technology, OCA creates fully customized programs for schools with existing off-campus vendors, as well as those migrating off-campus for the first time. OCA is a wholly owned subsidiary of The CBORD Group, Inc., and is fully integrated with CBORD campus card systems. The CBORD Group, founded in 1975, has served the campus-wide needs of higher-education facilities for more than 30 years. To learn more about Off-Campus Advantage, visit www.offcampusadvantage.com.