For many,the card printing process is limited to, ‘the blank card goes in here and the finished card comes out here.’ This is a testament to the reliability of these printers—they work so we don’t have to know how they work. However, as any mid- to high-volume user will tell you, a little understanding can go a long way when students are lined up and a printer has broken down. 

By Dee Ann Kuhn, Contributing Editor

This fall an even greater number of consumers will be able to tap and go with their PayPass cards thanks to an ongoing expansion of merchants signing on to implement the MasterCard-trademarked contactless card technology. Meijer Stores, a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based grocery store chain announced in August that it would be the first supermarket to offer PayPass at all of its 171 locations. Meijer’s plans follow Oakbrook, Ill.-based McDonald Corp.’s announcement that the fast-food giant plans to expand PayPass acceptance across all of its restaurants that accept credit cards here in the U.S. by year end. 

Using a page from companies that guarantee you can “find the perfect mate” by using their services, General Meters™ has developed a software package that allows students to find their future roommates. The web-based program is available to any college, even those who don’t utilize General Meters’ University One-Card System™, said the company’s Fred Emery, systems marketing. 

When the Grenada, Mississippi School District faced a lawsuit filed under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, the district learned an important lesson: accurate calculation of regular and overtime rates for hourly workers is vital. In such litigation, the burden is on the employer to prove actual employee hours worked. Now, Attendance Enterprise from InfoTronics, Inc. automates time and attendance processing with useful functionality such as full compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act and support for multiple job positions. Grenada School District benefits from biometric data collection and a flexible rules engine to calculate accruals, overtime, shift pay, and other federally-mandated rules. 

Student ID technology combining contactless palm vein authentication with a multi-function card, has made its debut at a Japanese high tech college. The extra layers of student protection will also help the school comply with tougher personal data security laws. 

The Purchase College Association, Inc., the not-for-profit auxiliary service corporation at Purchase College, SUNY announced today a new partnership with CardSmith, a New Jersey company specializing in campus card programs. This partnership provides significant upgrades to the existing one-card program marketed as the “More Card” in an effort to achieve the level of services students entering colleges are expecting. As part of the expanded services, all students, faculty and staff, will receive new More Cards in the Fall.