Student purchases made on the University of Wisconsin’s campus – with the university’s Wiscard – are set to be simplified as well as offer additional discounts on food.

Beginning this summer, UW-Madison students will move away from the traditional system, which saw them navigate three separate account options when managing their money for on-campus purchases. Previously, students maintained a Campus Cash, Housing Food and Union Meal account that were all tied to the student’s Wiscard.

The Wiscard also serves as the official student ID and physical access card on campus. The three accounts tied to each card, however, served different purposes and were accepted only at certain campus locations. Moreover, deposits and balances for each account had to be managed separately.

As of June 1, however, Campus Cash, Housing Food and Union Meal accounts will be merged into a single Wiscard account, to be accepted at some 50 locations across the Wisconsin campus. Students can use the joint account to pay for food, textbooks, course packets, print/copy, campus convenience store items or other student services.

For the student, account management is simplified, as they will now deposit funds into a single account. University officials are incentivizing use of the Wiscard as well, with discounts at local and campus merchants.

As an added benefit, UW-Madison students, faculty and staff can all save 5% on food purchases made with their Wiscard at all University Housing dining locations, as well as at all Wisconsin Union locations. Students also don’t pay the 5.5% sales tax on food when using a Wiscard.

Students and staff currently using the three separate accounts are not required to do anything prior to the June 1 changeover. Balances in Campus Cash and Union Meal accounts will automatically transfer into the new single Wiscard account.