Campus ID News
Card, mobile credential, payment and security
FEATURED
PARTNERS

Tufts considers consolidation of campus currency cards

Andrew Hudson   ||   Dec 07, 2018  ||   

Tufts University is considering a consolidation of its JumboCash and Rhino Bucks cashless accounts into a unified system that supports both currencies on a single card.

At present, JumboCash and Rhino Bucks are stored on separate cards issued to students. As reported by Tufts Daily, the consolidation would see the Tufts ID and the Rhino Card combined into a single student ID card. The early stages of the process will require approval for a new credential, purchasing new card stock and determining when the cards would be distributed to students, but the move to a single credential would of course bring the university inline with widely accepted campus card best practices.

“We have a pretty good understanding of what the various steps are that would be required to combine IDs, which actually means issuing a different kind of ID, and typically we would try to phase that in over several years and each new class matriculates,” said Patti Klos, director of Dining and Business Services at Tufts. “Ideally, we could work on this in the coming semester and the summer to be ready for next fall.”

The JumboCash and Rhino Bucks systems exist on the university's Medford/Somerville and Fenway campuses, respectively. JumboCash can be used via the Tufts ID to pay for meals, laundry, school supplies, printing, and more. JumboCash is used as a debit card at locations across all four Tufts campuses.

Rhino Bucks, however, require students to carry a separate card issued to students studying at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) in Boston. SMFA students use the Rhino Card as a prepaid spending account with the Rhino Bucks program. The Rhino Card is only used to make purchases with Rhino Bucks, and there is currently no method for students to transfer Rhino Bucks to JumboCash or vice versa.

“Both programs wanted the ability to have a campus debit card that was a convenient way to access funds on your Tufts ID, which you’re really expected to carry with you at all times,” Klos added. “It’s convenient to have this program, but we’re in this place where because the two schools have merged, can we successfully merge those two cards together?”

In addition to making things more convenient in the form of one credential instead of two, Klos believes that the merging of the two currencies on a single ID card could be a way to increase fluidity between the Tufts campuses.

“I think in many ways because the SMFA is part of the university, and more importantly part of the School of Arts and Sciences, the more that we can make moving between those worlds as seamless as possible is highly desirable, giving everyone the same access to the same kinds of things in one ID card."

Related Posts

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

RECENT ARTICLES

Danny Smith CampusIDNews Chat on Critical Identity Infrastructure

Take control of your institution’s identity infrastructure says longtime industry veteran

In this episode of CampusIDNews Chats, ColorID’s Danny Smith discusses the evolving landscape of identity management systems in higher education. He describes his concept of "critical identity infrastructure," which encompasses credentials, reader infrastructure, and the software used to manage identities. This system typically resides within a one-card system, but Smith suggests a shift to a […]
Integrated Payments Dashboard screen
Apr 02, 25 / ,

Data analytics: The new imperative for higher education's future

Higher education is facing a new reality. As enrollment numbers fluctuate and budgets contract, colleges and universities must either embrace data-driven decision-making or risk obsolescence. The implementation of sophisticated data analytics platforms has evolved from a mere advantage to an essential survival tool. Modern universities compete not only through academic excellence but through operational innovation. […]
mobile ordering on phone
Apr 01, 25 /

Mobile ordering, flex, and meal swipes cut wait times in half at Berkeley

Berkeley Dining expanded its Grubhub mobile ordering to allow both flex dollars and meal swipes at four on campus dining locations. Previously, flex dollars could only be used to purchase food through the Grubhub app from off campus restaurants, but now both flex dollars and meal swipes can be used for pickup at campus restaurants. […]
CIDN logo reversed
The only publication dedicated to the use of campus cards, mobile credentials, identity and security technology in the education market. CampusIDNews – formerly CR80News – has served more than 6,500 subscribers for more than two decades.
Twitter

Attn: friends in the biometrics space. Nominations close Friday for the annual Women in Biometrics Awards. Take five minutes to recognize a colleague or even yourself. http://WomenInBiometrics.com

Feb. 1 webinar explores how mobile ordering enhanced campus life, increased sales at UVA and Central Washington @Grubhub @CBORD

Load More...
Contact
CampusIDNews is published by AVISIAN Publishing
315 E. Georgia St.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
www.AVISIAN.com[email protected]
Use our contact form to submit tips, corrections, or questions to our team.
©2025 CampusIDNews. All rights reserved.