By Justin Malone, Staff Writer
With the launch of the new Xavier One Pass app, students can now access their All-Cards right on their phones and smartwatches.
In a collaboration with Auxiliary Services, software company Transact is now hosting and providing the university with a mobile ID software.
In order to access the service, students can visit the Auxiliary Services page on the Xavier website and click the link to download the Transact eAccounts. Once downloaded users are prompted to sign-in with their Xavier account.
Users can add a virtual version of the all card to their mobile wallets, similar to the way that credit and debit cards are used.
The app will allow students and employees to use a digital version of their ALL-Card on their iOS, Apple Watch and Android devices. Students can use this ID to access both X-Cash and Dining Dollars.
“The mobile ID creates security, convenience and a seamless user experience for those using it,” senior director of Auxiliary Services Bill Moran said.
According to Auxiliary services, The One Pass uses near-field communication (NFC) technology to access campus buildings such as residence halls, McDonald Library and Hoff Dining Commons, as well as make secure payments and transactions at campus retail stores such as Currito and Starbucks.
Auxiliary services hope that this technology will also create many benefits for students and the Xavier community. Its design intends to make previously card-based interactions more secure, so that students do not need to take out a physical ID card or give their ID to other people to complete a payment or action.
Students are also noticing the convenience of the new mobile ID.
“It was a little weird to get used to at first because I’m always used to getting my card out, but after a while, it became easier to use and very helpful,” sophomore graphic design major Mary Baker said.
“It’ll definitely allow more people to get into their dorms or buildings a lot easier, especially if they forget (their ALL Card),” she added.
The program also aims to minimize the chance of students and staff losing their physical ALL Cards.
“We probably make 1,000 replacement ALL Cards in a year,” Moran said. “With this technology, we don’t see that many people losing their phones. We think that this is going to benefit people in that they’re not going to have to keep track of (a physical ID).”
Students have also expressed similar sentiments about the mobile ALL card.
“I think it’s really smart to implement (the mobile ID) in case someone loses their ID. That way, if they lose it off campus, some stranger doesn’t have access to all of campus,” junior political science major Madison McVicker, said.
In the next one to two years, Auxiliary Services hopes to eliminate physically printing and issuing ALL Cards for university students and staff by switching entirely to the digital format.
Xavier is the first university in Ohio to implement this technology.
In implementing the ID, more than 2,000 card readers were replaced with contactless, NFC-capable readers across campus — an approximately $2 million investment with the Transact software.
After nearly two weeks, more than 800 students and staff have begun to use the One Pass.
This came after a four-week trial period during October when 100 people actively used the ID.
Additionally, Auxiliary Services is giving away an Apple Watch to help promote the new service.
The mobile ID is now available to use in most locations across campus, including the All for One shops, the Pizza ATM, Burger 513, Currito, Fujisan, Hoff Dining Commons, the Mail Center, McDonald Library and Cintas Center student concessions.