Card Features and Uses

Access to recreation centers, places of employment or other locked buildings on campus can be gained by swiping or touching your card to a badge terminal outside of the building and approved access areas can be entered. Students have their common access points already programmed onto their cards when they first receive their card. Employees have their access points added to their cards via their department when first hired. Some employment areas may use a badge terminal to record hours for work. To get approval for building access, see your HR person.

Full-time students can use their One Cards to gain access to campus gyms and recreation centers as part of their tuition package.  Full-time permanent faculty and UNC employees can sign up for gym and pool privileges online and payment will be made via payroll deduction; to add additional family members or pay in full, come into the UNC One Card office and staff will assist you there. Temporary employees are not eligible to enroll for campus recreation benefits through the UNC One Card Office: those interested can sign up for specific activities at Fetzer Gym. Post-Docs, Visiting Scholars, Research Collaborators, Campus Ministry and UNC Hospital Employees should contact the UNC One Card office for information on One Card options with Campus Recreation.

A convenience account is simply the term used for funds that are loaded by the account holder (or account holder’s parents) onto their UNC One Card so that money is readily available for use on campus, more easily managed, and not easily stolen. In contrast to the other payment options, these funds are not connected to a bank account and are not reconciled like the Meal Plan or Flex account through the Cashier’s Office billings or by payroll deduction.

Convenience dollars are good anywhere on campus that accepts the One Card: Student Stores for books and supplies, vending machines, laundry machines, Campus Health Services, snack bars, as well as on-campus delivery from selected restaurants and all Carolina Dining Services facilities.

Students cannot withdraw cash from their convenience accounts and account balances carry over to the next semester.  Refunds are allowed during the first two weeks of the fall semester and the end of the spring semester if the card is carrying a balance. Refunds from the UNC One Card office are only by check and take two to four weeks to process. To receive your refund, the student must come to the UNC One Card office in person to request the refund. See the Adding Value to My Card page for more information on how to load your card for convenience dollars.

All campus copiers require a One Card to use their services and can be paid for by adding value to your card before going to the library. Students have an allotment of $40 in printing credit each fall and spring semester with their paid tuition and fees. Departmental copy cards are also available for purchase. For more information on how to print out your documents to campus print stations, see the Carolina Print Hub page.

Several area retailers allow discounts for UNC employees with proof of UNC identification. Students can use the card to show proof of student eligibility for available discounts from local restaurants and businesses in the area. Ask the retailer if they provide a discount.

Full time or part-time employees of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are eligible to participate in the Employee Express Plan, a plan that allows you to use your card to purchase goods and services from across campus and then pay for them via a payroll deduction in the pay period after your purchase (purchases are limited up to $100 per paycheck if you are paid biweekly or $200 per paycheck if you are paid monthly). Purchases can be made at Students Stores on items such as books, pens, hats, ITS software and other Carolina merchandise. Employees who use their One Card at any of the campus dining services, cafes or coffee shops while enrolled in the Employee Express Plan receive discounts on these purchases. For more information, see the Employee Express Plan page.

The UNC One Card is used in all campus libraries to check out books, computers and other media.

The UNC One Card Office administers meal plans to students on behalf of Carolina Dining Services. You can find specific meal plan information such as prices and meal plan types on the Carolina Dining Services website or by calling 1-800-UNC-MEAL. For more information, see the Meal Plans page. The Flex plan is a type of meal plan purchase: these funds can only be used for food purchase.

Students will use their UNC One Card to access parking decks if they have paid for parking.

One Cards can be used on any vending machine on campus.  See Adding Value to My Card to set your funds up for use.