Towson University and Off-Campus Advantage Take the OneCard Off Campus

For Immediate Release

April 16, 2008

Ithaca, New York—Off-Campus Advantage™ (OCA), a leader in off-campus payment services, and Towson University today announced the launch of Retail Points, the university's off-campus payment program. Towson University and OCA have enabled the entire campus community to use a declining balance account on their ID cards, the Towson OneCard, as a form of payment at participating local merchants, without exposing users to overdraft fees and credit card debt.

"Going off-campus was the next step to making the Towson OneCard truly an all-in-one card. We are pleased to provide our student body with exactly what they asked for: a flexible account to meet their on- and off-campus needs," said Robert Campbell, Director of Auxiliary Services and Finance, Towson University.

"At a time when university ID cards are making headlines because of ties to debit and credit card companies, we provide an alternative that still expands the purchasing power of the card, without the associated risks," said Shawn McCarthy, Vice President of Wide-Area Commerce for The CBORD Group, Inc., the parent company of OCA. "Off-Campus Advantage operates closed-loop declining balance accounts. When a student swipes his or her OneCard at a local business, our UGryd® Central Server checks that funds are available in the cardholder's account. If not, the transaction is declined, with no fees or penalties to the student."

Retail Points, Towson's existing on-campus discretionary account, could already be used on campus to purchase textbooks, do laundry, purchase snacks from vending machines, and more. After students and local businesses proposed the enhancement, OCA expanded Retail Points to be accepted as a form of payment at businesses in the community. "Towson University values the relationship between the university, students, and the town. Taking the OneCard off campus was important to the university, its students, and the local business community. The students requested to use the card off campus and identified which merchants they would like to see participating in the program," said Campbell.

The Towson OneCard is powered by CBORD®'s CS Gold® card system. CBORD's array of integrated solutions enabled Towson to increase its card functionality while meeting all of the State of Maryland's standards for funds handling. Towson University maintains complete control over its offcampus program's operations and student deposits, as well as approval of each merchant before they can accept the OneCard. "Rather than reissuing the OneCard with a credit card or bank logo, Towson is strengthening its own OneCard brand," concluded McCarthy.

About Off-Campus Advantage, LLC

Off-Campus Advantage, LLC, expands the functionality of the university-issued ID card by enabling merchants in the local community to accept it as a form of payment. With its suite of services, including UGyrd™ Central Server Technology, OCA creates fully customized programs for schools with existing off-campus vendors, as well as those migrating off-campus for the first time. OCA is a wholly owned subsidiary of The CBORD Group, Inc., and is fully integrated with CBORD campus card systems. The CBORD Group, founded in 1975, has served the campus-wide needs of higher-education facilities for more than 30 years. To learn more about Off-Campus Advantage, visit us online at www.offcampusadvantage.com.

About Towson University

Founded in 1866, Towson University is recognized among the nation's best regional public universities, offering more than 100 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences, and applied professional fields. Located in suburban Towson, eight miles north of Baltimore, the 328-acre setting offers a pleasant environment for study and a diverse campus life, as well as easy access to a plethora of university and community resources.

 

“CBORD has topped them all in stability.”

— Robert Dixon, Dir. of IT
University of Colorado at Boulder