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Friday 18 December 2020 9:47am

Eftpos-image
Most outlets on campus will remain cashless after the cashless campus trial.

Most shops and outlets on our Dunedin campus will keep accepting only electronic payments after a recent successful ‘cashless campus’ trial – but people wanting to use cash or withdraw it have been heard and will have on-campus options.

Trial feedback showed a small number of people want cash options on campus so the Campus Shop will accept cash next year because it is central for many people and the Visitors’ Centre because it is mostly used by tourists who only pay with cash, University of Otago University Union General Manager Stephan Baughan says, while thanking people for taking the time to share their preferences.

The ‘cashless campus’ trial was introduced after the pandemic lockdown, at all Dunedin campus University-owned cafés, retail shops, bars, and food outlets, along with the Marsh Study Centre, Staff Club and Executive Residence. The Executive Residence will also continue to accept cash because tourists use it as well.

The Union had been wanting to focus more on electronic payments for some time because of the benefits for customers and the University, including:

  • Electronic payments being:
  1. Faster for both customers and staff
  2. More efficient because operating 26 tills across 18 areas involves spending about 40 hours a week managing cash
  3. Safer and more efficient because Campus Watch staff do not have to deliver so many floats for tills or collect so much cash
  • Multiple people handling cash being considered a COVID-19 risk
  • Freeing up time for our Revenue Management staff to do other tasks

When the ‘cashless campus’ trial started in July, it sparked a handful of complaints from the tens of thousands of user interactions, then complaints dropped to one in August, none in September, four in October, and one in November.

Most complaints were from staff (38 emails), three were from students and two from the general public, while most people did not show any preference either way, he says.

Legal advice says that cash does not have to be accepted as long as it is clear that the terms are electronic payment only.

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