CatCash spreads to new venues

GC&SU’s Bobcat Card is now accepted by some local off-campus businesses. CVS, Blimpie, Domino’s Pizza, Cuts By Angels Hair Salon and Zaxbys’ are the vendors who are currently signed up to participate.

The Bobcat Card is similar to a personal debit card in that it allows students to draw from a previously deposited account. In the past, the Bobcat Card has solely been for the purchase of products and services on-campus. Now, local vendors are accepting the Bobcat Card’s CatCash.

Director of Auxiliary Services Kyle Cullars came up with the idea of the Bobcat Card being used off campus. Cullars believes in the Bobcat Card and wanted more opportunities for students to use it.

The Auxiliary Services Department is set up to serve the students. Mike Haun, marketing manager for Auxiliary Services, said they want to enhance the quality of life that students enjoy at Georgia College. Haun hopes that the fact that more businesses are accepting the Bobcat Card will be helpful to students.

“The goal obviously is to benefit the students and to make it available. If students see it as a benefit, and if there time here at Georgia College is enhanced or made easier or made more fun, then great.

If people don’t see it as a benefit, then that’s okay,” Haun said.

Freshman Kelly Miller used her Bobcat Card at Zaxby’s and said the cashier looked a little surprised when she handed him her card. Then the cashier realized what it was and scanned the card. Miller said their machine was a little bit slow.

“It took longer than if you would have paid like you normally would,” she said.

Miller does not usually eat off campus, but she said she still plans to use her Bobcat Card off-campus when she does go out. She said it’s easier, and it is money that her parents deposited as part of her meal plan.

Haun said that off-campus use of the Bobcat Card is not meant to hurt on-campus services. He said Sodexho provides wonderful food services and hopes people still use their meal plans and dine with Sodexho. Haun said that students can get food on campus, but they can’t get their haircut or get prescriptions on campus.

Some students wish that the Bobcat Card was accepted at even more places.

“I like that we’re able to (use the Bobcat Card off campus),” said junior mass communications major Alex King. “I wish it was more spread out.”

Zaxby’s manager Ben Gower thinks it is a great idea and recommends that other businesses start accepting CatCash. Gower said that Zaxby’s sales have significantly increased since students have been able to use their Bobcat Cards. He said he has seen a lot of new faces coming in to eat.

“It’s a college place now,” Gower said.

The CVS on South Wayne Street accepts CatCash, but the store North Columbia Street does not. Sarah McNair, manager of the CVS off North Columbia, said she wants to get signed up to accept CatCash. She said that the south side store has done well, and she believes they will too.

“We have a lot of students that shop here, and they’d like to use their card,” she said.

GC&SU students suggest that other places like Wal-mart, grocery stores, gas stations or restaurants downtown should also accept the Bobcat Card.

Haun said students need to voice their opinions if they want the Bobcat Card to be used at more places. If students go somewhere the Bobcat Card is not accepted, Haun said for students to tell the business about other places who are using it and question why they don’t use it.

“What students have to do, if they think this is a good idea, they have to actually let their voices be heard,” he said. “They have to express the demand.”

Students or parents can make deposits to their CatCash account in several easy ways. Visit the GC&SU Web site at http://www.gcsu.edu/bobcatcard/ for more information.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Nov 11 2005. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry