Profits from vending machines increase due to swipe cards

Auxiliary Services and University Housing divide earnings from vending machine sales on campus

Vending machines on campus have seen huge boosts in profits since Fall 2008.

The amount of money made at all vending machines on campus has more than doubled since Fall 2008. In that year the vending machines made $184,912 and in Fall 2010 the vending machines saw sales jump to $317,736.

“Since the addition of the Bobcat Card readers, we’ve seen a substantial increase in the amount of money they are making,” said Kyle Cullars, director of Auxiliary Services.

The possible addition of Bobcat Card readers to all the machines on campus is still being discussed.

“The card readers are very expensive, so we tried to only put them on the ones that are in the highest traffic areas,” Cullars said.  “We always respond to requests.  If we get enough requests to add a reader to any particular machine we look into it.”

The school gets 20 percent of the profits back to use on various things.

“The money that is made from the machines in the residence halls goes straight back to (University) Housing,” Cullars said. “All the money made from all the other machines goes back into Auxiliary Services. Auxiliary Services goes to pay for things like the buses, Student Health Services (and) remodeling the Chick-fil-A.”

Out of the $63,547.23 profit Georgia College received in Fall 2010, the vending machines located in the residence halls were responsible for generating just over half of the total, more specifically $32,242.53. The other vending machines on campus made $31,304.70, which went to Auxiliary Services.

Junior history major Adam Greene says the money could be used for something different.

“I think that any money that is being pumped back into the school is a good thing,” Greene said.  “But, I think if the money could go back into actually lowering our tuition, we should look into that, and everyone should buy a Coke at least once a day.”

Other students also agree the money should go to things that help all students.

“I think that it should go to something that benefits all students, not just the ones that live on campus. Maybe the library or the new wellness center so we won’t have such a huge increase in students fees,” said junior art major Taylor Downs.

Currently, there are no immediate plans to change how the money is being distributed.