Identification Cards (Chicago Card)
About the Chicago Card
- What Is the University of Chicago Card?
- How It Works
- Take Care of Your Card
- Replace a Lost or Stolen Card
- Add Value to Your Card
What Is the University of Chicago Card?
The University of Chicago Card is the official University identification card. Chicago Cards are issued to all students enrolled in credit programs, faculty, staff, and academic employees. You will be using this multi-purpose picture ID card to:
- Gain entrance into Regenstein and Crerar libraries;
- Check out library materials at all University libraries and use photocopiers;
- Eat in the dining halls if you are a dining plan member;
- Cash checks at the Bursar’s Office;
- Enter the Gerald Ratner Athletic Center, the Henry Crown Field House, and rent athletic equipment (faculty, staff, and academic employees must purchase a membership);
- Access University Health Services;
- Make photocopies and use laundry services throughout campus without using coins;
- Enter the Pub (membership required);
- Ride free on CTA bus numbers 170, 171, 172 and University Evening Services buses North, East, South, and Central (A and B buses in the summer). For additional information, please visit http://bus.uchicago.edu.
How it Works
Using your card is very easy, and you will find that you use it several times a day. To enter the libraries or the athletic facilities, you will swipe the card through a magnetic stripe reader or ‘tap’ a proximity reader.
The front of your Chicago Card appears as a typical ID card with photo, name, and status. The back of the card displays the card ID number, ChicagoID, and Library barcodes. The back contains two magnetic stripes.
The wide magnetic stripe is encoded with identification data. The thin CashStripe allows you to add up to $50 of purchasing value to your Chicago Card at any one of the many Cash Value Centers or at the photocopier machines in the libraries.
Take Care of Your Card
The University of Chicago Card is yours alone to use, but it remains the property of the University. It is not transferable under any conditions. Do not lend your Chicago Card to any other person. Please treat your Chicago Card with care, as you would your driver’s license, passport, or credit cards.
Keep your Chicago Card away from all magnetic fields that may demagnetize your card, making the magnetic stripes unusable, e.g., microwave ovens, television sets, stereos, and other electromagnetic equipment. Do not punch holes or place stickers on your Card because this can make your Card unreadable.
Replace a Lost or Stolen Card
If you cannot locate your card, obtain a replacement card as soon as possible at the Identification & Privileges Office in the lobby of the Joseph Regenstein Library during regular business hours.
It is imperative to replace a missing card at once so that privileges and services of the missing card may be disabled electronically. The charge for replacing your Chicago Card is $20. Once your card is replaced, previously issued cards cannot be reactivated. Cash value on the CashStripe of lost cards cannot be refunded.
Add Value to Your Card
The thin CashStripe on the back of your Chicago Card eliminates the need to carry cash to make photocopies. Students living in residence halls can use the Chicago Card to do laundry.
You may add up to $50 of purchasing value to your Chicago Card at any one of the many Cash Value Centers or at the card readers located on the library copiers. However, we recommend that you maintain a reasonably low balance on the Chicago Card. There is no record kept of the money you put on your CashStripe. If you lose or damage your Chicago Card, you also lose the money on it. There is no refunds for unused money that remains on the Chicago Card.
If you wish to use a Chicago Card account to eat at any of the residential dining halls or retail outlets in Bartlett Commons or the Reynolds Club, you may sign up for a Flex Dollar Account at any of these locations. A Flex Account is a separate account from CashStripe mentioned above. To set up a flex dollar account, you may either pay at the time with cash or a check, or have the cost charged to your Bursar account. Just ask a cashier for a Flex Account deposit form.
Cash value centers are located in:
- Burton-Judson Courts
- Crerar Library
- Harper Library
- Law Library
- Max Palevsky Central
- Pierce Hall
- Regenstein Library
- Reynolds Club
- South Campus Residence Hall
- University Bookstore
Last updated: 9/23/09