Mix up where (and what) you eat
The Vol. 113, Issue 6
Special, page 7-10
BEACON THE UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Thursday October 6, 2011 www.upbeacon.net
Meal plans will serve up hidden points
Due to issues with Bon Appétit’s receipts, meal plan points disappeared for many students
Natalie Wheeler Staff Writer wheelern12@up.edu Wondering how you managed to go through $150 in a day? You didn’t. Glitches in Bon Appétit’s accounts caused a drop in many meal plan balances, according to general manager of Bon Appétit Kirk Mustain. Mustain said the money is still on students’ accounts, and Bon Appétit is currently working out the problem. “Those points are in a different tender, so we’re looking to get those back on the receipts,” Mustain said. The issue stemmed from extra points Bon Appétit adds to students’ meal plans. According to Mustain, Bon Appétit includes extra points at no charge on meal plans two, three and four – adding $62.50, $150
and $250 respectively – to reward students who buy larger meal plans. Mustain said the company recently had to put those extra points in a separate account for auditing purposes, which caused them to vanish from the balances shown on receipts. Bon Appétit is currently working out how to show the extra money as a separate balance on students’ receipts, according to Mustain. Although the points have not actually disappeared, students with meals plans were confused by the mysterious drop in their balances. “I noticed it because I was trying to find out how I went through 200 points in a day,” freshman Anthony Lynch said. “I had bought one thing that day so it didn’t make sense.” Hall directors responded to students’ worries by explaining
that the hidden points were still on their accounts. “My understanding is that the point total remains exactly the same but now you will see two balances instead of one on your printed receipt,” Fields Hall director Megan Rosenberger said in an email to her residents. Although reassured that the money was still included on their meal plans, many students such as junior Rob Cagan, wished they had gotten a clearer explanation for the disappearance of their points. “I had not heard enough about it,” Cagan said. “It wasn’t ever explained to us why they did it.” Despite the confusion, Mustain said the issue will be resolved as soon as possible. “We’re working with the people who manage the big ID system to put those amounts back on,” Mustain said. “(The money) is still there.”
Photos by Jackie Jeffers | THE BEACON
Students aim to establish credit Fees for debit card use and the prospect of credit checks inspire a focus on student credit cards Enid Spitz Asst. Copy Editor spitz13@up.edu Early next year, Bank of America will begin charging $5 monthly for debit card use.
Junior business major Scott Chia just got his first credit card, intending to build his credit for the future. “I got it for when I want to buy a house or a car someday,” Chia said. A credit score is
Hannah Gray | THE BEACON
For students, that fee is the price of a Bon Appétit “not so big” salad or round-trip bus fair downtown. To escape new debit card fees, students have alternatives such as cash or using another type of card: credit cards. Many companies offer special credit cards tailored to students’ needs. But the world of credit cards, APR financing and credit scores is unknown territory to many college students.
a number from 300 to 850 based on your credit habits and history. The higher the score, the better, and many companies take this number into account. “I had never really thought about credit scores until I tried to sign up with Comcast,” junior Stasia Uhrhammer said. When she tried to set up WiFi Internet at her house, Comcast was hesitant based on her lack of
credit. “They told me that I didn’t have a credit history and they were going to charge me $50 to set an account up,” Uhrhammer said. It’s not just Internet providers that care about credit scores. Future employers, landlords and banks often rely on credit history to evaluate applicants. Most major banking companies have credit card applications online that require basic personal information as well as employment, education and rental histories. Students can also contact banks about the credit cards they offer. Chia did not have a problem getting his first credit card directly from his bank. “I just went over to Bank of See Credit, page 4
Understanding the new debit fees
Financial reforms in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, created in response to the economic downturn of the late 2000s, inspired Bank of America’s new $5 fee on debit card use. Capping the fees that banks can charge merchants and retailers, the Durbin Amendment to the 2010 Act caused Bank of America to impose this fee as a way to sustain revenue. Since banks can no longer charge companies, they are shifting charges directly to consumers. “An unintended side effect of the government law restricting credit card company’s charges on merchants is that banks are looking to replace that loss,
shifting the fees from merchant to the consumer, you and I,” business professor James Seal said. He does not think Bank of America will be the only one to impose fees. “I think all the large banks will go to that,” Seal said. “If Bank of America can, why not Wells Fargo?” The government reforms are meant to “protect consumers from abusive financial services practices,” according to the official document of the DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The cap on fees for merchants began Oct. 1, and Bank of America’s debit card charge is set to take affect early next year. - Enid Spitz