How Campus IDs Develop Alternative Revenue Sources

A campus ID integrated with other systems on campus, and capable of making payments, is ready-made to foster enjoyable and valuable user experiences, and help institutions create funding they can manage on their own. It is the most direct and immediate way to develop alternative revenue sources for a college or university.

For students and other users, the campus ID can be used to quickly and conveniently purchase goods, access services, attend events, and more activities that generate revenue. For administrators, integrations between the ID and other systems make management and operations easier.

Campus IDs readily connect to activities that generate alternative revenues

A typical week for students will generate alternative revenues in many ways that are facilitated by an integrated campus ID capable of making payments. These and other regular activities of students are alternative revenue sources:

• grab breakfast from a coffee shop in the student union building
• purchase textbooks and supplies from the bookstore
• pay to print course materials at a library
• buy lunch at a dining hall
• rent an e-scooter to navigate across campus
• purchase tickets for an event on campus
• exercise at the recreation center
• buy a snack from a vending machine
• start a load of laundry

Enabling payments via campus ID increases ID usage

Today’s students prefer the fast, frictionless experience of digital transactions. An integrated campus ID satisfies those expectations and fosters engagement. Expanding campus ID capability increases usage, especially purchases of goods and services via the ID.

Declining balances makes purchasing convenient

A further convenience of a campus ID is connecting it to a declining balance account. Using the campus ID as a closed-loop payment option makes purchasing goods and services easy for students, amongst the many other benefits of a declining balance program.

Campus IDs support alternative revenue generated by non-students

Many institutions extend their campus ID use to non-students who visit campus for a variety of reasons in all seasons, such as youth attending all-inclusive summer camps, visiting researchers presenting at academic conferences, and building and repair contractors working on campus. These are opportunities to increase alternative revenues by allowing non-students to use their temporary campus ID for purchases across campus.

Partnering with vendors provides options and flexibility

An integrated campus ID allows you to expand the array of goods and services available for purchase because the campus ID system’s open platform facilitates secure payments to campus vendors. When legacy systems reach end-of-life, or perhaps a newer solution is preferred to meet changing needs, an integrated campus ID provides the flexibility to make changes.

Campus ID systems present highly valuable data for improving processes

An integrated campus ID system will collect and generate lots of data from the thousands of transactions it facilitates. Campus ID data is highly valuable in assessing revenue streams, helping find ways to forecast trends, reduce costs, and increase sales. Data analysis ensures that the ID system’s functions are satisfying to users and efficient and productive for the institution.

IDs create flowing streams

Campus IDs support a nearly endless list of activities that are alternative revenue streams. That’s because the campus ID is like a Swiss army knife—a single object with many capabilities, applicable to traditional needs as well as new, creative uses.

If your institution is interested in using your campus ID to generate alternative revenue streams, download our playbook, Empowering Alternative Revenue Streams in Higher Education, to learn more.