The PNC branch at Slippery Rock University has recently offered an option for students who bank with PNC to link their student ID cards with their personal bank account.
Jennifer McKain, assistant branch manager of the SRU PNC branch, said that this option will make banking easier for students.
“I think it’s something that students would benefit from,” she said.
McKain said she often assists students on Monday mornings who have lost their debit cards during the weekend. She said that since she doesn’t have cash at the branch that students can’t withdraw all of their money after a debit card loss.
McKain explained since students always carry their student IDs, the PNC staff thought it would be easier for students to have access to their bank account through their ID. She said with ID linkage, a student will still have access to their money if their debit card was lost or stolen.
Once a student activates this option, the student would be able to use their ID card for banking for as long as the student would like.
“As long as students have their student ID, they will still be able to use them after they graduate,” she said. “PNC will not turn this feature off.”
She noted the many benefits of the option, as students would be able to use their ID card in place of their debit card. She said students could use it anywhere they would use their debit card, and that it is very convenient for students since their information would be on one card. However, this option is a PIN based card meaning that in order to make a purchase, students would be required to enter their PIN number and would not be able to make a purchase with credit.
“I personally hate carrying my purse,” she said. “So if I could stick one card in my back pocket, that’s one of the benefits.”
This new option is similar to the previous Rock Dollars option for students. McKain said that Rock Dollars was an option for parents to dispense money onto their student’s ID card, so the student could have extra cash. However, Rock Dollars was terminated on June 30, 2015.
“[Rock Dollars] was available on campus only,” McKain said, noting the limitations on that option.
She said there were few places off campus that students could Rock Dollars, like Sheetz and McDonald’s, but that PNC’s option is different because the card can be used anywhere like a debit card.
McKain said that if a student loses their ID after linking their bank account to the card, that this would be safer than losing an actual debit card because the card is a student ID and does not look like a debit card.
However, if a student were to lose their IDcard, the student would need to report the loss to the ID card office located in Watson Hall. The student would need to then remove their linked bank account from the ID by calling 1-877-PNC-1000 or by logging onto their personal PNC online bank account.
McKain explained that not all students are obligated to linking their IDs.
“This isn’t something [the students] have to do, but it’s just something we’re promoting,” she said.
PNC was promoting the new option to students and giving students prizes Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Smith Student Center. McKain said she thinks this option will gauge a lot of student interest.
“It’s all on one card if you bank with PNC,” she said, noting that the ID card would allow students to have access to their money, meal plan, residence hall, health center and gym with this option.
Students who would like to link their ID can do so by visiting the PNC located in the Smith Student Center on Monday through Friday during 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Students can also sign up online by visiting pnc.com/sru, by visiting any PNC branch or by calling 1-877-PNC-1000.
