2008 Woodie Awards
MUBucks gains increased acceptance from local businesses
Samantha Stanek
Issue date: 11/16/07 Section: Campus
Miami University's partnership with Uptown Bucks, referred to as MUBucks, recently took a new turn with the addition of CVS and The UPS store to Oxford.
"Previously, Uptown Bucks was used as a gift certificate service for restaurants and we had a lot of sororities coming through and picking them up for gifts," said Christy Commerton of Uptown Bucks. "But since we've partnered with the university (in 2003), we've begun adding non-restaurant services."
The services include Oxford Copy Shop, the Shriver Bookstore, Uptown Taxi and, most recently, CVS, The UPS store and BikeWise.
According to the Housing, Dining and Guest Services Web site, MUBucks, an off-campus debit account designed by the university and Uptown Bucks, attempts to make it easier and more convenient to make purchases at more than 50 Oxford businesses by swiping a Miami student ID.
Commerton said the program was created because uptown businesses felt Miami was taking away from their business because of dining halls and other options on campus. She said they decided to partner with Miami so that everyone benefited.
"It works just like a credit card," Commerton said. "A business just tells us they want to be on the program, and we provide all the terminals and equipment. There's no setup fee, we just receive a percentage of the swipe."
Commerton said that Hungry Howie's recently signed with Uptown Bucks because of the number of phone calls they received asking whether or not they accepted the MUBucks
debit account.
"They realized they were actually losing all of that business and so they signed with our program," Commerton said.
She added that the system is different from the widely used debit card because parents have more control.
"Parents like the system because there's no overdraft and we're not partnered with businesses that sell alcohol," Commerton said.
There are currently 55 merchants involved in the program and Commerton said there has not been a noticeable difference for their company in terms of small Oxford businesses going under.
"Previously, Uptown Bucks was used as a gift certificate service for restaurants and we had a lot of sororities coming through and picking them up for gifts," said Christy Commerton of Uptown Bucks. "But since we've partnered with the university (in 2003), we've begun adding non-restaurant services."
The services include Oxford Copy Shop, the Shriver Bookstore, Uptown Taxi and, most recently, CVS, The UPS store and BikeWise.
According to the Housing, Dining and Guest Services Web site, MUBucks, an off-campus debit account designed by the university and Uptown Bucks, attempts to make it easier and more convenient to make purchases at more than 50 Oxford businesses by swiping a Miami student ID.
Commerton said the program was created because uptown businesses felt Miami was taking away from their business because of dining halls and other options on campus. She said they decided to partner with Miami so that everyone benefited.
"It works just like a credit card," Commerton said. "A business just tells us they want to be on the program, and we provide all the terminals and equipment. There's no setup fee, we just receive a percentage of the swipe."
Commerton said that Hungry Howie's recently signed with Uptown Bucks because of the number of phone calls they received asking whether or not they accepted the MUBucks
debit account.
"They realized they were actually losing all of that business and so they signed with our program," Commerton said.
She added that the system is different from the widely used debit card because parents have more control.
"Parents like the system because there's no overdraft and we're not partnered with businesses that sell alcohol," Commerton said.
There are currently 55 merchants involved in the program and Commerton said there has not been a noticeable difference for their company in terms of small Oxford businesses going under.
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