Student fee for Visa: $4 a year is worth it trust us

Life takes Visa. At least" that's what the seemingly ubiquitous credit card company would like you to think.

But most UNC students have likely noticed that when it comes to the University Cashier and the UNC One Card Office" Visa isn't ""everywhere you want to be.""

As evidenced by the large number of complaints received by Jim Clinton" UNC One Card director of operations many students (and their parents) are often shocked and slightly annoyed to find that the University's online payment system does not accept Visa.

Students who wish to pay tuition or deposit to their One Cards online can only do so with a MasterCard or the amazingly popular Diner's Club card. The irony of not being able to pay tuition with a University-issued One Card Plus — a One Card combined with a Visa check card — is laughable.

But if students are serious about getting the policy changed they should stop complaining to Mr. Clinton and focus their energy elsewhere.

Visa not the University is almost entirely to blame for the current policy.

The University began allowing online payments in 2001.

To cover the cost of providing the new service UNC simply passed the 2 percent merchant fee commonly associated with online transactions onto its customers which seems like a fair and reasonable policy.

But Visa doesn't allow merchants to pass the fee onto customers. So in August 2006 the University stopped accepting Visa for online payments.

MasterCard does allow it which is why UNC continues to accept MasterCard.

Apart from petitioning Visa to change its policy individuals who want the convenience of using their Visa cards to make online payments to the University have one viable option.

Students could petition for a student fee increase that would cover the $100000 per year cost which would amount to about $4 per student annually.

A mere $4 seems like a reasonable price to pay for the considerable convenience this would bring to students and their parents. And compared to the recently approved increase to the child care services fee a much larger number of students would enjoy the benefits.

That said a campuswide referendum is the fairest solution. Otherwise bring on those Diner's Club applications!