Elena Davidson
Instead of using the third-party GET app, students now use OneCard, a direct extension of Furman’s website, for all dining transactions.
In an email to the student body on Jan. 5, Student Life characterized this new system as “faster, more efficient, and easier to use.” The email outlined step-by-step instructions on creating a shortcut to the OneCard website on phone homepages for students to access easily. To “scan in,” a student must use their Virtual ID shortcut, which is similar to their Furman ID card. The digital ID is only valid for five minutes, and after that, users must reload the extension.
Some students preferred the old GET app, reporting that with OneCard, the Furman WiFi gets in the way.
“Using WiFi to scan for meals is just not efficient, it’s less efficient than the GET App,” says Caroline Orr ‘27. “At common hour, it takes so much longer to load.”
As students returned to campus, dining workers soon began to allow students to scan their physical IDs. Considering that most students have them readily available, it was a favorable option.
“The card is just so convenient,” Aubrey Hume ‘27 said. “I can’t stress that enough.”
Executive Chef Gustavo Sanchez says the use of physical cards stands solely as a temporary measure to ensure efficiency and a smooth transition from the GET App.
“The idea is to have everyone with the app,” Sanchez said. “Everything on the college and campus is moving to your phone, just like your wallet.”
Linda Solinsky, who works at the new double scanner at the dining hall, mentioned one way students could bypass these issues.
“Because the card lasts for five minutes, students can just take a screenshot of their ID with better Wifi and then scan in before time expires,” Solinsky said.
Because the new system eliminates the third party, Sanchez says it is more efficient for workers.
“Especially for our computers, the new system is so much easier. For us at common hour, it’s a lifesaver,” he said.
Solinsky mentioned that the efficiency of the system extends past the scanners into the administration. “It helps us to keep up with the office part of this, now we can go in and see all this (data) right away,” she said.
Sanchez stressed that the virtual ID would eventually be available for students to put in their Apple Wallets, but the exact timeline is unknown due to the magnitude of the move. Until then, students can expect to use the OneCard extension exclusively in the near future.
“I think it will be better for everyone, the students just need to give it time,” Sanchez said.