Redesigned Wolfpack One cards will be available for students, faculty and staff come June, giving users the ability to use their card in debit transactions if they have a PNC Bank account.
PNC Bank was named the official bank of NC State in October, which encouraged the university to redesign the Wolfpack One cards. Jennifer Gilmore, director of marketing and communication for Campus Enterprises, said that the card, which has not been changed in several years, was redesigned for two reasons.
“First is that we were entering into this new relationship with PNC Bank, which meant that we would need to make some modifications to the card,” Gilmore said. “It also gave us an opportunity to reexamine the current card design and make some modifications for security reasons.”
According to Gilmore, the new cards will include a larger photo and will have identification numbers moved to the back of the card. The front of the card will also feature a new university hallmark designed by University Communications.
“The key design features from a security standpoint are that it has a much larger photo and it has more white space so that it can be visually scanned a lot easier,” Gilmore said. “It features their preferred name on the front, their legal name on the back, along with the student ID number on the back.”
According to Gilmore, new ID cards will be distributed to incoming students during orientation this summer. Old Wolfpack One cards will continue to function normally.
Rich Steele, the interim associate vice chancellor for Campus Enterprises, said that the new relationship between NC State and PNC will establish several advantages for students, faculty and staff, specifically in regard to the Wolfpack One Card.
“The overall concept behind the [Wolfpack] One card is to provide convenience for students everywhere on campus,” Steele said. “The relationship with PNC is really expanding that so that a student can use their Wolfpack One Card and link it to a PNC checking account so that they can use a debit swipe with PIN transaction on campus.”
If linked to their PNC Bank account, cardholders can also use their Wolfpack One card for off-campus transactions and at PNC ATMs.
“(PNC) currently has six ATMs that they’ve recently installed on campus,” Steele said. “There’s a seventh one that will be installed at the end of the month in Talley once the e-branch is finished and having easy access to a number of ATMs on campus is going to be very important for students.”
Current students, faculty and staff can replace their old cards with a new one if they want to link their PNC account to their ID.
“All you would need to do is bring in proof that you have a PNC account,” Steele said. “Typically, it would be your PNC debit card that PNC would provide you. Any student who has an old Wolfpack One card and they want to link it to their PNC account: just bring in proof of the PNC account, and we will provide a new card at no cost.”
The new PNC branch that is currently under construction in Talley Student Union is considered an electronic branch, or e-branch. According to Steele, everything is done electronically and there is no cash involved.
“You can establish an account with PNC at the e-branch, ask questions about your account and get answers about your account at the e-branch,” Steele said. “You would come to the Wolfpack One Card office to get a new campus card.”
The PNC e-branch and Wolfpack One Card office will be adjacent to each other in the main lobby of Talley, next to the information desk. The Wolfpack One Card office has been temporarily moved to the ground floor of Wolfpack Outfitters.
Both offices are tentatively scheduled to open June 13.
