The Atrium became the most recent campus eating establishment to swipe debit cards for purchases made as of Jan. 10.

University Dining has installed debit card capabilities in its three dining halls — Fountain, Clark and Case, all Port City Java locations and Talley Student Center eateries, Student Body President Bobby Mills said.

But “C-stores are the last piece,” according to Mills, a junior in political science and economics.

Mills said one of the hold-ups is the preparation involved in implementing debit purchases at C-stores.

“They had to teach the workers how to use them,” he said.

Mills’ Executive Secretary and senior in political science Kim Moser said another setback is merchandising the products carried at the seven locations.

“The C-stores carry thousands of items” that must all be entered into a database.

So, Moser said, the dining staff will likely have to implement the system in each individual convenience store “to make sure there are no problems and glitches in the system.”

Mills and Moser said they hope to see C-store debit systems up and running by the University’s spring break in March.

“If they’re not out by spring break, it would kind of surprise me,” Moser said. “Dining is working around the clock to make it happen.”

But Ryan Mueller, sophomore in biological sciences , said the convenience stores should have taken priority when integrating debit cards.

“[C-stores are] what first of all should have been taking debit cards,” he said. “They are the quick and easy fix.”

And Mills and Moser said they have been working with business manager for University Dining’s Business Officer Randy Lait to make universal debit card use possible in all its locations.

“It’s been a long process, but it’s one of the campaign promises I made,” Mills said. “You should hopefully see dining hall hours change next fall.”

In addition, Moser said the process was drawn out for several reasons.

“In order to have debit, all University cash registers had to be replaced because they weren’t compatible [with the debit card system],” she said.

According to Moser, the University’s high-security clearance on private information, like that linked to debit cards, slowed the process down, as well.

The option to use debit instead of All Campus cards seemed worthwhile despite setbacks, she said. She came to the University as a commuter student without All Campus cash and said she would have appreciated the alternative of debit purchases.

So she met with Dining officials and “advocated for students” to be able to use other forms of payment in campus dining facilities.

“If students want to make something happen, the best thing they can do is go to administrators and build relationships with them,” Moser said. “That is what has really helped us get [debit cards] done, because I’m sure it’s not the first time they’ve heard [there’s a need for them].”

Mueller said he also likes having options.

“Now that they have them, it gives me an alternative,” he said. “Depending on the price, it’d be worth it.”