One for all - the chip card
With around 2,500 meals a day in the Mensa, things have to move fast. Especially when it comes to paying. Long wait times and standing in line are annoying.
Which is why cash-free and fast payment is important to us.
That's why we have a student ID card with an integrated payment function - the chip card. With it, you can easily pay at our registers and at the vending machines in our cafeterias and canteens.
How do I obtain the chip card?
When you enroll, you will receive a letter asking you to submit a passport photo for the student ID card with integrated payment functionality to the Department of Student Affairs. After your documents have been checked, the chip card will be created and sent to you.
Students receive a student ID card as their chip card, employees receive a employees ID card as their chip card and contract or cooperation partners receive a personalized guest card.
Guests and external companies can obtain a unpersonalized guest card at the Info-Point. A deposit of 10 euros is required for this.
How do I add money to the chip card?
Before you can pay with your chip card, you have to add credit to it. You can charge it with 5, 10, 20 and 50 Euro bills up to an amount of 70 Euro, with a monthly maximum of 250 Euro. The machines are located only in the entrance areas of the Mensa. At certain machines you can also directly load at least 10 Euro from your EC-card onto your chip card. If you don't want to run to the machine or don't have any cash on you, you can use Autoload.
How do I pay with the chip card?
Payment for meals I and II is made at turnstiles. By placing the chip card on the reader, the price for the meal is deducted and access to the food counter is granted.
At the registers in the Atrium, in Bistro 36 and at the mensa buffet, you simply place the chip card on the reader. On the display you will see your credit, the amount to be charged and your remaining balance. Leave the chip card on the reader until the booking process is complete, otherwise reading errors may occur.
To avoid long lines, please make sure that there is always enough credit on your card.
How long is the chip card valid?
Your chip card is equipped with a rewritable TRW (Thermo-Re-Write) strip on which a new expiration date can be printed after successful re-registration. For this purpose, the chip card must be inserted once into a validation station of the university after each re-registration into the following semester.
For employees, the validity depends on the type of their employment.
What else is important to keep in mind with your chip card?
You should treat the chip card like cash, in case of loss or theft the credit will not be refunded! Remember to make a note of the card number so that you can arrange for it to be blocked quickly at our Info-Point if it is lost.
Handle the chip card with care, because in case of visible damage, for example due to improper use, the paid deposit cannot be refunded.