Some campus vending machines have been accepting Huskie Bucks credit from students’ NIU OneCards for almost six years now.

Yet many others are still not equipped with the card readers to accept Huskie Bucks.

Of the 200 vending machines on campus, 25 Pepsi machines and seven snack machines are equipped with the readers. Mitch Kielb, director of the Holmes Student Center, said this is due to the readers’ cost.

“OneCard readers require special devices to read the cards,” Kielb said. “It isn’t practical to do this on every machine because of the cost.”

According to Lisa Pluhm of OneCard ID Services, the card readers are directly linked to the ID center, where a student’s OneCard transactions are recorded and updated in real time. This allows students to view their OneCard balances and transactions online on Blackboard.

The university pays vending providers Pepsi America and Ace Coffee Bar Inc. – who also install and maintain the card readers – for the sales recorded on the card readers. A percentage of the sales also goes to the ID center.

As commission from the vending companies, the university receives $400,000 per year until the contract expires next December. Students have varied opinions on the card readers.

“I think we should have more card readers for different machines because the ones they do have are a limited choice,” said Aaron Blom, sophomore computer science major.

Matt Schmitt, a sophomore physical education major held a similar opinion.

“In my opinion, I think there are too little of them that take Huskie Bucks because I know in Lincoln there’s only one and I wish there were more,” Schmitt said.

Rachel Stade said she found the readers helpful.

“I think that the card readers are pretty convenient when I have my OneCard on me and I don’t really see a need for any more,” said Stade, a sophomore speech language pathology major.