UoB card payment minimum spend SCRAPPED!

The University Finance office confirmed this morning they are abolishing all card minimum spends across every outlet in the university from today onwards.

This means all Hall Bars, all Source Café outlets, and anywhere else at UoB will be accepting card payments of any amount.

This is extremely exciting news for freshers in Halls of Residence especially who are sick and tired of seeing multiple £5 chunks disappearing from the bank and appearing in the university coffers, all so they could get that one drink they originally came in for.

Celebrations commence at news of the change in card policy

This also means, in Source Café outlets, customers will no longer be obliged to stump up for fancy coffee that takes 10 minutes to make, just to be above the pesky card minimum.

However, this could result in slower service in certain places. Durdham, for example, accepts contactless payments at the bar, whereas Wills does not. The university has said it may not be possible to bring contactless to all locations, as "there are some issues around signal strength / wireless", that cannot be resolved as of yet.

The original email obtained by The Tab instructing UoB merchants to scrap the card minimum spend…

This dramatic change in policy came about following an informal Finance Department review of "minimum transactions" for card payments, and the "benefits / costs to the university", which has been going on "for some time". They found that, firstly, it is against The Scheme (MasterCard and Visa) Rules to have a card minimum. Secondly, a card charge costs 4.5p, plus a set percentage based on the transaction value. This is next to nothing in the grand scheme of UoB income.

Thirdly, and more interestingly, the university is moving towards a "cash-light campus during 2018", so having card minimums doesn't fit with this new direction. The university has not expanded on what this new strategy is, but no doubt details will emerge in the near future.

Now you can buy a VK without worrying about minimum spend

In any case, from tonight onwards you can pay for anything your heart desires at your Hall Bar, from a 50p half-pint of Coca-Cola, to the legendary £5 Raeza at Wills, without worrying if you have that little annoying thing known as cash…