To most people, the notion of a cashless society is just hype. But across a handful of college campuses, students are using microchip-based smart cards for everything from making phone calls to doing laundry.
Smart cards are nothing new.
Students at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan, and the University of Florida are getting an early glimpse of cashless living. On a typical day, a Penn student on his way to class uses his PennCash account to pick up coffee at a local stand. After the class, he uses the PennCard as a photocopy card. Next he swings by the ATM and transfers money from his checking account to his PennCard. When he swipes his PennCard for lunch, the meal is automatically charged to his dining bill.