Recreation services will become a cashless operation beginning Sunday, June 4, when clients will need to use a credit card for most purchases. The change primarily is to standardize processes for the unit's many student employees and eliminate staff time spent reconciling cash drawers each day.
Rec services' Adventure Program, which includes outdoor equipment rentals and trips and a bike maintenance service, has been cashless for about two years.
With 5% of sales made with cash last year and that figure down to about 3% so far this year, the change won't impact most of its customers, said Ally Kuehl, business operations coordinator for rec services. The majority of cash transactions are for day passes purchased at the service desks in State Gym or Lied Athletic Recreation Center -- for example, a faculty member who runs outdoors during most lunch periods but opts for the Lied track on a frigid February day, or an employee member who brings along a co-worker for a pickleball game after work.
Kuehl said rec services will continue to accept checks for payment of annual memberships and facility rentals from clients who prefer to pay that way.
Rec services is the second university department to announce cash-only transactions. ISU Dining implemented its no-cash plan last week.
