Diamond Dollars Retiring in May 2024

After a long and storied run, the Diamond Dollars campus based debit card solution is retiring. With students preferring the many options for digital payment, participation and necessity for the program declined with shifting consumer preferences. As you wind down your account, below is a timeline to help you plan.

Managing Your Account January – May 2024

  • February 28, 2024 – Final payroll deduction for employees
  • February 28, 2024 – University departments begin converting to credit cards
  • March 31, 2024 – Final credit card deposits
  • April 30, 2024 – Final cash/check deposits
  • May 15, 2024 – Final day to use funds
  • Any funds remaining in your Diamond Dollars account will be refunded via direct deposit

Retiring Diamond Dollars: What You Need to Know

Closing out my Diamond Dollars: FAQ

Is my remaining balance refundable?

Yes. Students remaining balance will be applied as a credit to their student account balance. If you do not have a balance due to Temple University, your unused Diamond Dollars will be refunded by direct deposit to your bank account or a paper check will be issued. Employees with unused balance will be refunded by direct deposit.

What’s the last day I can use Diamond Dollars?

The last day to use your Diamond Dollars will be May 15, 2024.

Do current Diamond Dollar vendors accept other forms of payment?

Many merchants/vendors accept payments other than Diamond Dollars. Departments that previously only accepted Diamond Dollars (such as OWL Tech, Student Conduct, Temple Thrift) will accept credit/debit card payments beginning May 15th or earlier.

What forms of payment does Aramark/Temple Culinary Services accept?

If my food exceeds the equivalency, can I use cash or credit to cover the balance? Temple Culinary Services accepts cash and credit at all retail locations. Yes, if the cost of food purchased at one of our retail locations (excluding coffee and convenience outlets) exceeds your meal equivalency, you can use cash or credit to cover the cost of any remaining balance.

Visit Campus Dish more information about meal equivalency and meal plans.

I do not have a credit or debit card, what forms of payment will I use now?

PNC, our campus banking partner, offers payment solutions for all your needs. With Virtual Wallet Student®, you have the option to get a Temple Visa® Debit Card with digital and card payment capabilities including:

  • Tap to pay card technology (at accepting merchants)
  • In app payments by adding your Temple visa® card to your digital wallets
  • Receive the highest levels of protection with PNC security & privacy, 24-hour fraud monitoring and more

Visit Temple’s on-campus branch at 1908 Liacouras Walk (across from Charles Library), call 215-978-1477, or visit pnc.com/temple for more details.

  • Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Service Association and used under license.
  • Virtual Wallet Student is a registered mark of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
  • ©2024 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. PNC Bank, National Association. Member FDIC
Managing Your Diamond Dollars Account until May 2024

Diamond Dollars deposits can be made through cash, check, credit card, tuition billing or payroll deduction. Making a deposit into your account is easy and can be done in any of the following ways:

  • Credit card deposit: You will need the TUid to complete this deposit online. Note that the credit card company may charge a 'convenience fee' for processing. Last date for credit card deposits is March 31, 2024.
  • Charge to your tuition bill: Log in to TUportal using Deposit via Student Bill and select "make a deposit." Select "student bill" tab and complete the required information. Funds will be applied to your Diamond Dollars account immediately. Last date for this will be January 23, 2024.
  • Financial aid authorization: As a student with financial aid awards (which may produce a refund) you can have all or a portion of your refund applied to your Diamond Dollars account. Follow the instructions above for charging your tuition.
  • Payroll deduction: The final deposit for monthly employees is February 29, 2024 and for bi-weekly employees is March 1, 2024.
  • In-person at the OWLcard office located on the Food Court level of the Howard Gittis Student Center, Suite 101 on Temple's Main Campus. Last date to deposit cash or checks is April 30, 2024.
Questions about the Program

Why is Temple getting rid of Diamond Dollars?

Since the pandemic, the Diamond Dollars program has not only experienced slow recovery in sales but faces intense competition with preferential purchasing methods. D$$ is no longer the payment method of choice for students. Laundry services in the residence halls no longer accepts D$$ and vendors including food trucks are now accepting the more popular cash apps. Nationally, 84% of students report using their smartphone to make payments and 95% use at least one app to interact with their institution, a trend that is evident for Temple’s program as well.

What about local businesses that have accepted Diamond Dollars?

Local business owners have acknowledged that since the pandemic, D$$ only accounts for about five percent of sales when students are on campus. Some vendors (7-Eleven, Honey Grow, Hair Fashion and Beyond) believe that participating in the program was more inconvenient than other methods of payment especially because it requires using a separate terminal and adds an extra step at the register.

What is the $1.50 transaction fee?

When using a credit card to add money to your Diamond Dollars account there is an additional $1.50 online processing convenience fee charged by the credit card company. To avoid this fee, we accept cash or checks in person or via mail at our office and cash in person at our Value Transfer

Station on the second floor of the TECH Center. Employees have the option to automate their monthly deposit using the payroll reduction plan.

Can I withdraw cash from my Diamond Dollars account?

No. Money deposited in your account can only be used for purchases. Once deposited, funds will not be refunded unless an individual is leaving the university, and then only amounts in excess of $10.

Do I lose the money in my account at the end of the semester?

No. Funds in your account rollover semester to semester and year to year.

How will I know what my Diamond Dollar account balance is?

You may access your balance, at any time, through the Diamond Dollars web site or ask a cashier when you make a purchase.

Is there anything that I am prohibited from buying with my Diamond Dollars?

Gift Cards of any kind and any illegal products or activities cannot be purchased with Diamond Dollars.

Can my Diamond Dollar account be charged without my permission?

All charges require the presentation of your OWLcard (Temple University ID). You will not be held accountable for a charge to your Diamond Dollar account once you have reported the card lost or stolen. (See details in the Rules and Regulations).

How should I best protect the funds in my Diamond Dollar account?

Since the account information is stored on the magnetic stripe on the back of your OWLcard, chip embedded in the card or in your mobile wallet, we recommend you observe the following precautions. • Safeguard your OWLcard at all times – whether a physcial card or your mobile device. • Do not lend your OWLcard. • Avoid storing your OWLcard next to magnets and safeguard you rmobile device at all times..

Report lost or stolen OWLcards immediately to our office (215-204-3140) or to the Temple University Police (215-204-1234).

Can I make a deposit by phone? Where can I make a deposit?

No. You can make a deposit either in person at our office, the Value Transfer Station (VTS) at the TECH Center, or on our website.

Can I use my Diamond Dollars to purchase parking services?

No, you cannot use your Diamond Dollars to enter the parking lots. You must go to the Parking Services office inside the Montgomery Garage (1859 N. 11th St.) to transfer your Diamond Dollars to your parking account.

What is a printing allocation?

A printing allocation (or "Print Quota") is a noncash amount distributed to all currently enrolled students to be used for free black and white and color laser printing, as well as specialty inkjet printing, at Temple. At the end of each six-month period any remaining balance is deleted and you receive a new quota if you are enrolled in upcoming classes. There are no refunds or transfers for unused quota balances. For more information visit student printing.

Can I use my printing allocation for other Diamond Dollars purchases?

No. Your printing allocation has no cash value and can only be used for laser printing in Temple's computer labs.

How can I see my current printing allocation balance?

You can see your current balance in the "Printing Allocation" section of your Diamond Dollars web account. In a computer lab, swipe your OWLcard at any printing terminal, then touch the "Account Balances" button on the lower left side of the screen. This will display your individual printing allocation and Diamond Dollars balances.

Diamond Dollar Program Requirements

Temple University provides every student, faculty and staff member official identification that includes the person's picture, name and function. The university has moved to a Mobile First strategy and prefers students and employees to download a specialty app which installs the credential on their mobile device. In the event the individual does not have a compatible mobile device, we will still issue a physical OWLcard. This university ID is known as your OWLcard and is the property of Temple University. The OWLcard must be surrendered upon demand or when the relationship for which the card was issued is no longer in effect. The OWLcard sets forth access levels and/or access restrictions either visibly or through encoding devices on or embedded within the card

Withdrawals / Refunds

Diamond Dollars may be used at any time so long as the individual cardholder maintains an affiliation with Temple University. Withdrawals will not normally be made to individuals who are or are expected to maintain an affiliation with the university. When an individual, either voluntarily or involuntarily ceases to maintain a university affiliation the individual must submit a written request for closure to the OWLcard office.

Diamond Dollars balances for students will be applied to the student's tuition account and refund checks will be mailed to the student's address of record.

There is a $10 minimum for all account closeouts. The university will not process refunds for less than that amount.

Diamond Dollars balances for employees who utilize payroll deduction will be applied to the employee's payroll account and issued as a part of the employee's final payroll payment. Employees depositing with cash or credit card will be issued a refund via Accounts Payable utilizing their bank account.

Diamond Dollars balances for employees who utilize payroll deduction will be applied to the employee's payroll account and issued as a part of the employee's final payroll payment. Employees depositing with cash or credit card will be issued a refund via Accounts Payable utilizing their bank account.

Refunds involving individual purchases should be discussed directly with the merchant. Each merchant has the ability to process their own refunds for customers.

Deposits

Tuition billing: Diamond Dollars account holders will be permitted to deposit a maximum of $1,000 per semester into their Diamond Dollars account via billing to their tuition account. Diamond Dollars reserves the right to refuse any tuition billing request if the account holder is not in good financial standing with the university. These funds cannot be used to pay tuition. This feature is NOT available throughout the year, ONLY at the beginning of fall and spring semesters.

Checks: The maximum dollar amount for a check deposit is $1,000. Account holders wishing to deposit in excess of this amount must visit our website to process an e-check deposit.

Credit cards: The maximum amount for web deposits made through credit card will be $1,500 and a convenience fee from the credit card service provider may be charged.

Multiple deposits: If multiple deposits are made to the same cardholder account, Diamond Dollars reserves the right to "hold" subsequent deposit funds until the initial deposit has been confirmed. Credit card deposits typically take three to seven days to process, while hand written checks take 10–17 days to clear.

Liability

Individual cardholders are responsible for the safe keeping of their OWLcard. It is the responsibility of the individual cardholder to report any lost or stolen cards immediately upon discovery of the loss or theft. Individual cardholders shall not be liable for any expenditures made with their OWLcard once the card has been reported as lost or stolen to the proper authorities. Liability shall be limited to $50 for any card properly reported as lost or stolen. Written documentation of the theft or loss must be submitted to both the Temple University Police and the OWLcard office to be relieved of any liability for loss. Where applicable, documentation must include copies of reports to local police. Replacing Lost, Stolen or Damaged Cards

On the main campus, you must come to the OWLcard office (Howard Gittis Student Center, first floor suite 101 next to the food court) for replacement of your OWLcard. If you are a current Health Professions student requiring a physical card for patient services (Medical, Dental, Pharmacy, Podiatry, Nursing) the fee for replacing a lost, stolen or damaged card is $20. You can pay your fee with cash or Diamond Dollars. If you are replacing a “Vanity Card” (also using OWLcard Mobile) the purchase cost of a replacement is $50. All OWLcards must be reactivated in person or via the secure website.

Replacement cards are also issued on the Ambler Campus and Center City Campus.

Non-negotiable Payments (Returned Checks, Money Orders or Credit Card payments, etc.)

Any items used to fund Diamond Dollar accounts which are returned as non-negotiable (i.e. insufficient funds, account closed, exceeding credit limits, etc.) will be assessed a processing fee of $25.00 plus any charges levied by the financial institution. Charges plus the face value of the transaction will be charged to the individual's Diamond Dollar account.

Inactive Accounts

Diamond Dollars accounts showing no cardholder activity during the previous 12-month period are considered inactive. Inactive accounts will be assessed an annual $25 inactivity charge. A notice of inactive account status for balances in excess of $100 will be sent to account holders at their last known address.

Error Resolution

Any requests for adjustments must be made in writing to the OWLcard office within 30 days of the transaction date. Requests for adjustments to accounts must be accompanied by sufficient documentation (receipts, cancelled checks, etc.) to allow for research and resolution. The office will respond within five (5) working days of receipt of the written request and documentation. Any questions, problems or comments can be directed to ddollars@temple.edu.