COMMODORE CARD OFFICE
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QUICK LINKS
- • Add Commodore Cash
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- • Who Takes The Card
Commodore Card Office
184 Sarratt Student Center
Nashville, TN 37240
(615) 322-2273
(800) 632-0998
First-Year Student Frequently Asked Questions
The Commodore Card Office staff has compiled a list of questions
that they receive most often from students. If your question is not answered
below, or if you need further clarification, please feel free to contact us
at 615-322-2273 (2-CARD on campus). We will be happy to assist you.
Most Common Commodore Card Questions:
What is Vanderbilt Spending Account?
Where can the Commodore Card be used?
How do I make a Commodore Cash selection so funds are available for use when I get to campus?
How do I get my Commodore Card and submit a photo?
What are my meal plan options?
What do I do if I lose my Commodore Card or if it is stolen?
What do I do if I break my Commodore Card?
What do I do if I find my Commodore Card that I reported lost?
Why can't I add funds to my account?
Is information about my Commodore Cash kept confidential?
How can I allow my parents to access my Commodore Card transaction activity?
What is a Vanderbilt Debit Spending Account?
A Vanderbilt Spending Account is a debit spending account that functions in much the same way
as a bank debit card. Funds are added to a debit spending account, which can
be used at a number of campus
locations to purchase various products and services. When a purchase is
made using the Commodore Card, funds are automatically deducted from the debit
account balance.
Vanderbilt offers students two types of debit spending accounts:
- Commodore Cash is a debit spending account that can be used anywhere on campus where the Commodore Card is accepted for payment, which includes food and non-food purchases, such as books and supplies, vending, laundry, printing, and athletic events. Commodore Cash balances can be carried over from year-to-year on your student’s debit spending account.
- Meal Money is available only to meal plan participants and is used for food purchases. Meal Money must be depleted by the end of each spring semester as it is a “use it or lose it” plan. If a meal plan is canceled or removed during a semester, Meal Money is forfeited.
Differences between Commodore Cash and Meal Money
Commodore Cash |
Meal Money |
No meal plan required |
Meal plan required |
Can be used for food and non-food purchases |
Can be used for food purchases only |
Can be used on campus only |
Can be used at on and off campus eateries |
Unused balance can be carried over year-to-year |
Unused balance can not be carried over year-to-year (“Use it or lose it”) |
Purchases are taxable |
Purchases are non-taxable except for off-campus purchases |
Where can the Commodore Card be used?
Click here for a list of the locations where the Commodore Card is accepted.
How do I make a Commodore Cash selection so funds are available for use when I get to campus?
The deadline to have funds preloaded and included on your August 1, 2013 billing statement is July 23. If you would like to add funds so they are available for use when you arrive on campus click here. The funds will be added immediatly and billed during the next billing cycle.
If you elect not to have funds preloaded or select $0, and later elect to "Add Funds for immediate use", a $35.00 deferred payment fee per addition will be added to the amoount between July 24 and September 15, 2013. Each addition and associated fee will appear on your November billing statement.
You may add by check at any time without incurring a fee. Please make checks payable to Vanderbilt University and incude your name and VUnetID on the check.
How do I get my Commodore Card and submit a photo?
First-Year Students Only:
The Commodore Card is used for identification, access to residence halls, academic
buildings and sporting events, and is used as a debit card for meal plans
and other purchases both on and off campus. Commodore Cards for new students
are made in advance of fall move-in to minimize inconveniencing students
with long lines and delays.
Vanderbilt contracts Magnolia Press Publications to collect new students’ photos for the Commodore Card in conjunction with the Newcomer project. The Newcomer is the University’s annual publication of photos and biographical information about the new student class.
Each new student will receive a request by mail in May with instructions to submit a photo to be used for the Commodore Card and the Newcomer. Click here to upload your photo.
The photo will be uploaded to YES in August - so prior to this time you should not expect to view your photo online.
What are my meal plan options?
VUMeal Plan options for students can be viewed on the Vanderbilt Dining website.
For rollover information, please visit the Vanderbilt Dining Rollover site.
What do I do if I lose my Commodore Card or if it is stolen?
If you lose your Commodore Card or if your card has been stolen, you
must report it immediately! You may do this anytime by clicking here or follow the Lost/Stolen Card
link on this site.
You may also contact the Commodore Card Office at 615-322-2273 (On-campus dial
2-CARD) between the hours of 8:30am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday.
Lost Commodore Cards for are reissued at the Commodore Card Office only. There is a $20.00 fee for all replacement cards.
For your protection, all Commodore Cards used by someone other than the cardholder will be confiscated. Unauthorized expenditures of up to $500.00 are the responsibility of the cardholder for lost or stolen Commodore Cards not reported within 24 hours.
What do I do if I break my Commodore Card?
Your Commodore Card contains a magnetic stripe on the rear of the card like a debit or credit card. It also contains a microchip for use with contactless card readers. As a result you must not bend or punch holes in the card as this will damage the antenna embedded in the card. There is a $20 replacement charge for damaged cards.
What do I do if I find my Commodore Card that I reported lost?
If you find your latest Commodore Card that you have previously reported lost then you can simply return to the Commodore Card website and mark your card found. Click here to mark card found.
Why can't I add funds to my account?
Before funds can be added to your Commodore Card and charged to your student account, a Student Account Agreement Form must be signed by both student and parent and submitted to the Office of Student Accounts. This form can be obtained here.
Is information about my Commodore Cash kept confidential?
Yes. Vanderbilt will not release any account information to a third party. Information will only be provided to the student and the guarantor(s) of the student account.
How can I allow my parents or guardian to access my Commodore Card transaction activity?
There are three ways in which to provide parents or guardian with your spending activity:
- They may access your Commodore Card account through this web site. To gain access to your Commodore Card account, you simply need to request "Guest Access" for your parent or guardian by selecting the Give Guest Access to Your Commodore Card link on this site. Once the request has been made, they will receive a password and use their email address as a VUNet ID log-on.
Once they receive access instructions, the parent or guardian will sign onto the Commodore Card web site where they can view your spending activity and account balance, add funds to your account, and perform other functions, too.
- You may generate and print a transaction report for them.
- Your parent or guardian may contact the Commodore Card Office at (800) 632-0998. If they are the account guarantor on the Student Account Agreement form, we will supply them with the desired information.
Commodore Card Office
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday
8:30 a.m-4:00 p.m.