Digital Bear Cards Coming Soon for Google Pay on Android Devices

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MACON/ATLANTA – Mercer University’s Bear Card campus IDs will soon be available on Android devices following this week’s announcement of the Transact Mobile Credential for Google Pay.

Implementation and quality assurance testing is underway on all Mercer campuses, with a full launch expected during the second quarter of 2020, said Ken Boyer, associate vice president for auxiliary services.

Adding the Bear Card to Google Pay will allow students, faculty and staff secure access to facilities, residence halls and more, as well as payments for dining, laundry, vending and retail at NFC-enabled readers on campus and at local businesses that accept Bear Bucks.

Transact is the first campus credential solution provider to offer native NFC contactless mobile IDs, and Mercer is among the first 15 institutions to participate in the roll out of these IDs in Google Pay.

Other participating institutions include Arkansas State University, Chowan University, College of Coastal Georgia, Duke University, Georgetown University, Hamilton College, The John Hopkins University, Marshall University, Roanoke College, St. Edward’s University, South Dakota State University, Temple University, the University of Alabama and the University of New Brunswick.

Bear Card in Google Pay is not only convenient but also provides greater security for those who may lose their plastic card as it requires multifactor authentication on the device to keep the card information secure.

Mercer will continue to offer the option of a physical Bear Card, in addition to the digital Bear Card being available in Apple Wallet and Google Pay.

“Leveraging the NFC technologies available to us through Transact System, along with our partnership with Transact, Google and others, allows us to be able to provide a ubiquitous soliton for mobile credentials,” said Boyer. “We want to give our Mercer community the freedom of choice while providing convenient, reliable and secure service regardless of what platform is used for the Bear Card. Cardholders will have the choice to use the credential that meets their individual needs. Mobile, via Android or iOS, or a traditional card – the choice is yours.”

Bear Card in Apple Wallet and Google Pay is part of a five-year plan by Mercer Auxiliary Services to transition the campus ID from traditional Mag Stripe cards to the more secure MIFARE DESFire EV2 contactless card technology. This new card technology offers the Mercer community a truly convenient touch-and-go experience thanks to increased operating distance and speed, and greater security and reliability with advanced encryption. Auxiliary Services worked with a number of partners, including Transact, Allegion and others.

For more information on the digital Bear Card, visit auxiliary.mercer.edu/bear-card/.

About Transact

Through market-leading transaction and privilege management software and innovative payment solutions, Transact enables a connected experience across the spectrum of student life. We partner with institutions to deliver a mobile-centric, personalized student and family experience both on and off-campus. Our cloud platform and open APIs deliver mission-critical capabilities that support student success by facilitating meaningful student engagement based on rich data and keen institutional insight. Transact is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona and has served the education community for over 35 years. Visit www.transactcampus.com.