FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The Commodore Card Office staff has compiled a list of questions that they hear most often from students, faculty, and staff. If your question is not answered below, or if you need further clarification with an issue, please feel free to contact us at one of the numbers listed on this page.
Q: What is a Vanderbilt debit spending account (a.k.a. Commodore Cash and Meal Money)?
Q: What debit spending account options does Vanderbilt offer?
Q: What are the primary differences between a Commodore Cash account and a Meal Money account?
Q: How do I make a Commodore Cash selection for the 2012/2013 academic year?
Q: Where and when can I obtain a Commodore Card?
Q: Who can get a Commodore Card?
Q: What do I need to bring to get a Commodore Card?
Q: What do I do if I lose my Commodore Card or if it is stolen?
Q: Why can't I add funds to my account online?
Q: Where can I find out more information about VU Meal Plans?
Q: Is information about my Commodore Cash kept confidential?
Q: What is a Vanderbilt debit spending account (a.k.a. Commodore Cash and Meal Money)?
A: A Vanderbilt debit spending account functions in much the same way as a bank debit card. Funds are added to a debit spending account, which can be used at any number of campus locations to purchase various products and services. When a purchase is made using the Commodore Card, funds are deducted from the account balance.
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Q: What debit spending account options does Vanderbilt offer?
A: 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 also a debit spending account but is only available to meal plan participants and can be used strictly for food purchases. Meal Money must be depleted by the end of each academic year as it is a “use it or lose it” plan.
All Meal Money is removed from a student’s Commodore Card when a meal plan is cancelled.
In addition, rollover funds resulting from missed meals are transferred to Meal Money. See Rollover below for more details.
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Q: What are the primary differences between a Commodore Cash account and a Meal Money account?
A:
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Q: What is rollover?
A: Students with meal plans who do not use all of their allotted meals during a weekly period are eligible to receive a portion of the missed meal’s value. This amount, if any, is added to your Meal Money account where they can use the funds to purchase food items on and off-campus where the Commodore Card is accepted.
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Q: How do I make a Commodore Cash selection for the 2012/2013 academic year?
A: The deadline to add Commodore Cash to your and have it billed along with tuition for the fall semester is July 19 and November 19 for the spring semester. If you elected not to have funds pre-loaded but wish to have funds available for immediate use billed to your account for immediate use click here
If no selection is made by the July 19 a $35 late fee will be charged for each addition billed to your student account until September 23. You may add by check at any time without incurring a late fee. Checks should be made payable to Vanderbilt University and include the students name and birth date.
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Q: Where and when can I obtain a Commodore Card?
A: You may obtain your Commodore Card during the Summer Academic Orientation Program (SAOP) or when you arrive on campus in the Fall. Simply visit the Commodore Card Office located at 184 Sarratt Student Center between 8:30am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday.
The office will also be open on Saturday, August 25th from 8:30am to 4:00pm and Sunday, August 26th from 8:30am to 1:00pm for Fall move-in weekend.
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Q: Who can get a Commodore Card?
A: The following groups of individuals are permitted to obtain a Commodore Card from the Commodore Card Office:
• Students and their spouse (or domestic partner) and children
• Faculty and their spouse (or domestic partner) and children
• Staff and their spouse (or domestic partner) and children
• Alumni
• Library patrons
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Q: What do I need to bring to get a Commodore Card?
A:
Students: Bring photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport.
Faculty: Bring photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport.
Staff: Bring photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport.
Students, Faculty, and Staff will receive their first Commodore Card free of charge.
Replacement cards cost $20.00 payable by cash, check, or with Commodore Card funds.
Alumni: Bring photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport. The cost for an Alumni card is $10.00.
Student’s spouse and children: Bring photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport. You must be accompanied by your student sponsor. Spouses of students will also need to bring a marriage certificate. Domestic partners must be registered with the Dean of Students prior to receiving a card. The cost for a card is $10.00.
Faculty or Staff spouse and children: Bring photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport. You must be accompanied by your faculty or staff sponsor. If domestic partner, the employee must register their domestic partnership with Human Resource Services Benefits Office by completing the Vanderbilt University Statement of Domestic Partnership. The cost for a card is $10.00.
Library patrons: The Library must complete and send a patron application to the Commodore Card Office. Patrons must bring photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport. The cost for a library patron card is $10.00.
The Commodore Card Office accepts cash, check, or funds from the Commodore Card.
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Q: What do I do if I lose my Commodore Card or if it is stolen?
A: 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 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 are reissued in the Commodore Card Office only. 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.
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Q: Why can't I add funds to my account online?
A: 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.
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Q: Where can I find out more information about VU Meal Plans?
A: Please visit the VU Dining web site by clicking here.
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Q: Is information about my Commodore Cash kept confidential?
A: 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.
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