Indiana’s Purdue University West Lafayette ID Card Operations/Support, in partnership with Student Life and Purdue Information Technology, has launched the new Purdue Mobile ID.
Purdue students can now add their ID to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet and use their iPhone, Apple Watch or Android devices to and securely access campus buildings, purchase meals and more. Through Purdue Mobile ID, students can simply hold their device near a reader to access residence halls and campus buildings, make transactions using BoilerExpress, use their meal plans and even pay for laundry. The new Purdue Mobile ID for students is enabled for smartphones via Transact Mobile Credentials.
Current students will still be able to keep and use physical ID cards as well as their Purdue Mobile ID. In addition to the new Purdue Mobile ID, graduate students may still need physical cards because some academic buildings, labs and other facilities may still require the physical Purdue ID card for access in the short term.
Beginning this summer, all incoming undergraduate Purdue students will move to the Purdue Mobile ID and not be issued a physical ID card. This is part of the university’s Mobile First strategy, which seeks to eliminate the need for hard-copy ID cards for Purdue’s 50,000 students on the West Lafayette campus over the next few years.
According to Apple, Mobile student IDs on the iPhone (and Apple Watch) offer students and schools an extra level of security and privacy, as students do not need to worry about misplacing their plastic card. Also, transaction history is never shared with Apple or stored on Apple servers. If a student misplaces their iPhone or Apple Watch, they can use the Find My app to immediately lock their device and help locate it.
To enable student IDs on Wallet, Apple works with industry leaders for campus credentials and mobile access, including Transact, CBORD, TouchNet, Atrium, HID Global, and Allegion.
