Card Services at South Dakota State University launched a new way for students to use and access their MyJacks Card, in hopes that one day students won’t have to carry plastic cards.

SDSU students received an email on Tuesday, Jan. 14 with details on how they can use their iPhones and Apple Watches to access doors, Hobo Dough and their meal plan. Although nearly 300 students on campus signed up in the first two hours, many students still don’t know how to set up and use this new feature.

“All students were sent an email; however, directions can also be found on our website, myjackscard.com,” said Kendell Rohrbach, the campus card manager. If students have further questions, they can visit the FAQs page on www.myjackscard.com or visit Card Services in the Student Union.

Many students are excited about the new feature.

“It makes it really easy to view what amounts are left on my meal plan, Hobo Dough and block,” said Britney Krail, a nursing student from Wagner, South Dakota.

Along with this new feature comes a few requirements. Students must have an iPhone 6/6 Plus or later running iOS 12.2 or later. As for the Apple Watch, students must have a Series 1 or later running watch OS 5.2 or later. On top of that, students must download the DUO Mobile app as well as the eAccounts app.

“From what I hear, it’s multifunctional and convenient,” said nursing major Dylan Byers of Sioux Falls. “I just wish they had the feature for Android users.”

As for Android users, they’ll have to wait before being able to use mobile credentials due to software arrangements with Google Pay. Rohrbach hopes Android users will be able to use this feature before the end of the semester.

Rohrbach said that from a security standpoint, the new system is safe. Students should have no worries about privacy, security and the effectiveness of this program, as Card Services have been running tests with students and faculty. “This uses the Apple Wallet, which Apple has put a lot of work into making secure,” Rohrbach said.

A handful of students were asked on Tuesday and said they feel safe using this feature. Carter Pederson, a landscape architecture major from Brandon, SD said, “I trust Apple Wallet to keep my credit cards safe, so why wouldn’t I trust them with my student ID?”

Rohrbach and his team have been working on this project since fall 2018, and he said they are happy to finally release the feature but urges students to still carry their physical ID. If you have questions or need help setting up your ID, visit www.myjackscard.com