MacCard, the McMaster University (the “University”) student and employee ID card, is governed by these terms and conditions, policies, procedures and regulations. Read the terms and conditions carefully, as they constitute legal obligations between you and the University. The use of the words “YOU” and “YOUR” denote the person named on the MacCard account or the person to whom the card is issued.

Acceptance of Agreement

By obtaining a MacCard physical or mobile card, and depositing funds in your MacCard Account or by using MacCard services, you agree to and accept all the terms and conditions of this agreement. You must have government issued photo ID to gain access to any affiliated software or applications. The terms and conditions are subject to change from time to time and without notice. Future changes will apply to all MacCards in circulation and will supersede the previous terms and conditions in effect at the time you acquired your MacCard account. Be sure to review the terms and conditions regularly.

Use and Ownership

Your MacCard and affiliated account are non-transferrable and to be used solely by you for the purposes that they were issued.

MacCard users are fully responsible for any and all purchases made using their account. If used by anyone else for any reason, account access may be revoked. This policy ensures the personal security of each account holder.

The MacCard card is issued by and remains the property of the University. It may be cancelled or revoked by the University at any time and physical cards must be presented or returned to the MacCard office when requested by University authorities.

Use of your MacCard Photo

The photo provided for your MacCard account remains the property of the University and will be displayed on your MacCard and in systems you use as a University community member. It may also be used on other systems accessed by faculty, staff, security, and partners to confirm your identity as a member of the University community.

Agreement

Use of the MacCard or affiliated software or applications constitutes your agreement to the terms and conditions of the agreement as set forth in this document.

Prohibited Uses

The purchase of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis products, prepaid credit/gift cards, postal services and lottery tickets is prohibited.

Cashback transactions are not permitted.

Account Balances

Money added to your Retail Operations balance is subject to different terms of use than funds associated with a meal plan.

The Retail Operations balance functions on a declining balance where purchases made with the MacCard account at participating locations will be deducted from the Retail Operations balance.

Any funds remaining on the Retail Operations account at the end of the academic term will automatically roll over to the next term as long as you are a member of the University community.

The University is not responsible for any loss, inconvenience or embarrassment to you or others arising as a result of lack of funds in your account.

All MacCard account balances are in Canadian dollars. Supporters, such as family and friends may add funds by credit card from anywhere in the world, but deposits will be converted to Canadian dollars before being added to the Retail Operations balance. Your MacCard account cannot support foreign currency.

Lost/Stolen Cards

If your MacCard or a personal device logged in to an affiliated software or application is lost or stolen, you must deactivate your account to protect your balance using the “Deactivate Card” feature on the OneWeb portal or create a helpdesk ticket.

We do not accept deactivation requests through voicemail. If you are requesting a new or replacement card, you must come in person and provide your account number and a piece of valid government issued photo ID.

Until such notification has been received or until your MacCard account has been deactivated, you will be responsible for all transactions on your MacCard account, whether or not such use is authorized by you. A replacement fee will be charged for lost or stolen physical cards. No replacement fee will be charged to move a mobile card to a new smartphone.

When your card is deactivated, your Retail Operations account and meal plan are no longer accessible.

Damaged Cards

If your physical MacCard has been damaged, you must come in person with the card to the MacCard office, and a new card will be issued. At that time, the University will determine, in its sole discretion whether the replacement is free of charge due to reasonable wear and tear or if a replacement charge is applicable due to misuse of the card.

Purchases

Purchases will be deducted from your Retail Operations balance in accordance with transactions authorized by the use of your MacCard account, affiliated software or applications or as permitted under these terms. You may use your MacCard account as a debit card, where accepted, provided there is an adequate available balance in your Retail Operations balance. Under no circumstances may alcohol, tobacco products, cannabis products, prepaid credit/gift cards, postal services or lottery tickets be purchased with your MacCard. Cash withdrawals are also not permitted.

In the event of a network connectivity problem and a terminal is operating in offline mode, transaction readers may not accept payment. It remains the responsibility of the accountholder to ensure an alternative payment method is available.

Collection and Use of Your Personal Information

The University is compliant with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), and endeavours to protect your personal information in accordance with this law. The information collected will be used only for the purposes of maintaining your MacCard account, and access provided to staff who require such information. No person outside of the McMaster MacCard Office will be privileged to any information about you, your account or the purchases you have made unless your express consent is received, or we are asked to comply with a government agency or court order. Your information will be managed in compliance with the FIPPA, as well as the McMaster Notice of Collection, Use and Disclosure Statement. For more information, please create a helpdesk ticket.

You can access your account history and print off statements at any time from the OneWeb portal.

Information requests about the above should be made via a helpdesk ticket.

Changes to this Agreement

The University reserves the right to amend this agreement at any time without notice. Changes to the terms and conditions are posted on the MacCard website and such changes apply to all accounts in use at that time and will supersede the terms and conditions in effect at the time the account was acquired.

The University does not guarantee uninterrupted access to the MacCard affiliated software or applications. The University cannot be responsible for partner systems, software, hardware, or internet outages and accepts no liability for any outages. We reserve the right to suspend use or access to these systems at any time, for any reason. The University will undertake to notify account holders of any planned outage or disruptions of service.

External Merchants

The University may enter into service agreements with external merchants who are not associated with the University (“External Merchants”) for the purpose of allowing you to access the services and products of these External Merchants using your MacCard account. The University does not warrant, guarantee, or endorse the products of the External Merchants and you shall not have recourse against the University for any such service or product accessed from or through these External Merchants. If a product or service purchased from an External Merchant is not satisfactory, and you wish to seek a refund or an exchange of the product or service you shall contact the External Merchant directly. External Merchants may decide to make available to students offers, promotions or discounts on their services and/or products and they may require additional proof of your MacCard account status (in addition to your MacCard).  The University shall not be responsible for any offers, promotions, discounts and/or for any refusal by an External Merchant of such offers, promotions, or discounts to accept MacCard (or any other document or method of payment) as proof of your University student or employee status and/or as a method of payment for the services and products of the External Merchants.

Limitations on the University’s Liability and Indemnification

THE UNIVERSITY IS NOT LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY LOSS, INCONVENIENCE TO YOU OR TO OTHERS, OR ANY DAMAGES (INCLUDING SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL), CLAIMS, INJURY, CAUSES OF ACTIONS, OR EXPENSES OF ANY KIND THAT MAY RESULT FROM THE USE OR MISUSE OF THE MacCard, OR IF, FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOUR MacCard IS NOT ACCEPTED OR YOU DO NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT FUNDS IN YOUR ACCOUNT. YOU AGREE TO INDEMNIFY, HOLD HARMLESS, AND RELEASE THE UNIVERSITY FROM ANY AND ALL CLAIMS FOR LOSSES, DAMAGES, INJURY, FEES, EXPENSES, CHARGES, OR DEBTS MADE BY ANY PARTY AGAINST THE UNIVERSITY ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR MISUSE OF YOUR MacCard ACCOUNT.

Ontario Law

These terms & conditions shall be exclusively construed and governed in all respects by the laws in force in the Province of Ontario. Furthermore, You agree that if any action should be instituted, such action shall be instituted in a court of the Province of Ontario.

All photos submitted via the online submission portal or taken in-person are subject to the following restrictions.

• The photo submitted must be recognizable as the student/employee on file with the university. Submissions that do not closely resemble the photo on the account holder’s government ID will not be accepted.
• Photos must not be altered, enhanced, or filtered.
• Photos containing inappropriate attire will not be accepted. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Nudity
  • Clothing with derogatory language or images
  • Non-religious headwear
  • Miscellaneous items such as headphones, masks, sunglasses, etc.
• Photos containing violence, weapons, discrimination, or other concerning content will be reported to Campus Safety Services.

Submission of inappropriate or fraudulent images may result in suspension of account privileges and is up to the discretion of the University.

Religious headwear is the only head covering authorized in photo submissions. Head coverings worn on a daily basis for religious beliefs or medical reasons will be accepted. Your face must still be fully visible, with no shadows obscuring your face.

If you wear a niqab, your face must be visible in the photo submitted. Please submit a helpdesk ticket before submitting your photo so that we can ensure a female staff member reviews your photo submission. If you do not feel comfortable submitting your photo online, a private, in-person appointment can be arranged where a female staff member will take your photo.

Any account holder who is found to have used their physical card, mobile credential, or account deceitfully or by other fraudulent means may be subject to the Code of Student Rights & Responsibilities, disciplinary action, or termination. Violations include, but are not limited to, vandalizing, theft, misuse, or being in possession/use of an account/card that is not your own. Account holders who knowingly share their card/account with others may also be subject to this policy.

The primary name on file in your Mosaic account is the name that will appear in the “first name” position on your MacCard. To change this name, please follow the steps outlined on the Registrar’s Office webpage. After your name has been updated, please create a help desk ticket to request your free replacement card.

Your Retail Operations balance will automatically carry over to the next academic term as long as you are a member of the University community. Your Retail Operations balance is not refundable while you have a relationship with the University as a student or employee.

If you are no longer enrolled as a student and are no longer employed by the University, your account will be locked, and you will not have any access to your account.  Your account will remain locked until such time that you are enrolled as University student or employed again by the University.

When your relationship with the University has ended, you may also request a refund if your Retail Operations balance is $10 or more. Refund requests must be submitted before the twenty-four (24) month deadline, at which point your funds are considered forfeited and become the property of the University. If you have an outstanding balance owing to the university at the time of your refund request, the balance owing will be deducted from the funds in your Retail Operations account.

Alternately, you can also choose to donate your remaining Retail Operations balance to one of the beneficiaries listed on the refund request form.

If the unfortunate circumstance occurs where a student or staff member passes away, their estate may choose to request a refund of the remaining Retail Operations balance or donate the funds to one of the beneficiaries listed on the refund request form.

To request a Retail Operations refund, please create a helpdesk ticket. A refund request is not considered submitted until a complete ticket is received. Cardholders with less than $10 are welcome to donate their funds.

Refunds may take up to 4 to 6 weeks to be processed. Donations of $10 or more are eligible for a tax receipt, which can be requested on the refund request form.

For information about the Meal Plan refund policy, click here.

The University may enter into Service Agreements with external merchants who are not associated with the University (“External Merchants”) for the purpose of allowing you access to the services and products of these External Merchants using your MacCard account.

The University does not warrant, guarantee or endorse the products of the External Merchants and you the University is not responsible nor liable for any such service or products purchased from or through these External Merchants.

If a product or service purchased from an External Merchant is not satisfactory, you shall contact the External Merchant directly. External Merchants are not permitted to process transactions for unauthorized services and products, such as, but not limited to alcohol, tobacco products, cannabis products, prepaid credit/gift cards, postal services and lottery tickets.

If you have charges on your account which you did not authorize, please create a helpdesk ticket.

You have 30 calendar days from the date of the transaction to dispute a charge to your MacCard account, after which, the charge will remain. Account holders are responsible for all charges made to a lost/stolen card up to the time a loss notification is received or the account is deactivated online via the OneWeb portal.

You can check your balance, review your transaction history, and top up your account.

Login now

Click here, then enter your McMaster email address and password.

For a detailed description of the available balance types, click here.

For more information about refunds, please review the Refunds & Dormant Accounts section of our Legal Stuff page.

Login Now

To add money to your account:

1. Login using your McMaster email address and password.
2. Select “Add Funds”.
3. Choose the balance you want to add money to, then select “Add Funds”.
4. Fill out the deposit and payment information.

Add Funds Now

Family, friends, sponsors, and other supporters can add funds to your account. They will need your student number and the first three characters of your legal first name.

1. Enter student/employee number and first three characters of legal first name.
2. Choose the balance to add funds to, then select “Add Funds”.
3. Fill out the deposit and payment information.

If you experience an issue changing the deposit amount when trying to load funds online, this is likely due to the default language on your phone. Please go to the settings for your phone, then select Language and Region, then set the preferred language to English.

Registered students of McMaster University are eligible to get a MacCard.

Get yours now

Learn more about Residence meal plans here.

Learn more about off-campus meal plans here.

Check out meal plan FAQs here.

Learn more about on-campus dining locations here.

Learn more about off-campus dining partners here.

Contact Mac Express here.

Please follow the steps outlined at https://library.mcmaster.ca/services/printing

Please fill out the form at https://library.mcmaster.ca/forms/report-printingcopyingscanning-problem

If your card is on a lanyard, take it off the lanyard and try again. If your card is warped or there are scratches on the black stripe on the back, you may need to replace it.

If you swipe your card and are then asked to enter your MacID, this means that the swipe didn’t work. Please try swiping again. DO NOT enter your MacID/password.