The day-to-day spending of college students revolves around the debit card. Nothing is off limits from the debit card spender in the commercial world.
McDonald’s now “takes card,” as the current slang goes. There are very, very few retail spots that do not accept debit cards. Even in historic Jonesborough you can swipe your card to buy handmade crafts at the local five and dime.
This creates a habit. Cash has ceased to be an absolute necessity. That may be a bad thing as far as good financial habits go, but it is a reality.
It is a reality the food service shops in the Culp Center do not accept.
Generally, in a free market economy, you try to get folks to spend as much money with you as possible. Oddly enough, the food shops in the Culp don’t seem to follow this idea. For the student that usually does not carry cash, it means an inconvenience. From Java City to RFOC (which has the most creative name ever – why isn’t it named after someone like every other thing on this campus?) it’s no deal for the cardholder.
Other places in the Culp take debit cards. The bookstore, for instance, is happy to take plastic.
There are ID BUCs, however. The thing with ID BUCs is they face the same problem. It still necessitates those wishing to use it remember to carry cash or they make a trip down to the ATM. The ATM would not cease to function if Aramark services accepted debit cards. It would still do a fairly booming business carrying out its normal function instead of serving as a middleman.
The bottom line is that the current system is a hassle for students and it is not really serving the student population.

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