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Students underutilize MUBucks in Uptown shops

By Jane Oetgen, For The Miami Student

Students can make purchases at over 50 establishments in Oxford with MUBucks.

Despite the convenience of an off-campus account, few students actually use the monetary alternative.

First-year Madeline O'Toole said she doesn't completely understand what MUBucks is used for.

"I don't think [Miami] gave a very good explanation of what MUBucks are and how they're different from MULaa and our meal plan," she said.

O'Toole said upon enrollment, there is a lack of clarification about the distinction between the different forms of currency that Miami offers.

"I knew about [MUBucks] because I asked some of my upperclassmen friends that go here," O'Toole said. "One said not to get them because no one really uses them."

MUBucks accounts are controlled and facilitated by a separate company, Uptown Bucks LLC.

"[MUBucks] goes onto the students' ID card, and it's just the convenience of having them on the ID card," said Josh Staton, employee of Uptown Bucks.

Staton said that several thousand students at Miami have MUBucks accounts.

First-year Hannah Scally is a student at Miami who uses MUBucks.

"I did find MUBucks helpful once when I needed to buy textbooks Uptown and I didn't have any money on me," Scally said. "My mom put money on the account and I was able to buy my books there."

According to the company's website, MUBucks can be used for food, textbooks and school supplies at many merchants Uptown, such as Bagel & Deli, CVS and the Oxford Copy Shop.

"We're glad we have taken [MUBucks] up here," said Gary Franks, manager and co-owner of Bagel & Deli Uptown. He added that MUBucks make up a small part of the shop's revenue.

Although Franks is glad they have decided to accept MUBucks, he suggested that maybe if Miami clarified its function, the currency might have a larger presence.

According to first-year Nate Bissinger, Bagel & Deli is one of Uptown's most popular spots among students.

"I go to Bagel & Deli almost twice a week," Bissinger said. "I don't have an MUBucks account and always use cash."

Like other students, Bissinger said that he hadn't heard much of MUBucks and didn't have an understanding of how it works.

While some students don't use MUBucks because of lack of clarity, others don't use it because they feel it is unnecessary for their personal situation.

"I personally do not use MUBucks," said senior Jake Rosebrock. "I feel that MUBucks are mainly used by students whose parents pay for their expenses."

According to MUBucks's company website, MUBucks is a good way for parents to keep track of what students are spending their money on. Money can be added to the account and be accessed within five minutes.

"I think MUBucks would serve really well for first-year students whose parents want to keep track of what they're buying Uptown," Bissinger said. "My family would have probably looked into it if we had a better understanding of what [MUBucks] were."