Switch to chip card payment

With the reopening of the main dining hall on Pontwall, cashless payment was introduced -  as the system  has been running so smoothly, more dining halls will switch to payment by chip card. In May, Mensa Vita, Mensa Eupener Straße and Mensa Jülich will start.

Students who eat in Mensa Academica pay with their electronic student ID or the Student Guest Card. Because every guest pays without cash and each payment process only takes a few seconds, the waiting times at the checkouts are much shorter than in other dining halls.

About 5 000 students per day profit from the card system and round about 2 500 of them also use AUTOLOAD: In order to avoid waiting at the card terminals, chip cards can be topped up without cash via direct debit.

The first three dining halls will soon switch to cashless payment
In May, the dining halls Mensa Vita, Mensa Eupener Straße and Mensa Jülich will switch to cashless payment. The dining halls on Ahornstraße, Bayernallee and Goethestraße as well as the C-Caffè will follow successively.

Switch Dates in May:

The types of cards that can be used are the Student Guest Card, the BlueCard, the FH Card and the Guest Card. Information about cashles payment

Where can I get my remaining balance?

• Remaining balances are paid out at the Infopoint of Studierendenwerk.
• In Mensa Vita external guests with a GuestCard can have their remaining balance and the deposit paid out at the coffeebar
• The service hours for AUTOLOAD registration and returning cards in Mensa Jülich are

Where can I still pay with cash?
In Forum Cafete, Bistro Templergraben and Caffè Lounge in the FH main building paying with cash will stay possible.

How to avoid queues at the checkouts?
Due to the switch to cashless payment more guests will have to top up their cards at the terminals which might lead to longer waiting times at the card terminals. Registering for AUTOLOAD (SEPA direct debit system) is a good way of avoiding the queues. Students can register in the dining halls at special service hours which will be announced in the halls and on the StW homepage.

Questions about cashless payement can be asked the staff in the dining halls or at the Infopoint.