"The new system will be a positive effect because students will have access to more downtown merchants and use it at several bookstores," Scerbo said.

An advantage of the new system is that people won't have to go to machines to put money on cards, Weidner said. Instead, they will be able to add money online.

"The chip will be supplied with online readers similar to food services, but there will be a separate account to put LionCash money on the card," Weidner said.

Another advantage to the new system will be that if a person's card is lost or stolen, he or she can immediately cancel the card and not lose any money, he said. The money on the account will then be transferred to a new ID, which will benefit everyone.

"Seeing as I lost my card and therefore lost $75, and that I have to put money on my card in selected machines, I see it as very inconvenient," said Bethanie Orban (freshman-English).

If the new system is successful, auxiliary services will try to add additional card readers throughout campus. Currently, there are about 300 vending machines and only 50 percent of them have LionCash readers, Scerbo said. However, it is up to the vending machine companies to decide how much money they want to invest in putting card readers on their vending machines.

Houser Vending Company, currently undergoing a name change, provides all 122 snack machines on campus. General Manager Charlie Kunkle said he wants to make sure they cover everyone on campus.

"Some people use their card, some of them do not, so it's more to their benefit if there's a cash vending machine, since they usually have cash with them," Kunkle said.

Some students said they were looking forward to adding money online.

"I don't like that they don't accept $1 bills, only $5 and $10's, but I use the card for laundry and it is a lot easier than using quarters," Ira Smukler (junior-finance) said.

The system will also be more convenient because parents will now be able to add money to their child's account to purchase books or other necessities, Weidner said.

Once LionCash turns into an online system, people won't have a money limit, Scerbo said.

"We expect to have a greater participation from vending machine companies and downtown merchants because taking off the limit makes it more appealing," Scerbo said.

The idea to change the system came about shortly after it was decided that students would receive new identification numbers and ID cards next fall semester. A factor in the decision was that the chip technology wasn't as successful as they had expected, Thomas Gibson, a spokesman for Auxiliary and Business Services, said.

"Five years ago we thought it was going to be a great technology move, but now it's just dying on the line," Gibson said.

Since the chip system has not been used often, the magnetic strip technology will be used more because it's something everyone is already familiar with, Gibson said.

"It will be a high-tech environment that we really understand," Gibson said.