King’s students will have a new way to pay for drinks. The Wardroom should be accepting debit cards fairly soon.
Wardroom manager John Adams says the debit machines were supposed to be ready to go when the bar opened but haven’t arrived yet.
If debit is a success at the bar, it may also be used at the Galley. Right now, both the bar and the canteen only take cash. Adams says the debit machines will be on a trial run at the bar very soon.
“We’re hoping to try out the machines at the Wardroom first and see what the auxiliary costs are like, because there are set-up and processing fees that go along with having the machines,” he said.
“Right now, the Wardroom makes enough that if something went wrong, we’d be okay. The Galley is a bit more touch and go right now, so we’re going to see how the Wardroom does first.”
On a busy night like a FYP Monday, the bar will use a tab system instead of selling each drink separately. People using debit give the bartender their card and settle up at the end of the night. On quieter nights, individual drinks can be purchased with a debit card.
Campus Safety Coordinator Kayla Fells says she’s concerned about the possibility of binge drinking if patrons use the tab system.
“One big concern is the amount of money students will be spending if they start up tabs,” said Fells. “They might not be aware of how much they’re drinking and how much they’re spending if they don’t have the cash in their hands every time they buy a drink.”
Security and bar staff should be watchful of bar patrons when the tab system begins, she said, to prevent binge drinking at the Wardroom.
Before the trial process begins, the debit machines still have to show up on campus.
“There’s a problem because the Wardroom doesn’t have the best credit rating. We’ve been subjected to a bit more strenuous credit testing. It’s taking a bit longer than we originally hoped,” said Adams.
If the Wardroom’s credit check goes through in time, he hopes to have the machines set up in the bar in October.
