Coconut Creek, FL and Boulder, CO -- (SBWire) -- 03/18/2010 -- University Parent Media™ and StorValue Card Solutions™ are addressing the latest issue on campuses across America: What will students do without a credit card?
The Credit CARD Act, making it more difficult for students under 21 to be issued a credit card, went into effect on February 22, 2010, creating the need for a safe and convenient on-campus spending solution.
A leading resource for parents of students at nearly 120 colleges and universities, University Parent, has teamed with StorValue, the industry leader of co-branded and rewards-based prepaid cards, and issuer MetaBank™, to offer the answer: the Campus Dough DebitSmart™ Visa® Prepaid Card. The reloadable card enables students to receive discounts on purchases at thousands of brick-and-mortar and online retailers – from leading pizza chains and fast-food restaurants to bookstores, coffee shops and downloadable music sites. In addition, students and any family members holding the card will be able to receive prescription discounts at more than 56,000 pharmacies across the country.
The Campus Dough card, which will be available to all university students and their families nationwide, will launch in April. University Parent will detail the cards rewards and features in the coming weeks in print and online University Parent Guides, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.
“Campus Dough is the best way for students to manage money,” explains Sarah Schupp, CEO of University Parent. “With our online tools, Campus Dough will allow students to improve their money management skills, and at the same time earn rewards from merchants and raise funds for their school. With our innovative card, students can take control of their spending and avoid credit card late fees or overdrafts on their checking accounts.”
Through Visa, Campus Dough cardholders will be given online educational information on practical money skills for life and financial literacy geared to university students. In addition, StorValue™ will be implementing an online tool for cardholders to track expenses. All of the spending from the Campus Dough cards will be automatically downloaded into an online program for budget analysis and management for students to track their spending.
Thomas Borzilleri, CEO of StorValue, says, “StorValue helped University Parent to develop an innovative answer to a critical market problem, while further engaging the organization’s stakeholders: parents, college students and the businesses that serve them. We worked to make the program even more valuable by offering one-of-a-kind rewards, customized budget analysis and educational tools. This is a perfect example of how StorValue collaborates with brands like University Parent from concept to activation, creating a seamless ‘end-to-end’ solution to achieve a successful co-branded rewards program through prepaid cards such as Campus Dough.”
The Visa co-branded Campus Dough prepaid card will be reloadable, and funds can be allocated from a payroll direct deposit, checking account or GreenDot and Western Union retail locations nationwide. The Campus Dough DebitSmart Visa Prepaid Card will be used to make purchases at more than 20 million locations where Visa prepaid cards are accepted and have access to millions of ATMs worldwide.
About University Parent Media™
University Parent Media, based in Boulder, Colo., produces print and online guides for parents of students in partnership with 116 universities and colleges in 34 states. Sarah Schupp, then an undergraduate student at the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business entrepreneurship program, founded UPM in 2003.
Each University Parent Guide offers institution-specific information on college orientation, parent programs, admissions, financial planning, health and safety, off-campus housing and much more. Visit http://www.universityparent.com. Follow on Twitter @4collegeparents and join Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/collegeparents.
About StorValue™
StorValue™ is the country’s fastest-growing program manager and distributor of branded stored value prepaid debit cards. Emerging as the industry leader in providing rewards-based and loyalty-branded card solutions, our programs deliver unmatched benefits, features, and resources to a wide variety of businesses and consumers. StorValue’s™ cards provide security, convenience, and value-added benefits to cardholders, while allowing sponsoring businesses and organizations to provide a vital and engaging service to their stakeholders. For more information, please visit http://www.storvalue.com or call 877-481-9333 ext 101.
About MetaBank™
MetaBank is a federally-chartered savings bank regulated by the Office of Thrift Supervision. Meta Financial Group, Inc.® is the holding company for MetaBank, Meta Payment Systems®, and Meta Trust Company®. For more information visit http://www.metacash.com.
Media Contacts:
University Parent Media, Jerry W. Lewis, 303.875.7547
StorValue, Linda Press, CorpCommunicators, 310.877.6155
StorValue, University Parent Media to Launch ‘Campus Dough,’ Reward-filled Prepaid Cards for Students, Filling Void from Credit CARD Act
New debit card gives collegians shopping, restaurant discounts; Parents to ensure security, responsible spending