<p>Sorry, if this topic has been addressed but after returning from preview I am still a bit unclear about the Gator 1 Central Card. I noticed a big push to open a Wachovia account. I do not bank at Wachovia and decided not to open an account for my daughter. We have BOA and they have an ATM in the Reitz Union so I am not too concerned about her access to cash.</p>
<p>What I am confused about is all the talk about "loading $$ onto your Gator 1 card". Unless I am completely off base, I am under the impression that the Gator 1 card is simply a UF id if you chose not to tie it in with a Wachovia account. So in my case there is no way nor no need to load money onto that card.</p>
<p>When my daughter chooses to shop at the Gator book store or eat anywhere on campus I told her to just use her regular debit card for all purchases. I am guessing/hoping that debit cards are accepted at all point of sale locations on the campus. Can you use debit cards for the laundry machines and/or vending machines? If not, I guess that is when she will need the cash.</p>
<p>The “loading $$ onto the Gator 1 card” is just talking about the whole Wachovia connection…they basically are saying that if you open with Wachovia, you can have your Gator 1 function as a debit card.</p>
<p>However, the <em>other</em> thing they are talking about is your “vending account” on the Gator 1 card. The Gator 1 has the ability to (a) be a debit card with Wachovia, (b) be loaded with a meal plan with flex bucks or simply a declining balance account, and/or (c) serve as a vending card, which you can use for laundry and vending machines. To put vending money on your card, you just go to Gator 1 Central online, and you can easily make an electronic transfer to your card.</p>
<p>By the way, I don’t think that the laundry machines/vending machines can take a bank’s debit card…there is a card reader there, but I think it’s only for the Gator 1. Obviously they can be coin/dollar operated as well. Hope this helps</p>
<p>I know this isn’t the point of your post, but my parents bank with BoA and I bank with Wachovia. I can say hands down BoA is worse in terms of customer service and services. Even simple things BoA can be really stubborn about; for example, the last time I tried to cash in savings bonds they would only let me do 10 a day. The next time, I went to Wachovia and cashed in 30 something at the same time and with no complaints.</p>
<p>You are NOT off base. You are NOT confused. You do not NEED to load money on a gator 1. I opened a wachovia account at preview and have a debit card for that account but also linked my gator 1 to it. I have never ever used the gator 1 instead of the debit card. You can easily put declining balance money on your gator 1 and you dont need wachovia to do that. I never have ever done that because i had a meal plan and got piles of “flexbucks” which is another name for money in declining balance that comes with a mealplan. Plus, everywhere that accepts money from declining balance accepts a credit card anyway.</p>
<p>UF pushes everyone to open a wachovia account. Welcome to UF. They will push tons of more things on you like those $10 dorm area activity cards and membership in the student alumni association and make you feel like a complete fool for not participating. You are not missing something. You are just rationally realizing that the “conveniences” UF illustrates as desperate needs are really just trivial things.</p>
<p>Vending machines and laundry are the ONLY exceptions. You can load money onto your “vending account” for gator 1 so you can use it at vending and laundry machines instead of carrying coins/cash. Both these machines also accept cash but do not accept credit cards.</p>
<p>We, too, have banked with BOA for many years. Unfortunately, Gainesville doesn’t seem to have a bank on every corner like we do in South Florida, so we opened a Wachovia account for our son. It is MUCH more convenient using a bank located on campus if a check needs to be cashed. Trying to find the one and only BOA wasn’t easy.</p>
<p>Thanks to all for the clarification. I am now more comfortable with my decision to keep our BOA account. Yes, I just googled and saw there is a BOA right on University Blvd. just east of 13th street (441) so that is pretty close as ASMAJ said. Also, really I can’t imagine her having to actually access a branch location since the types of banking that she will need (ie, cash withdrawls and deposits) can be handled at the ATM. </p>
<p>Mystifire hit the nail on the head for me. I did feel a HUGE push to open the Wachovia account. I already have banking relationships with 3 other major banks and didn’t want to add a 4th. Sticking with BOA makes it easier for me because I do most of my banking online anyway so I can check on my daughter’s accounts and move money between accounts as neccessary. </p>
<p>Thanks again to all who took the time to reply and help me out. :)</p>