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ID Card Applications and Services

In September 2022, the ID Card Office will begin issuing Stanford ID cards without the magnetic stripe, or magstripe, on the back.

Stanford ID cards with an existing magstripe will continue to work with magstripe card readers found at many campus buildings, dining halls, and cafes. However, cards issued after September 1, 2022 will not have a magstripe and will not be able to use a magstripe reader. This includes all newly issued student, faculty, and staff cards as well as replacement cards.

Departments and groups that magstripe readers may contact Card Services Director Jay Kohn (jkohn@stanford.edu) to work on an alternative solution for their location.

Access control

Many departments and facilities on campus use card readers on doors, turnstiles, and elevators to control access to buildings and rooms. Card readers include the familiar "swipe" type as well as proximity readers.

All newly-issued ID cards contain a special sensor that can be picked up by a proximity reader, providing faster access and meeting the needs of disabled students, faculty, and staff.

Access can be restricted by day of the week and time of day, and can be set up to provide access on an individual basis, or by department or class list.

Privileges/entitlement

  • The Stanford ID Card doubles as your library card. You must present your card when checking out books.
  • Vaden Health Center uses the Stanford ID to verify health plan service levels.
  • The StanfordCardPlan allows students to charge up to $1,000 per quarter at the Stanford Bookstore and other on-campus locations. The charges are added directly to your University bill. To participate in the StanfordCardPlan, students must sign up in Axess.
  • The StanfordCardPlan for faculty and staff is a copy- and print-only debit plan. Faculty and staff can deposit funds to the plan via cash-to-card machines.
  • The Cardinal Dollars program is available to faculty and staff as well as students. Cardinal Dollars are prepaid dining dollars used only at Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) dining locations, and retail locations.

Residence hall meals

When you live on campus in a University-managed residence, your Stanford ID doubles as your meal or dining card. You can supplement the number of meals allotted under your dining plan with the purchase of additional Cardinal Dollars. Cardinal Dollars can only be used in residence dining facilities and expire at the end of the regular academic year.

See the Stanford Dining Meal Plans web page for more information on Cardinal Dollars and meal plan options.

Campus cafes

Students participating in the StanfordCardPlan can use their Campus Card instead of cash to purchase food at a number of locations around campus.

Copying and printing

Self-service photocopy machines and printers are available in Stanford University libraries and computing labs. For students, the copiers and printers accept the StanfordCardPlan. If you are a student, you are encouraged to reserve a sufficient amount of credit on the plan for printing and copying.

For more information about using the Stanford University libraries photocopy machines and printers, see Print, Copy, Scan web page on the Stanford University Libraries website.

Cash-to-Card machines

Cash-to-Card machines are located at the lobby of Lane Medical Library.

Learn more

See the Stanford ID Office page to learn more about the Stanford ID Office services, including how to obtain a Stanford ID.

Last modified March 23, 2022