College Card

Your College Card will form your ID whilst you are a student at Royal Holloway. You will be asked for your College Card when you visit the Student Administration Centre and Fee Payment Centre, collect award cheques, apply for parking permits and gain access to College 24-hour PC labs. You will also need your College Card to gain entrance to examinations and to collect graduation tickets. There are numerous other occasions when you will be asked to show your ID and therefore we would strongly advise you to keep it with you at all times.

Please keep your card safe, as there is a charge of £5 to obtain a replacement.

Library access

Your College Card will give you admission to the Royal Holloway Libraries. This means that you will be able to borrow library materials and gain full access to the library and its services. Full details of these services, together with opening hours, borrowing privileges and other useful information will be found in the Information Services guide that you will be given at Identity Check. By signing and submitting your College Card application form, you are agreeing to the Library Regulations. For more information please click here|.

RCS account

Your College Card will give you access to your 'RCS account'. When your account is in credit, you will be able to pay for your purchases in the many dining halls, cafes, bars and shops on campus with your College Card. Your RCS account works in much the same way as your MAESTRO or VISA Delta account. If the account does not have a credit balance, you will be unable to make purchases with the card. For details of the catering outlets in which you can use your card, please click here|.

Benefits of your RCS account

As a student using your RCS account, you will not be required to pay the VAT (currently 20%) on many of the food and beverage purchases you make in the Facilities Management catering outlets. If you are resident in a 'catered-pay-as-you-go' hall you will receive a further subsidy on the food purchases you make in the designated dining halls (around 50%).

There is a 'Spend Eat Save' Loyalty Scheme attached to your account. With every purchase you make you will accrue bonus points, which can be redeemed throughout the year for cash back (credited to your RCS account), equivalent to 1p for every pound that you spend. You will also receive an ‘overdraft’ of up to £2 until the third term of every academic year, when any debit balances must be repaid.

Using your RCS account is a lot more secure than cash. Your College Card carries a photograph of you, which decreases the likelihood of it being used fraudulently.

Activating your account

In order to access your account online for the first time, you will need your student number. This will be sent to you via email with your enrolment details. 

RCS accounts are managed online through the ‘upay’ system - register here|.

Enter Client Ref: 76

Enter your User ID:  This is the last 6 digits of your student number

Follow the instructions on screen to create your online account.

It is a good idea to credit your RCS account before you arrive at Royal Holloway, so that you are able to use your RCS account and begin saving money as soon as you receive your College Card (or temporary card, see section below).

Crediting and managing your account

Once you have opened your account, the quickest and easiest way to top up is online (logon here|), where you can also:

• view your statement and current balance to keep track of your spending
• set your designated credit or debit card to automatically top up your account when your balance reaches a pre-determined limit, so that you always have credit in your account
• set an email reminder to be sent when your balance reaches a pre-determined limit

You can also manage your account via your mobile phone, for more details please click here|.

The online and mobile phone top up service is totally free to use and allows you to avoid queues when you want to credit your account. There are also various customer service points around campus where you can credit your account during opening hours – though please note that these can get quite busy, particularly around meal times.

If you lose your card you should report this at the customer service points so that an immediate stop can be put on your card. You will also need to report this to the Student Administration Centre, to initiate the process for obtaining a replacement (please note there will be an administration charge of £5).

How to apply for your College Card

To print off an application form please click here|. Once you have completed the form simply return it to the following address together with a passport sized photograph. Please note the photo must clearly show your face, have a white background and no hats can be worn:

College Card Application Form, Student Administration Centre, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX.

Please ensure you return your completed application form together with a passport sized photograph by Friday 9 September 2011. Provided we receive the application form by this date we will be able to make up and issue the card to you during your identity check. If we receive your application form after this date it will not be processed and you will need to have a photo taken and the card printed after you have attended your identity check.

You can activate your RCS account at any time, prior to receiving your College Card, providing you have a student number.

Collecting your College Card

You may be eligible to collect your College Card on Saturday 17 or Sunday 18 September 2011 in the Windsor Building. Please click here| for further details and to check your eligibility.

All remaining students can collect their College Card during enrolment week, in the Windsor Building between Monday 19 September and Friday 23 September 2011. To check your enrolment slot, please click here|.

Temporary card

If you are unable to complete your enrolment (complete online sign-up, tuition fee payment and attend College Identity Check) during week commencing 19 September 2011 then you can be issued with a temporary card that will enable you to use your RCS account facilities only. The temporary card will not be valid as proof of enrolment or for use in the Library.  Any money that you have deposited onto your RCS account while using a temporary card will automatically transfer to your permanent College Card.

Terms and conditions

For terms and conditions please click here|.