Your CSUN ID card is going digital this year! Starting January 17, the MataCard will allow students and employees to make purchases on campus, check out library books and access events with a digital credential that can be downloaded to your iPhone, Android phone or Apple Watch.

The new MataCard will serve as the official CSUN identification for students, faculty and staff. When you need to use your ID or make a purchase on campus, you can tap your phone on a device reader to complete the transaction.

David Dufault-Hunter, associate vice president for enrollment services, said the MataCard addresses a longtime need — originally identified by Associated Students — and will make campus life much simpler for Matadors.

“Right now, there are four different cards that staff or students use to transact business across campus,” Dufault-Hunter said. “[Students using] meal plans have their card, you have the student ID card, you have the employee card, you have cards that access buildings. This system combines all these cards into one. As we transition existing locks to ones that are compatible with MataCard, we will eliminate key cards as well.”

You’ll also be able to load money or “CSUN Bucks” onto your card, and use those funds at any campus restaurant, the CSUN Campus Store (bookstore) and the Pepsi vending machines around campus. Students who use a meal plan at campus dining locations will be able to manage that with the MataCard.

Currently, about half of the CSUN student body does not have an ID card, which new students, staff and faculty historically have obtained through the Registrar’s Office.

Keep an eye on your inboxes. Emails will be sent with detailed instructions about how to obtain the new digital identification.  Those who don’t currently have an I.D. card will be guided on how to upload a photo.

“There’s a lot of institutional joy and energy in this project,” because it fulfills a longtime dream to make the MataCard and CSUN ID easy for all Matadors to use, Dufault-Hunter said.