Cal 1 Card Merchants and Promotions
Check out our new and ongoing promotions which include the benefit of additional discounts via the special Student Advantage card promotion!
Add money online
Add money to an account online with a credit card or a bank card with a VISA, Mastercard, or AMEX symbol on it.
Online deposits are the fastest, easiest way to add money to your Cal 1 Card debit account. Deposits are made with a credit card, and will show up as an ordinary transaction on your statement. Your funds should be available in your Cal 1 Card debit account within 10 minutes.
Please review the debit account Terms and Conditions before proceeding.
Add money by mail
Add money to an account through mail with a check.
Download this payment form (.pdf) to add money to a Cal 1 Card debit account by mail. Please send the completed form to:
Residential Student Service Programs Cashiers Office 610 Channing Way Berkeley, CA 94720-2272
A Student ID number or Employee ID number is required to process payment. Payments are posted to the Cal 1 Card debit account within 24 hours of receipt.
For questions, call 510.642.1524 or email hsgcashiers@housing.berkeley.edu.
Add money in person
Add money to an account in person by visiting the Housing Cashier's Office.
You can deposit funds into your Cal 1 Card debit account in person by visiting the Housing Cashier's Office, located on the second floor at 2610 Channing Way. Accepted forms of payment are cash or check. Hours of operation are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
For questions, call 510.642.1524 or email hsgcashiers@housing.berkeley.edu.
All current students, employees, and affiliates are required to obtain a Cal 1 Card.
How do I obtain a Cal 1 Card?
Cal 1 Card issuance for all patrons requires the provision of a valid government-issued photo identification card (e.g. driver license, passport, etc.) as well as confirmation of the corresponding student, employee, or affiliate identification number.
Cal 1 Card photos can either be submitted online (learn how to submit your photo online) or taken in person at the Cal 1 Card office.
Incoming degree-seeking undergraduate students starting in the Fall and living in residential housing will receive their initial Cal 1 Card at the corresponding housing location on move-in day as long as a compliant photo was submitted online.
Incoming degree-seeking undergraduate students starting in the Fall and not living in residential housing will receive their initial Cal 1 Card at the designated Golden Bear Orientation distribution location as long as a compliant photo was submitted online.
Incoming degree-seeking undergraduate students starting early in Summer Sessions and living in residential housing will also receive their initial Cal 1 Card at the corresponding housing location on move-in day as long as a compliant photo was submitted online.
Incoming non-degree-seeking visiting Summer Sessions students living in residential housing will receive their initial Cal 1 Card at the corresponding housing location on move-in day as long as a compliant photo was submitted online.
Incoming degree-seeking graduate students in programs with pre-approved remote distribution authorizations will receive their Cal 1 Card from their program coordinators. The coordinators in the corresponding units will communicate this circumstance directly to the applicable student cohorts.
Students in all other cohorts as well as employees and eligible affiliates must visit the Cal 1 Card office in person to receive a Cal 1 Card. The office is located at 180 Cesar Chavez Center in Lower Sproul Plaza. The office is open Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m (excluding administrative holidays).
For cross-registered students
Issuance of Cal 1 Cards to cross-registered students is based on approval from the Office of the Registrar. All other requirements are the same.
For UC Extension concurrent enrollment students
Issuance of Cal 1 Cards to UC Extension concurrent enrollment students is based on approval from UC Extension. All other requirements are the same.
For Employees and Affiliates (excluding Visiting Scholars and Visiting Student Researchers)
Issuance of Cal 1 Cards to employees and Affiliates (excluding Visiting Scholars and Visiting Student Researchers) is based on approval from Human Resources (HR). HR approval is contingent on compliance with applicable HR requirements. After compliance with these requirements, HR will create / update a record with an appointment start date. Cal 1 Card eligibility will almost always begin on the day after HR creates / updates the corresponding record; the only exception will be when the applicable appointment start date happens to be in the future on that date. All other requirements are the same.
For Visiting Scholars and Visiting Student Researchers
Issuance of Cal 1 Cards to visiting scholars and visiting student researchers is based on approval from Human Resources (HR) and the Visiting Scholar and Postdoc Affairs (VSPA) program.
HR approval is contingent on compliance with applicable HR requirements. After compliance with these requirements, HR will create / update a record with an appointment start date. Cal 1 Card eligibility will almost always begin on the day after HR creates / updates the corresponding record; the only exception will be when the applicable appointment start date happens to be in the future on that date.
VSPA approval is contingent on payment of the University Services Fee and acceptance of the Patent Acknowledgement prior to the release of the Cal 1 Card. After compliance with these two requirements, VSPA will process the payment and Cal 1 Card eligibility begins on the day after VSPA processes the payment. All other requirements are the same. For more information about the VSPA Program, go to http://vspa.berkeley.edu.
Please go here for a CalNet overview and make sure to protect your CalNet ID and passphrase as carefully as you would other personal identification information (e.g. Social Security or credit card numbers).
If you are a new student, employee, or affiliate and have not yet claimed your CalNet account online, please go here for further instructions on how to proceed.
If you have already successfully claimed your CalNet account and created your CalNet ID but need to reset your passphrase, please go here for further instructions on how to proceed.
The Cal 1 Card office provides Tier 1 CalNet support services which may be requested as follows:
- in person at 180 Cesar Chavez Center, Lower Sproul Plaza
- by phone at 510.642.4126
- by e-mail at calnet@berkeley.edu
Where to Use Cal 1 Card, Promotions and Ongoing Student Discounts
> Deposit money into my debit account.
> Deposit money into someone else's debit account.
> Check my balance.
Report a lost Cal 1 Card:
> Contact the Cal 1 Card office.
> Deactivate my Cal 1 Card.
Bank of the West is the Official Bank of UC Berkeley
Convenient, on-campus ATM and branch locations, and banking services tailored to your needs* (Details)
*UC Berkeley students, faculty and staff are not required to have a Bank of the West account to use any aspect of the Cal 1 Card including the debit feature.
Watch the Cal 1 Card Video