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Terms & Conditions (Debit Account)

The Cal 1 Card debit account is available to all eligible Cal 1 Card holders.  

Depositing funds into a Cal 1 Card declining debit balance account signifies acceptance of the following terms and conditions:

Debit Account Program

  • The Cal 1 Card debit account is administered by the Cal 1 Card Office. The Cal 1 Card debit account and associated records are the property of University of California, Berkeley, and use of a Cal 1 Card and the associate debit account may be revoked at any time. 
  • For in person purchases, the Cal 1 Card must be presented at the time of purchase and shall be the only means of accessing the Cal 1 Card debit account. 
  • The Cal 1 Card Office agrees to maintain funds deposited in the Cal 1 Card debit account, which shall be held for future purchases from vendors who accept Cal 1 Card debit funds for payment.
  • The Cal 1 Card debit account is not a credit account and under no circumstances may debits or charges to the account result in a balance below zero. Any negative balance on your account will be billed via mechanisms that will vary depending on the type of affiliation. The Cal 1 Card debit account may not be used to obtain cash, cash advances, or transfer funds between Campus accounts under any circumstances. No interest will accrue on account balances.

Adding Funds

  • Your Cal 1 Card debit account will be activated in no more than one business day after processing of a minimum deposit of ten dollars ($10). 
  • Additional funds, subject to a minimum deposit of ten dollars ($10), may be deposited at any time. Deposits may be made by cash or credit card. 
  • Credit card deposits must be made online. Cash will only be accepted at the Housing Cashiers Office located at 2610 Channing Way (2nd floor). 
  • Credit vouchers cannot be deposited into a Cal 1 Card debit account. There is no limit on the frequency of check, cash, or credit card deposits. 

Using Your Card

  • Your Cal 1 Card is nontransferable. 
  • You are responsible for purchases made and debited to your account. In order to prevent unauthorized use of the Cal 1 Card, additional identification may be required from any person attempting to make a purchase using an account. 
  • There is no daily limit on the number or total amount of purchases made at attended point-of-sale, but to protect against possible misuse of your Cal 1 Card for purchases made at unattended point-of-sale, there is a $20 daily limit. 
  • Receipts will be available for goods or services purchased with Cal 1 Card at attended point-of-sale locations and for deposits made in-person. 
  • Merchandise purchased using the Cal 1 Card debit account will be accepted for return according to the policy of the vendor where the goods or services were purchased.

Inactive Accounts & Positive Balances

Positive Cal 1 Card debit account balances will carry forward to the next academic term. 

When there are no Cal 1 Card debit transactions for 5 months or longer, positive debit balances may be inactivated. 

Inactivated balances may be reactivated either by making an additional deposit or submitting a reactivation request via an email to cal1card@berkeley.edu.  

Positive balances on Cal 1 Card debit accounts that do not have any transactions for more than 1 year may revert to the University.

  • Refunds
  • Requests for debit account refunds must be submitted by emailing cal1card@berkeley.edu. 
  • A $10 processing fee will be assessed on all approved refund requests.
  • Debit accounts may be closed and a refund of the unused balance may be requested as follows:
    • For students, refund requests will only be processed after the account holder GRADUATES, FORMALLY WITHDRAWS, or is otherwise NO LONGER REGISTERED in the CURRENT or FORTHCOMING term as defined by the Office of the Registrar.
    • For employees, refund requests will only be processed after the account holder is no longer on payroll status with the University as defined by Human Resources.
    • For affiliates, refund requests will only be processed after the account holder is no longer formally affiliated with the University as defined by Human Resources.
  • After the refund request is approved, the funds will be disbursed to the cardholder within 45 days. 
    • For students, the funds will first be used to pay any outstanding charges on the student billing account; if a credit balance remains once all outstanding charges have been paid, a refund in that amount will be disbursed by student billing and payment services. 
    • Student refunds are disbursed via pre-authorized direct deposit to a bank account or by check as determined by student billing and payment services. 
    • For employees or affiliates, a refund check will be mailed to the address provided in the request for refund. 

If an account holder with a positive balance fails to request a refund in a timely manner after no longer being a registered student or active employee/affiliate, the Cal 1 Card office will initiate the refund process on the corresponding account holders behalf per the applicable refund process.

Lost or Stolen Cards

You are responsible for immediately reporting and/or deactivating a lost or stolen Cal 1 Card. You may deactivate a lost / stolen Cal 1 Card online by logging into your account via our website, in person at the Cal 1 Card Office, or by calling 1 (866) 2UCBCARD. Once you report / deactivate your lost / stolen Cal 1 Card, you will likely assume no further liability for its use. All lost card accounts will be reviewed and the account credited for unauthorized activity that occurs after you report the card lost or stolen. The replacement fee for a Cal 1 Card will be charged in accordance with current fee schedules on file at the Cal 1 Card Office.

Errors with Your Account

Account activity can be viewed on the web at cal1card.berkeley.edu. No statements will be produced or mailed to you. However you do have forty-five (45) business days to inquire or challenge a transaction that appears in your account. The Cal 1 Card Office recommends that you use the on-line access to check your account at least on a monthly basis to review the transactions that appear there. Transaction receipts will include an account balance and we recommend that you check them and inform the Cal 1 Card Office immediately if you see an error.
If you believe there has been an error in connection with your account, you must e-mail cal1card@berkeley.edu or write the Cal 1 Card office, 212 Sproul Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-2264, as soon as possible. The Office must hear from you no later than forty-five (45) business days after the transaction date. Such notification must include:

  • Name and Cal 1 Card number
  • Date, name of vendor and dollar amount of the suspected error
  • Description(s) of the error or the transfer(s) being questioned
  • Explanation of items believed to be in error or why more information is requested.
  • If it is determined that your dispute pertains to your Meal Plan and not your Cal 1 Card Debit account, your dispute will be forwarded to the proper Dining Services representative(s) for review.
    You will receive a response with the results of the investigation within (10) business days after your inquiry is received by our office and any errors will be promptly corrected. If more time is required, the Cal 1 Card Office may take up to forty-five (45) business days to investigate the complaint or question.
    If it is determined that there was no error, the Cal 1 Card Office will send a written explanation within three (3) business days after the conclusion of its investigation. You may ask for copies of the documents used in the investigation.
    If funds have been deposited into your Cal 1 Card Debit Account in error and have not begun to be used, the transaction may be considered for reversal. If a Patron has begun to utilize the funds deposited in error, the transaction is not eligible for reversal. You will receive a response with the results of the error inquiry within (10) business days.

Modifications of Terms & Conditions

The University may modify these terms and conditions at its sole discretion.

California Law

California Law governs these terms and conditions.