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Frequently asked questions about your student card

Using your student card at NTU

New students enrol using the enrolment webpages.

Upload an appropriate photo (full-colour passport style photo) to ensure it is approved. When you upload your photo, Card Services will produce your card for collection at the Enrolment event.

For students in NTU/UPP halls of residence, your card will be sent to your accommodation prior to arrival.

When you collect your card, you need to activate it. Instructions to activate it are provided with your card.

If you have not uploaded a photo for your student card prior to arriving at NTU, don’t worry. Card Services can produce your student card in-person onsite at the Enrolment event at the Student Services Centre. If you cannot do this during Student Services Centre opening hours, this service is also available at NTU Library outside of these times. We recommend that you go to the Student Services Centre where possible.

You can use your student card to pay for purchases at NTU Food outlets, including NTU cafés, libraries, and the print shops. Bars are excluded. View more information on NTU Food outlets and opening times.

NTU catering outlets sell hot and cold drinks as well as a range of sandwiches, pastries, and snacks.

Yes, you can use your student card just like cash. Just present it when it’s time to pay.

As a student you get £20 free printing/copying at the start of the academic year, so we don't recommend you load any money for printing/copying before you arrive.

For food and drink, the typical cost of a lunch is £4 for a sandwich and a drink to £5 for a cooked meal and a drink. Assuming you had lunch at NTU every day that would be £16 to £20 per week. There are ten weeks in the first term, so that would mean £160 to £200 for the first term.

Yes, your parents or guardian can put money on your student card at any time by going to the Smartcard Parent top-up page.

No, sorry. The Students' Union is separate organisation from the University and cannot accept payment by a student card.

Once you have your student card, you can buy discounted Nottingham City Travel (NCT) bus travel for use on all of their buses, including to Brackenhurst Campus. The Navy 1 and 4 buses run between the City and Clifton Campuses and Lilac Line 26 runs between Nottingham and Brackenhurst Campus.

Special academic deals are available during September and October each year, which are available to buy on the NCT website, or on the NCTX Buses app, where your smartphone becomes your bus ticket.

You can also visit the NCT Travel Centre (NG1 2JS) with your NTU Student card to purchase your travel.

Bus travel to NTU Mansfield

In the 2023/24 academic year, you can use student cards to purchase a discounted return ticket on the Stagecoach Pronto bus service between Victoria Centre Bus Station and Mansfield Campus. This reduces the price from £7.80 to £5, saving around 30%.

Following this academic year, a new bus pass system will be introduced and student cards will not be included. Students will instead be given an itsu card at Mansfield Matriculation and Welcome and will use this as a buss pass.

Yes, when you have finished at NTU, we can refund the unused money held on your card. Please note that an administration charge of £10 will be made for any refunds. Therefore, requests for refunds are only accepted when the unused funds exceed £10 in value. Please email Card Services or visit our Terms & Conditions for more information.

No, due to incompatibilities between the two systems we cannot offer you the facility to move money between the two. We realise this is inconvenient and hope to be able to offer this facility in the future.

Technically you could do this. However, when you take into account credit card usage charges paid by NTU, the University would lose money. So, please don't do this. If you want to load money onto a student card from a University budget please contact Card Services.

£10

There is no upper limit in total. However, you are limited to £1,000 each time you load money on via the web on the student card loading page.

Your student card balance for non-printing or copying is displayed whenever you use your student card. You can also go to the student card top-up page to see your balance.

You can use your student card to purchase Nottingham City Transport (NCT) travel passes.

Help with your student card

You should contact Card Services on +44 (0)115 848 2857 or email the card services team.

You can also visit our Student Services Centre in person on all campuses. View more information on SSC opening times.

You should contact Card Services on +44 (0)115 848 2857 or email the card services team.

You can also visit our Student Services Centre in person on all campuses. View more information on SSC opening times.

You should contact Card Services on +44 (0)115 848 2857 or email the card services team.

You can also visit our Student Services Centre in person on all campuses. View more information on SSC opening times.

Contact Card Services as soon as possible by calling 0115 848 2857, or by emailing the Card Services team. You can also visit your nearest SSC in person.

You can purchase a replacement student card onsite, or directly from the Student Services Centre Front Desk at City, or Clifton campuses. Card payment will be taken upon request.

You can purchase a replacement student smart card from the Student Services Centre front desks at:

  • SSC at City Campus – Newton building
  • SSC at Clifton Campus
  • Libraries at City, Clifton, Brackenhurst and Mansfield Campuses

You can also order your replacement card via the NTU online store and have it posted to your specified address.

We will process the student card once we receive an e-receipt for orders that have requested to be posted.

If you require it to be posted to your home address, please allow 7-10 working days to receive your card.

If your card doesn’t have the correct information on it, get in touch with us so we can arrange a card replacement. You can:

In the event of a student card being stolen, you can:

  • go to one of our on-campus Student Services Centres
  • call 0115 848 2857
  • email the Card Services team

You’re entitled to a free replacement card if you can provide a relevant crime number, so have this ready when you contact us.

As soon as you are aware of someone using your card you should immediately contact NTU Security on +44 (0)115 848 6462 to have your student card deactivated. You will be credited the cost of any fraudulent purchases that take place after you have reported the problem.

No, any money you have on student card will be refunded when you leave the University. In special situations the University may make an early refund at the discretion of the Head of Customer Services.

You need to go to our Staff and Student top-up page and top up money with your debit/credit card.