r/UofArizona • u/HauntedDesert • Aug 24 '26
Questions Are physical Cat Cards really not obtainable anymore, despite the official website saying they are?
Was just down there at that Cat Card office in the Student Union building, and the women down there all told me that I couldn’t get a student ID there, as there would be “no more physical cards”, and that “they’ve phased them out in favor of digital”. Is this legit?
The U of A website and Cat Card info pages explicitly say otherwise. If that’s no longer true, then it absolutely should have been updated by this new semester start.
And it just irks me that they’re forcing students to go the “everything online” route with an ID. Certain businesses and events have student discounts, but will I have to pull up the U of A app every time I want to show a form of student ID?
Can someone help me out here and let me know if they’ve heard anything about this shift? It just seems inaccessible for students who don’t always have smart devices with them/even use them. I prefer to have physical copies of all my cards and IDs anyways, as it’s more convenient wherever I go.
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u/elmory53 Aug 24 '26
How does building access work without a physical card?
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u/NopeMonster66 Aug 24 '26
You upload the CatCard into your Apple or Google Wallet and scan from there. Much like metro passes work.
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u/Felix_In_Motion Aug 24 '26
Yeah they don’t offer physical versions anymore smh, just digital ones you can access in your Arizona app.
But you’re correct. They should definitely offer physical cards just in case something happens to your phone
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u/N0T__A__Robot Aug 25 '26
They offer physical, you just have to go in person and repeat yourself a million times to actually get one
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u/Admirable_Crew_7615 Aug 24 '26
I hope more of us fight it as having a CatCard would make for a great keepsake after graduation!
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u/Ok_Anteater_6792 Aug 25 '26
I was digging through a box of my stuff last year and came acoss mine. Definitely fun to just see a picture of me from 10 years ago and the memories associated with it. Too bad it's all digital now.
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u/Piggy145145 Aug 25 '26
Bruh it’s been 6 years since i graduated I use mine all the time for student discounts 🤣
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u/Mediocre-Letter-4562 Aug 25 '26
I still have mine from 10+ years ago too! So glad we got the physical! 😭
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u/N0T__A__Robot Aug 25 '26
They offer them, but you have to be stern and get judgement from the workers before actually getting one. I will be keeping mine after graduation.
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u/littleyulin Aug 24 '26
and they still charge student the same $25
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u/SpasticGenerator Aug 25 '26
FYI, i wanted to switch to a digital catcard but wasn’t able to because i don’t have a passcode on my phone, and apparently it only works in apple wallet if you have a passcode. so that’s one way to get around the new digital cards.
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u/N0T__A__Robot Aug 25 '26
So, I actually had this problem too just I already had a physical and when I went in to get a new one. They urged me to transfer it to digital. I kept repeating that I specifically wanted a physical cat card and they just kept sending me to the next person in line for the digital cat card until I got to that last person, still stating that I wanted a physical replacement of my physical cat card. Then they finally told me to move to another line which is the line you would normally get a cat card from. Then when I got to the person he asked me if I had heard those people out about a digital card, which is all I had been doing up until this point so ofc I said yes and told him I wanted a physical one. Then he FINALLY took my photo and FINALLY printed my physical card.
I have tried digital, and my nfc (or tap part of my phone) stopped working. I also HAD to have my phone on me and if it died oh well. Which felt like I was chained to it. So I switched back to physical and they judged me saying "well it looks like your phone is your wallet (i had a wallet phone case) so I dont know why you would want it as a physical". So then I had to explain how I just want to be able to idk GO PHONLESS ON A WALK, TO STUDY, OR GET COFFEE I dont want my phone on me all the time. So they while judging me, took my phisical cat card and transfered it back. Whats crazy is I alredy had my card on hand. I know digital dosnt work for me, and they ended up letting me swich it back in the end, but I dont like the judgement
So I would say go in person, go to the back of tge catcard office to the line on the left. Talk to that person directly and just be stern. Youll eventually get the physical card. It might help if you have a parent or older looking person with you because they listen more to the parents sometimes (eventhough we are adults who know whats best for us)
Good luck on getting the card, and dont take the judgement from them to heart if you get any
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u/AtomicMom6 Aug 24 '26
Don’t let them try the stupid ‘mobile first’ stuff. They aren’t even using that phrase correctly.
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u/HauntedDesert Aug 24 '26
I don’t intend to. I will be back, and more insistent. I’ll update if I get results.
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u/ZappaPhoto Aug 25 '26
You can still get one, but apparently they push hard for you to go digital. Fight the good fight!
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u/ledgend78 Aug 25 '26
Tell them that you only have a dumb phone/flip phone and they will give you one. You need to be INSISTENT though, they really don't like giving them out for whatever reason.
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u/Sects_and_Violins Aug 25 '26
They will insist there are no physical cards, but they’re wrong. You just have to insist back harder. Some of the labs are not set up for the digital, so all our students need physical cards, but they will still pull this bullshit. Don’t fall for it!
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u/Wytts Aug 25 '26
I told them: “My phone is a piece of shit that overheats so I need a physical card” and it worked
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u/MollyCoooL Aug 27 '26
I know some research labs have a fingerprint reader to enter and they are not digital wallet compatible yet. One more reason to cite if you want a physical card.
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u/NopeMonster66 Aug 24 '26
Per Shanda Cline | Assistant Director
Finance & Budget | Catcard Office
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
A student can get a physical card at the CatCard office. You need to be in person and insistent.