What is auto-LOAD and how does it work?

• Participation is optional. Thanks to auto-LOAD, you will no longer have to remember to load money on to your chip card.

• auto-LOAD is an additional service offered by the Studentenwerk Würzburg. You can have money loaded on to your card automatically when you make a payment at the checkout counter of one of our canteens or cafeterias and the amount of money on your card has fallen below a certain value. What that value is and how much money is loaded on to your card is up to you to decide (within certain limits).

• All you need to do is grant the Studentenwerk Würzburg a SEPA direct debit mandate. With that mandate, you give the Studentenwerk Würzburg permission to collect the money that is loaded on to your card from your bank account.

How do I benefit from using auto-LOAD?

• No need to find a load terminal
• No need to queue up at load terminals 
• Always enough money on your card
• No need to check how much money is left on your card
• System speeds up the payment process at canteen and cafeteria checkout counters
• Secure and simple

Which card do I need to be able to use auto-LOAD?

• It works with any one of the chip cards issued by the Studentenwerk Würzburg/the universities (student or staff ID card, guest card, pupil’s card).

Where and how can I use my card and load money on to it?

• On principle, you can use auto-LOAD at the checkout counters of all canteens and cafeterias that are operated by the Studentenwerk Würzburg. Because we are still in the process of introducing the new system, auto-LOAD is currently available in canteens and cafeterias in Würzburg, Bamberg and Aschaffenburg only.
   
• You can have money loaded on to your card via auto-LOAD when you make a payment at the checkout counter of a canteen or cafeteria operated by the Studentenwerk Würzburg and the amount of money on your card has fallen below the value you have set for yourself. At the checkout counter, you will be asked if you want to have money loaded on to your card. If you say yes, money will be loaded on to your card. You can receive a receipt for the transaction. If you say no, the amount of money on your card will remain unchanged.

• For security reasons, you can use auto-LOAD only once per day.

When will the money be collected from my bank account?

• The money will be collected from your bank account within four days from the date on which you used auto-LOAD at the checkout counter of a canteen or cafeteria operated by the Studentenwerk Würzburg.

What happens if I use auto-LOAD and there are insufficient funds in my bank account?

• If there are insufficient funds in your bank account and the direct debit bounces, the payment function of your chip card will be disabled. If the direct debit bounces because there are insufficient funds in your account or due to incorrect bank details, we will charge you a fee of €6. You can clear outstanding payments by paying the amount due at one of the Service Points of the Studentenwerk Würzburg or at the checkout counter of one of our canteens or cafeterias. The payment function of your card will be re-enabled as soon as you have paid the outstanding amount in cash. Please do not transfer the amount to our bank account.

Can I still use cash to load money on to my card?

• Using auto-LOAD is optional. You can still load money on to your card at one of the load locations, using cash or your EC card. This option is always available to you even if you participate in auto-LOAD.

How do I register for auto-LOAD? 

• You will have to register only once. You can register at the Studentenwerk Service Point at Studentenhaus or at the Service Point at the Mensateria on Campus Hubland Nord. Please bring your EC card and your chip card. For the SEPA direct debit mandate, please also bring a valid official photo-bearing ID and proof of your address so that we can verify your identity and can contact you if a direct debit bounces.

What do the terms „minimum balance“ and „load amount“ mean?

• When the amount of money on your card has fallen below the auto-LOAD minimum balance, you will be asked if you want to load money on to your card. The standard auto-LOAD minimum balance is €10. However, you can set a higher amount when you register for auto-LOAD.

• The auto-Load load amount is the amount of money that will be loaded on to your chip card and will be collected from your bank account. Before the money is loaded on to your card, you will be asked at the checkout counter if you really want money to be loaded on to your card. You set the load amount when you register for auto-LOAD. You can set any amount between€10 and€50.

Can I change the values I have set for the minimum balance and the load amount?

• You can change the values you have set for the minimum balance and the load amount at any time. To do so, go to the Service Point at Studentenhaus or the Mensateria on Campus Hubland Nord. Please remember to bring your EC card and your chip card.

Can I use auto-LOAD directly after I have registered?

• The auto-LOAD function will be enabled at the latest on the first work day after the day on which you registered (the day on which you granted the Studentenwerk Würzburg a SEPA direct debit mandate).

Can international students use auto-LOAD? 

• auto-LOAD is based on the European SEPA direct debit scheme. This means that all students who hold an account at a bank that is located in any one of the 34 SEPA countries can use auto-LOAD. The only prerequisite is that they must have a valid home address in Germany.

What do I do if I lose my card?

• You can have a lost chip card blocked. To do so, go to a Studentenwerk Service Point and bring your bank details/your EC card. You cannot use auto-LOAD for as long as your card is blocked. When you find your lost chip card or were issued with a new one, you will have to get in touch with the staff at a Studentenwerk Service Point again.

• If you lose your EC card, you should immediately contact your bank.

Where and how do I cancel my registration for auto-LOAD?

• If and for how long you want to use auto-LOAD is up to you to decide. You can cancel your registration at any time. To do so, talk to the staff at a Studentenwerk Service Point.

Can I have the money on my card paid out to me?

• You will have to wait approximately two weeks until you can have the money on your card paid out to you. Therefore, the quickest way is to spend the remaining money on your card in one of our canteens or cafeterias. If you still want to have the money on your card paid out to you (e.g. when your card is defective), you will have to fill in the „repayment of balance“ form and hand it in at one of the Studentenwerk Service Points. We will then transfer the money to your bank account.

• Please be aware that you CANNOT have the money on your card paid out to you if you have lost your card.

What will happen to my data?

• The Studentenwerk Würzburg will not store data such as your name, address, or date of birth on your chip card. The electronic purse is not personalised. The only data that will be linked to your chip card are the data from your direct debit mandate that will be needed in order to process the loading transaction. The Studentenwerk Würzburg will not electronically collect any other data from you. The provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation will be complied with. This fact will be pointed out to you when you register for auto-LOAD.

Contacts and addresses

• Service-Point Mensateria Campus Nord
  Magdalene-Schoch-Straße, 97074 Würzburg
  Room: 00.005 (ground floor)
  Contact: Ms Kaemmer
  Phone: + 49 931 31-80627
  
  Office hours:
  Monday to Wednesday, Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
  Thursday: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
   

• Service-Point Studentenhaus
  Am Studentenhaus, 97072 Würzburg
  Foyer of the canteen at Studentenhaus (ground floor)
  Contact: Ms Brößler
  Phone: + 49 931 8005-120
  
  Office hours:
  Monday to Wednesday, Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
  Thursday: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
   

• If you are studying in Bamberg and want to register for auto-LOAD, contact:
  Geschäftsstelle Bamberg
  Austraße 37, 2^nd floor, 96047 Bamberg
  Contact: Ms Platok
  Phone: +49 931 8005-811
  
  Be aware that you will have to make an appointment!