Introduction

Blackboard is a cashless payment system primarily used on college campuses. It is commonly referred to as a “student card”. The student card works in a declining balance model where it can be used like a debit card at any retailer interfaced to the Blackboard Transaction Server.

The card is normally funded through the university or an online portal managed by Blackboard. Blackboard uses existing student IDs which typically rely on a magnetic stripe for authentication.

Important:

• The Blackboard On-Premise can ONLY be used with an Apriva IDTech.
• Blackboard does not include integration to 365Pay or Canteen Connect Pay.

Roles and Responsibilities

365 needs to work closely with Apriva, Blackboard, and the University Operator to coordinate a successful implementation. Lead times to configure the interface are entirely dependent on the responsiveness of the operator and client (University) side resources. Shipping a Blackboard kiosk can take from one to eight weeks. The key stakeholders are:

Sales – Communicates directly with client and confirms they are ready to move forward with Blackboard integration when following has been confirmed and requested:

• How many premium payments does the University have and which one(s) need to be integrated with the kiosk?
• How will the premium payment button read on the kiosk?
• Request two LIVE Production student cards from the operator, one funded with $5 to $10 and one unfunded.

Operator Contact – Coordinates client resources, sends student cards to the 365 Fulfillment team. The operator will need to work with university’s Blackboard Administrator, who will then work with Apriva to get set up with a Campus.

365 Fulfillment – When the university's Campus is created by Apriva, Fulfillment will create Blackboard terminal number(s) under each of the Apriva Device IDs.

Blackboard Administrator – This is an admin generally employed by the university, who will configure the Blackboard side of the interface. They will also provide 365 with the site specific parameter values needed for communications.

Client Network Administrator – A network admin at the university may or may not be needed. The Blackboard interface communicates over a specific port and IP address which may require a network expert on location.

Implementation – Stages and tests LIVE Production student cards on kiosks before shipping. Cards MUST return a positive transaction, or they WILL NOT SHIP.

Project Manager – Assists where needed during process, from start to finish.

Fund Distribution

Disbursement of funds is handled between the operator and Blackboard.