For many Santa Clara University students, Flex points are associated with laundry. But the digital funds loaded onto students’ ACCESS cards can be used for much more—including food, drinks and general necessities both on and off campus.
Flex is one of several accounts connected to the ACCESS credential. Unlike the traditional Resident Dining Plan, Flex is a debit account that students can fund themselves. Students can deposit any amount into their Flex account and spend it at participating locations.
Although laundry funds are now tied to campus tuition, many current upperclassmen recall the time when Flex points were used to pay for loads in the dorms.
“We all did during our Freshman year. It was used for laundry mainly,” said Rebecca Lima ’28.
Flex can also be used for vending machine purchases, school supplies at the Campus Bookstore and printing across campus. Funds are also accepted at Buck Shaw Field and Leavey Center concessions, the Adobe Lodge Faculty Club and by Campus Safety for parking permits.
Printing can be especially useful for students who run out of their SmartPrint credits. Undergraduate students receive $48 in SmartPrint credit per academic year. Once that credit is depleted, printing costs can automatically come out of a funded Flex account.
Flex can also be used to purchase food at a number of locations across campus. University dining venues that accept Flex include Benson Memorial Center, Cadence Cyber Cafe, Fresh Bytes Cafe, the Cellar Market in Benson Center, the Side Bar Cafe and Sunstream Cafe.
Students can also use Flex off campus at select local businesses. These include Pizza My Heart, Cramer’s Bagels, IB’s Cheesesteaks, Voyager Craft Coffee, Ike’s Sandwiches, Home Eat, Kirk’s Steakburgers, OMG Tea and Frozo’s. The Safeway on The Alameda, located across from Finn Residence Hall, also accepts Flex.
“Flex points are useful at near-campus restaurants, especially if a student doesn’t have any actual currency on them. It kind of feels like Monopoly money; one can spend freely without truly worrying about it,” said Lima.
An important denotation is that Flex differs from the Resident Dining points, which are connected to a student’s university housing meal plan. While up to 100 Resident Dining points can roll over between quarters, any unused points expire at the end of the academic year. Flex points, by contrast, carry over each year as long as a student remains at the University.
Another difference is that Resident Dining points are not subject to sales tax at campus venues, while Flex purchases are.
For students without a dining plan, Flex can provide an additional way to purchase food on campus. Students can add money through the Online ACCESS Office, the eAccounts mobile app or the ACCESS Office in Benson Memorial Center.
Still, whether students choose to use Flex may depend on how the account is funded.
“My meal points are currently included in my financial aid, and I am not spending any money on them outside of the financial aid money I am allotted,” said Destin Emmert ’29. “If Flex points were like that, going forward into my junior year, I would use them. If I need to add funds to the account to use Flex points, I might not.”
For students who do choose to add money to their Flex accounts, the funds roll over each quarter and are refundable upon graduation.
Whether it is paying for a load of laundry, grabbing a bite between classes or printing an essay, Flex can serve as an alternative to carrying cash or using another payment method. For those who already have money in their account—or are considering adding some—knowing where Flex is accepted can make it a useful part of everyday life on and near campus.