Frequently Asked Questions

All UMBC students, faculty, and staff are entitled to receive a Retriever Card. The first card is issued at no charge typically during orientation day for students and at the beginning of employment for faculty and staff. All new students, faculty, and staff should submit a photo online for their Retriever Card. Once your photo has been approved, you will receive additional instructions on how to receive your Retriever Card.

In order to release a UMBC Retriever Card to any person, a form of valid (non-expired), government-issued photo ID must be presented. Please note, you must have the original document in hand – photocopies and electronic photos of an ID are not accepted. The card will only be released to the designated cardholder – family or friends may not pick up the card for you. The following are the various, acceptable forms of government-issued photo ID:

• Drivers license (domestic or foreign)
• Identification Card (domestic or foreign)
• Passport or passport card
• Employment Authorization Card
• Permanent Resident Card
• Military or Dependent ID
• Birth Certificate and any form of photo ID

All questions or concerns pertaining to your Retriever Card should be submitted to the Retriever Card Center online, or by phone at 443-612-2273.

Shady Grove students are also eligible to receive a UMBC Retriever Card. Please refer to the instructions here for more information.

In order to release a UMBC Retriever Card to any person, a form of valid (non-expired), government-issued photo ID must be presented. Please note, you must have the original document in hand – photocopies and electronic photos of an ID are not accepted. The card will only be released to the designated cardholder – family or friends may not pick up the card for you. The following are the various, acceptable forms of government-issued photo ID:

• Drivers license (domestic or foreign)
• Identification Card (domestic or foreign)
• Passport or passport card
• Employment Authorization Card
• Permanent Resident Card
• Military or Dependent ID
• Birth Certificate and any form of photo ID

The UMBC Retriever Card is an integral part of campus life! In addition to being the official photo ID of UMBC, your Retriever Card is also your meal, library, gym, and transit card. Your card can provide access to swipe-controlled buildings, labs, and rooms across campus. Money deposited onto your Retriever Card can be used in most locations on campus including vending machines and pay-for-print stations and select locations in the surrounding Catonsville/Arbutus area.

Your Retriever Card can be used at nearly every location across campus. Some services, such as personal mailing and pay-for-print, only accept payment with the Retriever Card.

Off-Campus Merchants are vendors who will accept the Retriever Card as a method of payment. These merchants can only accept Retriever Dollars and/or Food Fund for payment – meal plans and Flex cannot be used at these locations. All Off-Campus Merchants also accept the DCARD for payment as well.

• Sorrento of Arbutus – 5401 East Drive – 0.6 miles
• OCA Mocha – 5410 East Drive – 0.5 miles
• Papa Johns – 1407A Sulphur Spring Road – 0.7 miles

Papa John’s is the only off-campus merchant that will accept Flex for payment.

UMBC is happy to announce that our dining services provider, Chartwells, is partnering with Papa John’s Pizza in Halethorpe to offer members of the UMBC community special pricing when ordering pizza.

Here’s how it works:

• When ordering pizza from Papa John’s in Halethorpe, state that you are ordering under UMBC’s account at 1000 Hilltop Circle. This helps the store to establish that the caller is authorized to place orders under this account.
• Provide your name, direct phone number, and the department/organization.
• When ordering under UMBC’s account, the special pricing is a Large Cheese Pizza for $7 and/or a Large 1 Topping Pizza for $8.
• Papa John’s will not offer the special pricing by default.
• There is a $4.25 delivery charge for each delivery.

The phone number for the Halethorpe store is 410-247-7272. Payment can be made with cash, credit, Flex Dollars, or Retriever Dollars.

There are several different accounts that may be added to your Retriever Card including a Meal Plan and associated Flex, Retriever Dollars, Food Fund, and Chartwells Rewards.

Flex – Flex is a predetermined amount of money automatically added to your card with the purchase of a meal plan. Each plan has a designated allotment of Flex that is available on a per-semester basis. More information about meal plans and associated Flex values can be found here. You cannot add more Flex once it has been depleted. Flex can only be used for food purchases and will expire at the end of the semester.

Retriever Dollars – This is the money that you manually add to your account. It can be used anywhere on and off-campus where the card is accepted. A listing of off-campus merchants that will accept Retriever Dollars as payment can be found here. Retriever Dollars can be used across campus to pay for tuition, purchase textbooks, postage, event tickets, UMBC apparel, and much more. Money deposited to your Retriever Dollars may only be refunded at the conclusion of the Academic Year (after the Spring semester). Additional details regarding the refund process may be found here.

Food Fund – Food Fund is money added manually to your card and can only be used for food purchases on and at participating off-campus merchants. Money deposited to your Food Fund may only be refunded at the conclusion of the Academic Year (after the Spring semester). Additional details regarding the refund process may be found here.

Chartwells Rewards – Chartwells Rewards is a simple incentive program that rewards you for eating on campus. It’s that easy! You can earn Rewards every time you purchase a voluntary dining plan, add Food Fund, or Retriever Dollars. Rewards expire at the end of each semester. Please note that Rewards are not deposited until October 1st during the Fall semester and March 1st during the Spring semester.

• Earn 2% for purchasing a non-mandatory meal plan (commuters, apartment students, and Faculty/Staff)
• Earn 2% for adding Food Fund
• Earn 2% for adding Retriever Dollars

Most locations are configured to automatically access the appropriate fund for your transaction. For instance, the vending machine will automatically deduct funds from your Retriever Dollars and never your Flex. However, at the on-campus dining locations, you have the freedom to ask the cashier to use any of the available funds on your card.

You have 24/7 access to view your Retriever Card Account page. You can check your balances, review past transactions, deposit funds, set up recurring deposits, mark your card as lost, and more from the account page.

Retriever Dollars – Funds may be deposited to your Retriever Dollars with cash, check, or credit card.

• Cash: Cash deposits can be made at the Commons Information Center located in the Commons Building and at Student Business Services located on the 3rd floor of the Administration Building.
• Check: Checks may be hand-delivered or mailed to the Retriever Card Center. Please note Retriever Dollars and the Campus ID (Ex: AB12345) on the memo line.
• Credit Card: Deposits can be made with any valid American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa credit card. The minimum deposit amount is $10 and for each deposit, there is a 2.75% convenience fee. Click here to deposit funds now.

Food Fund – Funds may be deposited to your Food Fund with a credit card, check, or Student E-Bill.

• Credit Card: Deposits can be made with any valid American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa credit card. The minimum deposit amount is $10 and for each deposit, there is a 2.75% convenience fee. Click here to deposit funds now.
• Check: Checks may be hand-delivered or mailed to the Retriever Card Center.  Please note Food Fund and the Campus ID (Ex: AB12345) on the memo line.
• Student Bill: With Food Fund, you have the option to buy now and pay later through your UMBC bill. Funds will be applied to your account within 1-2 business days of receiving your request and you will be billed for the requested amount. You may add funds by submitting a request directly to the Campus Card Center or through the Chartwells Dine on Campus website.

Once you deposit money to your Retriever Dollars or Food Fund accounts it may not be removed. The funds will remain in your account for the current Academic Year. At the conclusion of the Academic Year (end of the Spring semester), any remaining balances will be refunded. All accounts are subject to a non-refundable charge of $15.

Accounts with balances less than the $15 non-refundable charge will be zeroed out and no refund will be given. Accounts with balances exceeding the $15 non-refundable charge will be refunded the difference between the total account balance and the $15 non-refundable charge. Refunds are refunded to the cardholder using the refund option the student selected when they received their Bank Mobile Packet. For specific information regarding the status of a refund or refund method, contact Student Business Services at 410-455-2288.

Please click here to review the Retriever Card Terms & Conditions

Flex is a predetermined amount of money supplied with the purchase of a meal plan. Therefore, additional Flex cannot be added. You may instead choose to add money to your Retriever Dollars or Food Fund.

Funds in your Retriever Dollars or Food Fund account will remain active and available for use throughout the current Academic Year. However, other funds/accounts, such as Meal Plans and associated Flex, and Chartwells Rewards, are provided on a per semester basis and will expire at the conclusion of each semester.

Requests to change your meal plan must be submitted electronically to the Retriever Card Center. To submit your request, click here and fill out the required information. Correspondence will be via email so be sure to check your inbox regularly.

The last day to downgrade or remove meal plans for the semester will be at the conclusion of the schedule adjustment period set forth in the Registrar’s Academic Calendar. After this date, meal plans may no longer be reduced or removed. Meal Plans may be increased at any point in the semester.

If your card is lost or stolen, it is suggested that you deactivate the card immediately to protect your balances. You can do this by accessing your Retriever Card Account page and selecting the Lost/Stolen Card link on the left-hand navigation bar. If you find your card, you may reactivate it using the same Lost/Stolen Card link on the left-hand navigation bar. Alternatively, you may contact the Retriever Card Center directly at 443-612-2273 and a staff member can assist in deactivating or reactivating your card.

If a replacement card is needed, you will need to visit the Retriever Card Center for a replacement. Our office is located in the University Center, room 112 and our current hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM. Please be sure to bring a form of valid, government-issued photo ID when visiting the office for your replacement.

A card replacement fee of $20 is assessed for lost, stolen, and not substantiated by a police report, and/or rendered unusable by negligence, abuse, or misuse. Payment may be made by Retriever Dollars (cash on your Retriever Card), E-Bill, or check.

The Retriever Card Center does not issue temporary cards.

The Retriever Card Center will replace cards at no charge due to defects in material or fabrication, normal and customary wear, and/or documented theft. Only your current, active card can be replaced. To receive a replacement, you must have a form of valid, government-issued photo ID.

All balances will transfer automatically to the new card. Door access will transfer automatically as well with the exception of residential door access. To have your new card programmed for door access, please visit the appropriate location:

• Traditional Residence Hall residents – Office of Residential Life in Erickson Hall
• Apartment residents – The Community Center
• Walker Avenue residents – Walker Avenue front desk

No, for your protection, once a card is replaced an old card can not be reactivated.

You may change your picture for a fee of $20.00.

There can be many reasons why your card isn’t working. To help us resolve the issue in a timely manner, please call 443-612-2273, submit an inquiry online, or come into our office for assistance.

You may exchange/pick up your new card at the Retriever Card Center anytime during normal business hours. Our office is located on the first floor of the University Center, room 112.

The old “red” card must be surrendered in order to receive your new card. The new card is an exact copy of your “red” card in terms of the information printed and encoded on it. To avoid any potential security or theft issues, two active cards may not be in circulation at one time.

Yes, however, the deadline has not yet been determined. You will receive further email correspondence once the deadline is determined.

Yes, your “red” card will continue to work for the time being. Once the deadline to pick up the new card has passed, the “red” card will no longer work.

No. RAC, RLC, and Lab access information will be automatically encoded on all new cards.
Note: Residential access will need to be restored. Please visit the Office of Residential Life, the Apartment Community Center, or your Residential Community front desk to have your residential swipe access programmed on the new card.

No. For security reasons, you must be present with your current Red card, and a form of valid, government-issued photo ID for the exchange.

The Retriever Card Center operates in conjunction with USPS. If your package is coming through FedEx, UPS, DHL, or any other courier service, it will go straight to your room. If your package is coming via USPS, please provide us with a tracking number to help us find your package. NOTE: It is highly recommended that delivery confirmation be put on all packages coming into the university.

Notary Public services will be rendered by appointment only on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday between 9AM – 11AM and 1PM – 3PM. To schedule an appointment, please click here and select your desired appointment date and time. UMBC-related documents may be notarized at no charge. All other documents may be notarized at a fee of $5 per signature for each original document, $3 per signature on additional copy of same record, and $2 per photocopy of notarized record. payable by Retriever Dollars (cash on Retriever Card). Please be sure to bring a form of valid, government-issued photo ID when visiting our office for Notary Public services. Notary services are not available during Campus Closure. This includes, but is not limited to, inclement weather, scheduled holidays, and winter and spring break.

The Retriever Card Center is located on the first floor of the University Center, room 112 (behind Chick-fil-A and Starbucks).

Counter Operations: Monday – Friday, 8:30AM – 4:00PM
Phone Service: Monday – Friday, 8:00AM – 4:30PM

Questions and/or concerns may be directed to the Retriever Card Center at 443-612-2273 or submit an inquiry by clicking here.

The Retriever Card Center only accepts payment through Retriever Dollars (money on Retriever Card) or by check.

No, the Retriever Card Center is not open on weekends and is closed for all University observed holidays. Please use this link to contact us with any questions or concerns.