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Information Technology

Pay-for-Print

Members of the UMass Amherst community who print from IT Computer Classroom computers use their UCards or a Guest Card to pay for printing on a per page basis. You can purchase a Guest Card for $1 from any of our Value Transfer Stations.

UMass Amherst IT implemented this service after extensive research on viable printing options and in response to skyrocketing costs of paper and toner. Many other colleges and institutions, including Smith and Amherst Colleges in our area, use pay-for-print in their classrooms and libraries.

Benefits of Pay-for-Print

Benefits of this service include:

  • 100 free printouts: Each semester, undergraduate and graduate students are given a $5 credit on their UCards (equivalent to 100 free pages of letter-sized, black-and-white printouts).
  • Relaxed printing restrictions: With pay-for-print, you can print any type of document, including eReserves, from our computer classrooms. Printing quantities are limited to 50 pages per print job.
  • Error-checking: Avoid unwanted printouts and duplicates. Our software asks you to confirm whether you want to print out a document or not.
  • Reduce waste: Reducing the waste of paper and toner helps out our environment.

Getting Started with Pay-for-Print

To use our Pay-for-Print service, members of the UMass community will need an IT Account and a UCard with a Debit Account. If you are ineligible for a UCard, you can purchase a Visitor’s Card from any of our Value Transfer Stations on campus. More information on UCards can be found on the UCard Web site: http://www.umass.edu/ucard.

Pay-for-Print in Color

You can also print documents in color at the Learning Commons in the W.E.B. Du Bois Library and the Fine Arts Center IT Classroom. The process of getting your prints and using the pay station is the same as for regular printing. For more information on Pay-for-Print costs and availability, see the printing FAQ.

Location of Value Transfer Stations on Campus

There are three Value Transfer Stations on campus:

  • Hampden Convenience Store, Southwest Residential Area
  • W.E.B. Du Bois Library, Lower Level
  • Campus Center, Main Level
  • LGRC Lowrise, Integrated Science Library

Use a Value Transfer Station to deposit funds in your UCard Debit Account. Value transfer stations accept cash only. The unit also dispenses Guest Cards which can be used for campus purchases, vending, laundry, and printing and copying services. Guest Cards are $1 each.