That is, of course, if you don't need beer, cigarettes or condoms.

MarquetteCash cannot be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco or birth control products, according to Todd Vicker, executive director of the Alumni Memorial Union and Auxiliary Enterprises.,”The MarquetteCard Web site boasts that MarquetteCash "has you covered with whatever you need, whenever you need it, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."

That is, of course, if you don't need beer, cigarettes or condoms.

MarquetteCash cannot be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco or birth control products, according to Todd Vicker, executive director of the Alumni Memorial Union and Auxiliary Enterprises.

Vicker said the products have been off-limits for the seven years he's worked in Auxiliary Enterprises. He said he believes the rule was made "to be constant with the university's mission."

The MarquetteCash program allows parents or students to deposit money into an account and use it at several on- and off-campus vendors through students' MarquetteCard. It can also be used as payment for certain services offered by the university, such as printing and laundry facilities. The program is run through the MarquetteCard office with BbOne, an outside vendor specializing in campus debit account services, Vicker said.

Some locations that accept MarquetteCash offer one or more of the prohibited items. Open Pantry, a small grocery store located at 824 N. 13th St., sells alcohol, tobacco and birth control products, although they cannot be purchased with MarquetteCash.

Vicker said while Marquette usually does not allow stores that sell prohibited items to accept MarquetteCash, Open Pantry is an exception.

"They worked with us and BbOne to demonstrate that they had the controls – through their register system and employee training — to make it work," he said. "Also, they are on university-owned property, so our contract with them gives us some leverage."

The Union Sports Annex, an entertainment facility that includes a restaurant located at 804 N. 16th St., accepts MarquetteCash and serves alcohol. Because the facility is university-run, the purchase of alcohol products with MarquetteCash is easily prevented, Vicker said.

One beer-serving restaurant with no direct relationship with the university also accepts MarquetteCash. Pizza Shuttle, 1827 N. Farwell Ave., offers several bottled and on-tap beers. Mark Gold, a manager at Pizza Shuttle, said alcohol cannot be purchased with MarquetteCash at the restaurant.

"It was a part of our agreement with Marquette," he said. "MarquetteCash is mostly used here for delivery and obviously alcohol can't be delivered."

Programs seeking to accept MarquetteCash are directed to BbOne, Vicker said in an e-mail. BbOne also seeks out businesses in the area that may be interested in the program. Vicker said some locations have been rejected from the program because they were not well-suited to regulate the purchase of the prohibited products.

Some students disagree about the regulations on MarquetteCash purchases. Joel Halvorsen, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, said he was annoyed when he couldn't buy cigarettes with his MarquetteCard at Open Pantry.

"I'm 19 years old – I feel like I can make these decisions for myself," he said.

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