Student on their bed with their laptop

Manage card account and funds

Learn about the types of funds that can be added to your uOttawa card and the easiest way to add funds, check your account balance, view your transaction history or deactivate your uOttawa card if it’s lost or stolen, all online.
uOttawa Student Card

Student meal plans

After you purchase a plan, your meal plan (for example, a 5- or 7-day unlimited plan, a Block plan, or a Pay-as-you-go plan) is loaded onto your uOttawa student card. You use that card to access meals at the Dining Hall and, for flexible plans, to pay at other campus food locations. Parents can also load funds on their dependant’s uOttawa Card using the online portal.

Student meal plans
uOttawa employee card

Employee block dining plans

Employee block plans let University of Ottawa staff enjoy discounted access to the Dining Hall.

Employee block dining plan details

Student meal plans and Dining dollars

Students who purchased a 5-day or 7-day meal plan also have a Dining Dollar account, allowing them to save the 13% tax on food prepared on campus at over 20 campus locations. 

Students with Pay-as-you-go plans can use their Dining $ account balance to pay the door rate at the Dining Hall, thereby saving the 13% tax. Unused Dining $ are converted to Flex $ at the end of the school year.

Meal plans are added directly to the uOttawa Card on purchase. Card holders use their uOttawa Card to access the Dining Hall according to their meal plan.

Flex dollars

Students, visitors and employees can all add and use Flex dollars on their uOttawa card. Flex dollars are accepted at campus locations including: 

  • the Dining Hall
  • the Campus Bookstore
  • various food kiosks
  • the docUcentre 
  • and more.

Flex dollars allow students to use their uOttawa Card to pay for food as well as books, printing, photocopying and much more. 

To make budgeting easier and ensure funds are dedicated to dining and academic needs, add Flex dollars to your or your dependant’s uOttawa Card.

Benefits of loading and spending Flex dollars on your uOttawa Card:

  • No banking or transaction fees: Spend exactly the amount of money added to your card.
  • Budget with ease: Set a spending limit through the amount of Flex dollars added to your card.
  • Spend safely and securely: Your card is only accepted at approved locations and can be deactivated online if lost or stolen.
  • Spend for different purposes: Pay for meals, vending machine items, textbooks, official documents, late fees, photocopies, printing services and just about anything on campus.
  • Skip the line: Use express lane checkouts at the Campus Store and Dining Hall.
  • Carry over funds: Carry over unused Flex dollars from year to year with no fees. (Note: After six years of account inactivity, remaining funds become the property of the University.)

How to add student Flex or Dining dollars

Hands on a laptop

Online

Login to the online uOttawa Card portal using your uoAccess username and password. 
Your uoAccess ID is the short name before your @uOttawa.ca email address (ex: jsmit000).

Accepted forms of payment:

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Interac online transfer (BMO, TD Canada Trust, RBC and Scotiabank)

You must deposit at least $26.

Parent access

Use the student’s number and last name to log into the account. Parents can add funds but can’t view transactions or deactivate the card.

Visitor access

You can log in as a visitor. Enter your card number and PIN (which you can find by scratching out the shaded area on the back of the card).

You can change your PIN (recommended), reload your card and protect your funds in case of card loss or theft. Keep your card number in a safe place so you can deactivate your card if you lose it.

We also recommend that you go to the uOttawa Card Service office to add your name and email address to your account.

Using uOttawa card

Card loader

  1. Use one of the stations at:
    • Morisset Hall (first floor)
    • Fauteux Hall (fourth floor, in library)
    • Lamoureux Hall (in library, Room 203)
    • Tabaret Hall (InfoService, Room 129)
    • 90 University (lobby)
    • Roger Guindon Hall (in library)
  2. Tap your uOttawa or Discover uOttawa Card on the reader.
  3. Pay with Visa, Mastercard or Interac Flash.
  4. Tap your card on the reader again to finalize the transaction.

To buy a Discover uOttawa Card ($3.00), tap the screen and select Purchase visitor card.

A person standing at the card office

In person

Go to the uOttawa Card Service offices.

Accepted forms of payment:

  • Credit card (Visa, Mastercard)
  • Interac
  • Certified cheques or money order (in Canadian dollars, made out to “uOttawa Card Service”).

The uOttawa Card Service doesn’t accept cash.

Request a refund

Complete the refund form (PDF 218 Kb) to obtain a Flex dollar or meal plan refund. Prior to completing your refund request, make sure you’re eligible for a refund. See the uOttawa cardholder agreement (section 9 and section 15).

Please note: Submitting a refund request doesn’t guarantee it will be approved. 

Dispute a charge

If you notice a transaction you didn’t authorize, you must first try to settle the issue directly with the service provider. If you can’t successfully resolve the issue with the service provider and you wish to dispute the charge, notify the uOttawa Card Service in person within 30 days of the transaction date.

Note: All charge disputes are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Deactivate your card

Deactivate a lost or stolen card online (at any time), in-person or by phone.

Online

In-person or by phone

Go to the uOttawa Card Service offices or call 613-562-5885.

I found my lost card!

You can reactivate it by going to the uOttawa Card Service offices.

Contact the uOttawa Card Service

uOttawa Card Service

90 University Private, Room 145
Ottawa ON, K1N 6N5
Canada
Phone: 613-562-5885
E-mail: [email protected]

Quick links

Hours of operation

August 11, 2025 to May 8, 2026
Monday to Friday
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

May 11, 2026 to August 7, 2026
Monday to Friday
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.