Do you have questions about your BuzzCard? Check out the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.
For new students: Upon admission to the Institute, the registrar assigns each student a gtID. First-Year students will receive their BuzzCard during Week of Welcome. Campus residents will pick up their BuzzCard from their Central Check-In locations and non-residents will pick up their BuzzCard from the BuzzCard Center. Students must be enrolled and assigned a gtID by the Registrar before a BuzzCard can be issued.
Visit Swarm Support in-person Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Swarm Support is located at The Pavilion – Georgia Tech, 410 4th Street NW, Building #216, Atlanta, GA 30331.
For further assistance, please call Swarm Support at 404-894-2470 or submit a support request.
You may look up your gtID by using the designated gtID look-up tool.
To successfully look up your gtID, you must provide the following information:
- Your last name
- Your first name
- Your birth date
Before you can be issued a BuzzCard, you must have a Georgia Tech Identification Number (gtID). Your gtID is a universal number that identifies you throughout the various campus departments, while the BuzzCard is your physical identification card. A BuzzCard cannot be issued without a gtID.
- For students: Students must be enrolled and assigned a gtID by the Registrar before a BuzzCard may be issued. New students can enable their Digital BuzzCard after your GTID has been processe
- For faculty / staff / affiliates: An authorized department administrator or campus sponsor must submit a gtID request on your behalf. A BuzzCard can be enabled only after your PSF has been approved.
To obtain a BuzzCard, you may present one of the following forms of identification:
- State-issued driver’s license or identification card
- Passport
- US Permanent Resident Card
- US military identification
- US Department of State identification card
- US Territory identification card
- Please reference the Students – BuzzCard (gatech.edu) for full instructions. All Online Student BuzzCards will be labeled “Student-O”.
- To receive a BuzzCard in the mail, please make a non-refundable deposit of $20 (US-Based) or $30 (International) to your BuzzCard eAccount Web Portal. For online students who want to obtain a BuzzCard in-person, please visit the BuzzCard Center during business hours.
- Upload an image of yourself that follows the appropriate criteria and an image of your government-issued photo ID to the BuzzCard eAccounts portal.
- For US-Based request, please submit a contact form to Buzzcard Center (select Online Masters Program on the ‘type of request’ drop down, include the mailing address in your request). For international requests please submit a survey.
- ·After your request has been processed, the fee will be deducted from your eAccounts Web Portal and your BuzzCard will be shipped to you.
You can deactivate your BuzzCard by logging into the BuzzCard eAccount web portal, navigating to Card Services, and then selecting the option to deactivate your card.
No, Swarm Support does not require you to retake a photo, but you may if the previous photo is outdated.
Yes, you can reactivate your BuzzCard by logging into the BuzzCard eAccount web portal, navigating to Card Services, and then selecting the option to reactivate your lost card.
If your BuzzCard has been lost or stolen, you may deactivate or reactivate your card in the BuzzCard eAccount web portal.
If your BuzzCard is lost, stolen, or damaged beyond normal wear-and-tear, you will need to replace your BuzzCard or enable the Digital BuzzCard.
In order to replace your BuzzCard, please pay a $30 replacement fee in-person at Swarm Support.
Students who require access to their residence hall may visit their Area Office or contact RA on duty.
Please refer to the BuzzCard Terms & Conditions to learn more about replacing your card and addressing unauthorized purchases.
All other BuzzCard issues will be addressed the next business day.
Account management transactions on BuzzCardNET take place on a secure server utilizing the same widely proven techniques used by established online banking institutions.
- These techniques include the Secured Socket Layer (SSL) protocol and Digital Certificate Authentication via VeriSign.
BuzzCard credit card transactions via the web are PCI compliant.
You can easily add funds, check your balances, and transactions with the BuzzCard eAccounts portal, which can be accessed through a web browser or by downloading the BuzzCard eAccounts mobile app.
You can manage your BuzzCard by clicking “BuzzCard Login” in the menu.
You can view your BuzzCard account transactions in the Account Transactions section of the BuzzCard eAccount portal, which can be accessed through a web browser or by downloading the eAccounts mobile app.
No, these are all separate stored-value accounts and the funds are neither transferable nor interchangeable.
The Dining Dollar Bonus account is accessed automatically at time of purchase only after the main Dining Dollar account is depleted.
For more information on Dining Dollars, see mealplan.gatech.edu.
No, BuzzCard no longer accepts Bitcoin for deposits.
BuzzCard Account funds never expire and are usable at over 200 locations on campus, including vending machines, select Tech Square merchants, and all Campus Dining locations.
For more information on Dining Dollars and Dining Dollars Bonus, see mealplan.gatech.edu.
The Bursar’s Office does not accept BuzzCard deposits.
Students and guests can make deposits through BuzzCard eAccounts, which can now be accessed through a web browser or by downloading the BuzzCardeAccounts mobile app.
No, the Bursar’s Office does not accept the BuzzCard for any form of payment for services including, but not limited to: tuition, fees, housing, parking, or dining services.
Money deposited to your BuzzCard account cannot be transferred to the Bursar’s Office and will be refunded only upon graduation or leaving the Institute.
BuzzCard Deposits may be made via the through the BuzzCard eAccounts portal.
Faculty & Staff may also use payroll deduction to deposit BuzzCard funds through OneUSG Connect.
Account holders may check their card balance online in BuzzCard eAccounts, which can now be accessed through a web browser or by downloading the eAccounts mobile app.
You can check your balance, obtain monthly statements, view account activity for the last thirty days, and suspend your card if it is lost or stolen.
Laundry is free for all residents in the halls. Residents no longer need to tap their BuzzCard to activate the washers or dryers. Simply select your cycle on the machine and click start.
The machines do not accept cash or coins.
You may make deposits to your BuzzCard through the BuzzCard eAccount portal. Funds added through this method will be available immediately.
Registered students may also add more funds to their BuzzCard account through the GT meal plan app only during meal plan sign-up periods.
Faculty and staff may schedule recurring BuzzCard deposit through OneUSG Connect. For a one-time BuzzCard deposit, visit the eAccounts portal.
You can submit a vending machine refund request via the Vending Refund form. Please select BuzzCard, then select Vending Refund Request Form from the Type of Request drop-down list
GT Community Customers: All vending refunds will be issued to your BuzzCard Funds account within 3-5 business days.
Visitor / Guest Customers: All vending refunds will be issued to a Guest BuzzCard in the form of BuzzCard Funds, which can be used at any campus retailer, including the Barnes & Noble Bookstore. Once this form is submitted, visit Swarm Support located at The Pavilion – Georgia Tech, 410 4th Street NW, Building #216, Atlanta, GA, 30331, at your convenience to receive your Guest BuzzCard.
Access Control updates card information each evening so that door access privileges can be updated.
Problems with door access should be addressed by sending an email to gatech.service-now.com.
If your BuzzCard is no longer functioning, you will need to visit Swarm Support at the Pavilion or give us a call.
To receive a free replacement, you will need to turn in your non-functioning BuzzCard.
Cards that are still functioning via the magnetic strip or the proximity chip might not be assigned access. Please submit a help request.
Please see Section 5 of the BuzzCard Terms & Conditions about replacing damaged BuzzCards.
Georgia Tech Housing and Residence Life controls access to all campus residence halls. Access is assigned during move-in once a student has checked-in.
If your card is functioning at the readers, but access is denied, please visit your Area Office for any housing access concerns.
If your card does not function at all (readers do not detect your card), please visit Swarm Support, as you may need a replacement.
To obtain a BuzzCard, you may present one of the following forms of identification:
- State-issued driver’s license or identification card
- Passport
- US Permanent Resident Card
- US military identification
- US Department of State identification card
- US Territory identification card
This number can be found on your BuzzCard, usually on the back near the bottom left corner.
Additionally, you can find it via BuzzCard Login.
For further assistance, please submit a support request.
Contact Georgia Tech Parking and Transportation by calling 404-385-7275 Monday through Friday during normal business hours.
If the gate does not detect your card, you may need to visit the BuzzCard Center for a replacement. Please note, if this is a recently purchased permit, it could take up to 2 hours for your access to work. Also, if you are on foot, the gate/reader will NOT work as this is a security measure: you must be in your vehicle.
If the gate did detect your card but it did not open, you likely tried it multiple times. The additional attempts disabled your card for two minutes. You will have to wait 2 minutes for your card to be re-enabled.
Upon being re-enabled, you must swipe/tap your card at the gate ONCE and then wait. Oftentimes, the gate may take some time to open as it is not always immediate.
The pay to park machines are owned and operated by Parking and Transportation. There is a setting in the machine that limits each type of payment.
Only Parking and Transportation can reset the meter for the lot. Please contact Parking and Transportation at 404-385-7275.
Your BuzzCard’s contactless chip can be damaged by the magnetic fields from wireless phone chargers. If you keep your card in a phone case, always remove it before charging wirelessly.
A replacement BuzzCard requires an account number change.
This account number change will automatically be communicated overnight and your BuzzCard will be functional by the following morning at 6:00 a.m.
Please note: Swarm Support does not control academic door access/entry.
All questions related to door access/entry should be directed to the Building Access Manager.
You can sign up for a Georgia Tech meal plan at mealplan.gatech.edu.
No, meal plan swipes and Dining Dollars from your meal plan are not accepted in Tech Square.
However, BuzzCard Funds can be used at select restaurants in Tech Square.
