Crimson Cash To Expand in Square

More Harvard Square businesses have announced in the past month that they will accept Crimson Cash, a debit-based account that allows University affiliates to make purchases using their Harvard ID cards.

The new locations include Berk’s Shoes, Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe, Café of India, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Gnomon Copy, Harvest Co-op Markets, OM Restaurant and Lounge, and Shabu-Ya Restaurant.

Crimson Cash first entered the Square in 2003, when five local businesses began accepting the debit system by student demand.

According to Berk’s manager David Dasilva, his store adopted Crimson Cash to facilitate shopping for its customers after a 30-year presence in the Square.

“It’s always better to offer people who shop here other ways to buy things,” Dasilva said. “It’s easier for the consumer. It’s probably easier for the parents too. It’s easy for all of us, really.”

OM Restaurant signed up for the Crimson Cash program about a month ago, though their card-swiping machine only started working recently.

Solmon M. Chowdhury, the owner of OM, said that the restaurant adopted Crimson Cash because the majority of its clientele comprises Harvard faculty and students.

But he also said that he had placed several ads in local newspapers including The Crimson, before any customers made payments using Crimson Cash. Despite a slow start, he said that OM hopes to see 7 to 10 percent of all purchases paid for with Crimson Cash.

Several students said that the availability to use Crimson Cash would not affect their shopping—but the ability to use Board Plus would be an incentive to shop at certain businesses in the Square, they added.

“Honestly I don’t make any purchasing decisions based on Crimson Cash,” Micahel R. McKellar ’10 said. “I only put Crimson Cash on there for things like laundry services.”

Harvard worked in conjunction with the Harvard Square Business Association to push for the expansion, according to Harvard University Dining Services spokeswoman Crista Martin.

To use Crimson Cash, businesses have to pay a $175 one-time fee for equipment costs and 5 percent of any purchases made with Crimson Cash.