Terms and Conditions

Looking after your TCard

TCard is a multifunctional smartcard issued to you as part of your relationship with the University. The TCard has a number of "purse" facilities for you including topping-up, making payments, and such other facilities or enhancements as may be attached or added to the TCard by us from time to time.

You must:

  • keep your TCard secure;
  • keep access to your TCard portal secure;
  • keep access to your TCard app secure.

You must not:

  • let anybody else use your TCard;
  • let anybody else know your TCard portal login details;
  • let anybody else know your TCard app login details;
  • write, record or disclose in any other manner your portal/app login allocated to you.

Restrictions

A TCard must not be used:

  • if the Agreement is ended;
  • after a TCard has expired or been reported lost, copied or stolen or has been cancelled or Blocked;
  • for any illegal purchase or purpose whatsoever.

Loss or misuse of a TCard

You will take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of your TCard. If your TCard is lost, stolen, used, or likely to be used, for a fraudulent or improper purpose, you must immediately "hotlist" your TCard on the TCard portal and contact us immediately.

Written notification of loss or theft of a TCard will be accepted by us via email tcard@tcd.ie.

By reporting a TCard as lost, copied, mislaid or stolen or as being used, or likely to be used, for a fraudulent or improper purpose, you will be deemed to have thereby authorised us to cancel that TCard.

TCard Purse

Transactions that result in a debit on your Purse will usually be debited immediately following receipt by us of the transaction record.

Usage information will be made available to you on your Purse transactions through your TCard app. Information will consist of data on all payments and top-ups on your TCard purse for the period covered by the transaction listing. Further usage reporting can be requested at tcard@tcd.ie.

Payment for goods or services

The TCard holder will be liable to pay all sums that are charged to the Purse in respect of or resulting from all Transactions. You should therefore check the amount of every Transaction before you authorise it.

Once authorised a Transaction cannot be subsequently revoked as we guarantee payment.

The entries relating to a Transaction recorded in your Purse are conclusive evidence that the Transaction occurred as so recorded.

Issue of new TCards

New and replacement TCards are issued by Academic Registry and are subject to their terms and conditions.

Refunds

If a Merchant initiates a refund we will only credit the Purse with the amount due upon receipt and processing of the refund amount by us from the Merchant.

Leftover TCard balances

Any leftover credit remaining on the TCard will remain for one year following departure from the college. Once one year has passed, the balance will be recycled into student services. TCard offer a balance transfer platform whereby remaining balances can be transferred to another TCard upon request to tcard@tcd.ie. Cash refunds cannot be carried out.

General

If you use TCard you will be presumed to have agreed to the terms.

TCard Privacy Notice

Last updated: September 2026

1. About this Privacy Notice

Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin ("Trinity", "we", "us") respects your right to privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data.

This Privacy Notice explains how personal data is collected, used, stored and shared in connection with the TCard service, including the TCard web portal and TCard mobile application.

Trinity College Dublin is the Data Controller for personal data processed in connection with the TCard service.

The TCard service enables authorised users to access and manage their TCard account, including checking their account balance, adding funds, viewing recent transactions and managing their account.

This notice should be read alongside Trinity College Dublin's general Privacy Notice.

2. What personal data we process

Depending on your use of TCard, we may process:

  • Your name
  • Trinity email address
  • Trinity ID number
  • TCard/account identifier
  • TCard account status
  • TCard balance
  • Top-up information
  • Transaction history
  • Transaction date, time, amount and relevant outlet or service information
  • Authentication information required to securely access your account
  • Information you provide when contacting the TCard Office or requesting support
  • Technical information necessary for the security, operation and support of the TCard service

Payment-card information required to process an online top-up is handled through our payment services provider. Trinity does not use your payment-card details for purposes unrelated to processing your payment.

3. How we obtain your personal data

Personal data used by TCard may be obtained:

  • From you when you use or interact with the TCard service;
  • From relevant Trinity systems where required to establish and administer your TCard account;
  • From Trinity College Dublin's Gallagher access control system when a TCard is issued. When a card is printed, relevant identity and card information is transferred via an API to the Debitrak TCard platform so that the associated TCard account can be created or activated;
  • Through your use of your TCard, including purchases and other transactions;
  • Through the TCard website or mobile application;
  • Through Trinity's authentication services; and
  • From payment providers where required to confirm or reconcile a TCard top-up.

4. Why we process your personal data

We process your personal data where necessary to provide and administer the TCard service. This includes:

  • Creating and maintaining your TCard account;
  • Creating or activating your TCard account when your Trinity card is issued;
  • Linking your TCard account with the card issued through Trinity's card management and access control system;
  • Identifying and authenticating you;
  • Displaying your TCard account balance;
  • Enabling you to add funds to your TCard account;
  • Processing and recording TCard transactions;
  • Providing you with access to your recent transaction history;
  • Managing your TCard account;
  • Responding to enquiries and providing technical or account support;
  • Maintaining the security and integrity of the TCard service;
  • Investigating technical, security or transaction issues;
  • Financial reconciliation, accounting and audit; and
  • Meeting Trinity's applicable legal and regulatory obligations.

The TCard mobile application does not currently use third-party analytics or crash-reporting services.

5. Our legal basis for processing

Trinity processes personal data only where there is a lawful basis for doing so. Depending upon the particular TCard processing activity, the applicable legal bases may include:

  • Article 6(1)(e) GDPR - processing necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in Trinity;
  • Article 6(1)(b) GDPR - processing necessary for the performance of a contract with you; and
  • Article 6(1)(c) GDPR - processing necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which Trinity is subject.

These legal bases should be confirmed by Trinity's Data Protection Officer before publication.

6. Who we share your information with

Trinity uses carefully selected service providers to deliver and support the TCard service. These organisations may process personal data only to the extent necessary to provide their respective services and subject to applicable data protection requirements.

Debitrak

Debitrak (formerly Jacaranda) provides the TCard platform, including the TCard mobile application, hosting and technical support services.

In providing these services, Debitrak processes information required for the operation of TCard, including account, identity, balance and transaction information.

TCard user and transaction databases operated by Debitrak are hosted using Microsoft Azure within the European Union.

Where production access is necessary for technical support, access within Debitrak is restricted to authorised support personnel, specifically the designated Support Manager.

Debitrak does not transfer TCard personal data outside the European Economic Area in providing these services.

Gallagher

Gallagher provides Trinity College Dublin's access control and card management system.

When a TCard is issued or printed within the Gallagher system, relevant information is transferred securely to the Debitrak platform through an application programming interface (API). This transfer enables the corresponding TCard account to be created or activated.

The information transferred is limited to the data necessary to establish and link the TCard account, such as the user's Trinity identity and card-related identifiers.

Gallagher is used by Trinity as part of the wider card and access control environment and is not used to process TCard balances or payment-card information.

Microsoft

Microsoft provides technology services used by TCard. Microsoft Azure provides the cloud infrastructure used to host TCard user and transaction databases within the European Union.

Trinity's Microsoft Entra ID service is also used to authenticate users when accessing TCard. This allows users to securely access the service using their Trinity account.

Global Payments

Global Payments (formerly Realex Payments) provides payment-processing services for online TCard top-ups.

Where you choose to top up your TCard using a debit or credit card, information necessary to process that payment is provided to Global Payments.

Payment information processed by Global Payments is subject to its applicable security, privacy and regulatory requirements.

Trinity College Dublin

Personal data may also be accessed by authorised Trinity personnel where necessary for:

  • TCard administration;
  • User support;
  • Financial reconciliation;
  • IT and security support;
  • Audit; and
  • Compliance with Trinity's legal and regulatory obligations.

Access is limited to personnel who require the information for their role.

Trinity may also disclose personal data where required by law or to an appropriate regulatory or law-enforcement authority.

7. Apple App Store and Google Play

The TCard mobile application is distributed through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Trinity does not provide your TCard account balance, TCard transaction history or other TCard account information to Apple or Google for the purposes of operating the TCard service.

Apple and Google may independently process information associated with your use of their respective app stores, such as information relating to downloading and installing the application. Such processing is governed by their respective privacy policies.

8. Where your TCard information is stored

The TCard user and transaction databases are hosted using Microsoft Azure data centres located within the European Union.

Personal data processed by Debitrak on behalf of Trinity in connection with the TCard service is not transferred outside the European Economic Area.

Where another service provider processes personal data outside the EEA, any such processing will be carried out in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and the requirements of Chapter V of the GDPR.

9. How long we keep your information

Personal data associated with your TCard account will be retained while you are an active user of the TCard service and for any additional period necessary to meet Trinity's legal, financial, audit or operational obligations.

When a TCard account is no longer active, personal data will be securely deleted or anonymised when it is no longer required, in accordance with Trinity's applicable records-retention requirements.

Debitrak, acting as a processor on behalf of Trinity, retains personal data only as necessary to provide the TCard service and in accordance with Trinity's instructions.

Certain financial and transaction records may need to be retained for a longer period where required for accounting, audit, legal or regulatory purposes.

10. How we protect your information

Trinity takes appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, loss or destruction.

Measures associated with the TCard service include secure authentication through Trinity's Microsoft Entra ID environment, access controls and restrictions on access to production information.

Third-party processors acting on Trinity's behalf are required to maintain appropriate confidentiality and security measures when processing personal data.

11. Your data protection rights

Under data protection legislation, you may have rights in relation to your personal data, including the right to:

  • Request access to personal data held about you;
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data;
  • Request deletion of your personal data where there is no longer a lawful basis for retaining it;
  • Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances;
  • Object to certain processing; and
  • Exercise other applicable rights provided under the GDPR and Irish data protection legislation.

Some rights are subject to exemptions and depend upon the legal basis on which your information is processed.

Further information about these rights and how to exercise them is available in Trinity College Dublin's general Privacy Notice.

12. Contact us

For queries specifically concerning your TCard account or the TCard service, please contact:

TCard Office
Trinity College Dublin
College Green
Dublin 2
Ireland
Email: tcard@tcd.ie

For questions about how Trinity processes your personal data or to exercise your data protection rights, please contact:

Data Protection Officer
Secretary's Office
Trinity College Dublin
Dublin 2
Ireland
Email: dataprotection@tcd.ie

13. Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal data has been processed, you should contact Trinity's Data Protection Officer in the first instance.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Irish Data Protection Commission.

14. Changes to this Privacy Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes to the TCard service, applicable legislation or the way in which personal data is processed.

The date of the most recent revision will be displayed at the top of this notice.