Frequently Asked Questions for Dining Dollars

How do dining dollars work?

At UC San Diego, we believe in empowering students to choose a Dining Plan that best suits their lifestyle and needs while living on campus. Dining Plans are designed as an à la carte system rather than an all-you-care-to-eat program, so students have the control and flexibility to spend their dining dollars exactly as they choose. Plus, all Dining Plans come with a minimum of $500 in Triton Cash, accepted at 60+ locations on and off campus.

Dining Plans are linked to your campus ID card and are valid at all residential dining and market locations. Each purchase made is automatically deducted from your account balance, similar to a bank debit card. Additional dining dollars can be added to your plan at any time throughout the year. Please note that dining dollars are non-refundable. They are not transferable to Triton Cash.

At the start of your Housing and Dining Contract, funds will be distributed into your account. You can use your campus ID card or use the Triton2Go Mobile Ordering app to order food using dining dollars.

What does the Dining Plan include?

The Dining Plan is a mandatory component of your Housing Contract, designed to provide you with essential meal options throughout the academic year. When you sign your Housing and Dining Contract, you will have the opportunity to choose from several Dining Plan options, each varying in cost and the allocation of funds available for use during the school year.

Each Dining Plan includes a significant amount of dining dollars, which can be used at residential dining and market locations. Additionally, a smaller portion of Triton Cash is included, which can be used for purchases at select retailers on and off campus, offering more flexibility for your dining experiences.

Be sure to carefully review the details of each Dining Plan option to select the one that best fits your eating habits and budget for the year.

When is my Dining Plan activated?

Your entire academic year Dining Plan funding is activated upon your arrival (move-in date); however, unless you have paid in full for your Housing and Dining package for the academic year, you have not yet paid for those funds. Students are assessed Housing and Dining charges quarterly. If you are approved for early termination, you may be responsible for dining dollars and/or Triton Cash funds that you have spent (eaten) but not yet paid for. Review our Budgeting Dining Dollars and Triton Cash for tips to help you budget your dining plan for the entire academic year.

Is the Dining Plan per quarter or for the entire academic year?

The Dining Plan you select is for the entire academic year, Fall Quarter through Spring Quarter. You can also use your plan during the summer if you are on campus for Summer Session. If you have a remaining balance at the end of Spring Quarter, your dining dollars will automatically rollover to summer and Fall Quarter.

Can I change my Dining Plan?

Students can make changes to their current Dining Plan up until October of the current year. After the deadline closes in October, you can no longer make changes to your Dining Plan. If your Housing and Dining contract is prorated (starts mid-academic year), you have a predetermined number of days from the start of your contract to make changes to your Dining Plan (you will receive more information via email).

Do Dining Dollars roll over to subsequent years?

Dining dollars will roll over as long as the student is enrolled in an active Dining Plan. Students living in off-campus housing or those assigned to housing communities not requiring a Dining Plan (Rita, Pepper Canyon/Matthews, Pepper Canyon West) who are interested in retaining their 2024-25 rollover dining dollars can purchase the Triton Community Plan beginning in the Fall Quarter via TritonPay. The Triton Community Plan must be purchased by the end of Fall Quarter 2025 in order to keep the previous year’s dining dollars through the next Fall Quarter.

If I’m no longer enrolled in a Dining Plan, how long will my dining dollars rollover remain active?

As a general rule, if you do not select a Dining Plan for the next academic year, any remaining dining dollars will expire at the end of the following Fall Quarter.

2026 27 Example:
Dining dollars from the 2025 26 academic year will expire at the end of Fall Quarter 2026 if no plan is selected for 2026 27.

Can I add more Dining Dollars if needed?

Yes. Additional dining dollars can be purchased at any time via TritonPay or the Transact eAccounts portal.

How do I check my balance?

Log in to the Transact eAccounts Portal (or use the TritonCard mobile app) to view real time balances.

Are there any circumstances under which Dining Dollars can be refunded?

Dining dollars are non-refundable and non-transferable. Whether a plan is purchased, upgraded, or cancelled, any remaining balance stays in the account until it either rolls over (if you remain on an active plan) or expires at the end of the following fall.

If you graduate, leave campus, or simply choose not to renew a Dining Plan, the unused dollars will expire.

Bottom line: There are no circumstances under which Dining Dollars can be refunded as cash; the only options are to keep them active on a new plan, allow them to expire, or donate them through university-run programs.

Swipe Out Hunger donations – you can donate your Dining Dollars to the UC San Diego Basic Needs Center, which then helps Tritons experiencing food insecurity.

What is Triton Cash?

Triton Cash is the university’s prepaid spending account linked directly to your campus ID card. It’s convenient, fast, easy—and accepted at more than 60 locations on- and off-campus! Triton Cash is available to all students, staff, and faculty. Learn more here!

Can I convert unused dining dollars to Triton Cash?

No. At UC San Diego, dining dollars and Triton Cash are separate account types.

• Dining dollars are non-refundable
• Dining dollars remain remain tied to the Dining Plan that purchased them and can only be used at residential dining and market locations.

If you have unused dining dollars, they will either roll over while you stay on an active plan or expire at the end of the following Fall Quarter, or you can donate them through the Swipe Out Hunger program.

The Triton Community Plan is offered to students living in upper division campus communities (Pepper Canyon Apartments, Pepper Canyon West, Matthews Apartments and the Rita Atkinson Residences) and off campus residence. It includes $1000 Triton Cash and $500 Dining Dollars. The Triton Community Plan can be purchased via Triton Pay. Alternatively, students may purchase the Plan in person at the Triton Pay Office (formerly Cashier’s Office) using cash or check.

1. The Triton Community Dining Plan may be purchased by any registered student during fall and winter quarters of the academic year.
2. The Triton Community Dining Plan must be paid in full at time of purchase.
3. All sales are final and nonrefundable.
4. In the event of an eCheck payment, Dining Dollars and Triton Cash funds will not be available for use until 5 business days following the purchase, allowing time for the check to process. If an eCheck payment is returned, funds will not be deposited and purchaser will be responsible for resubmitting payment.
5. The Triton Community Dining Plan includes $500 Dining Dollars and $1000 Triton Cash. Dining Dollars are accepted at all HDH Dining locations while Triton Cash is accepted at HDH Dining locations plus over 60 on- and off-campus third party locations.
   1. Dining Dollars are nonrefundable. Dining Dollars rollover from year to year as long as a student remains enrolled in an active Dining Plan. If a student chooses not to select a Dining Plan for the next year, Dining Dollars will expire at the end of the following fall quarter. For example, Dining Dollars from academic year 2024-25 will expire at the end of Fall Quarter 2025 if no Dining Plan is selected for the 2025-26 academic year.
   2. Students can close their Triton Cash account when they graduate or withdraw from the University. A refund will be issued via paper check. Please contact Triton Card Accounts Services to close your account.

What happens if I have already checked in, picked up keys or want to cancel after the Housing and Dining contract?

Once you have checked in and obtained keys or the start of your rental agreement contract, whichever occurs first, Contract Cancellations are no longer accepted. Students will need to follow the contract termination process as outlined in their Housing and Dining Contract (Section 8.Termination).

• You must contact Dining Engagement at diningengagement@ucsd.edu before terminating your contract in order to review your Dining Plan options.
• Once your Housing and Dining Contract is terminated, your contractual Dining Plan is closed.
• Any remaining dining dollars and contract-associated Triton Cash will be forfeited.
• Dining Plans are non-refundable.

Please see the Housing FAQs for more information.

Do you have dining dollars and would like to use them to assist fellow Tritons in need?

Donate dining dollars directly to the UCSD Basic Needs Center’s Swipe Out Hunger Program. With this funding, the Basic Needs Center provides assistance to Tritons who are experiencing food insecurity. If you or anyone you know is experiencing food insecurity, visit the Basic Needs Center website to learn more about the resources available to you.

Visit https://hdh-web.ucsd.edu/sso/DDContribution to complete a dining dollar contribution online. You will need to log-in with your PID and password.

* Dining dollar Swipe Out Hunger donations typically happen in the fall, in a period between late November and early December.

Need more information, or have questions? Contact the Dining Engagement team at diningengagement@ucsd.edu.

I lost my campus ID card. What should I do?

Contact the Triton Card Account Services immediately at 858.534.7587 or go to the Transact eAccounts Portal to report it missing. Your account will be frozen to prevent unauthorized use. You may be liable for purchases made before your account is frozen, so please act quickly. Telephone notification must be confirmed promptly by the account holder in person or in writing.

With a valid photo ID (such as a driver's license), Triton Card Account Services will issue you a temporary card for a week to access your Dining Plan and Triton Cash. If your campus ID card is still missing, you will need to purchase a new one at the Student Billing Services (SBS) office.

Where can I fill out a food safety incident form?

If you experienced a food-related incident in one of our dining locations, please fill out an HDH Dining Services Food Incident report.

What are the terms and conditions of a dining plan?

Guests are expected to display proper, decent behavior in Dining Services facilities. Food throwing, hitting, biting, scratching, indecent exposure, excessive or loud vulgarity, etc. is unacceptable. The individual Dining Services restaurant or the College may discipline the individual for such actions.