Swipes are going away.

TCU is in the process of updating ID readers with tap scanners that require identification cards with chips.

Students are encouraged to replace cards without chips as soon as possible.

TCU has installed chip scanners in residence halls, academic buildings, parking garages and athletic facilities.

Once installations are completed, the magnetic stripe will no longer work, said Jude Kiah, the Associate Vice Chancellor in the Student Affairs Division.

Although the system has not been fully implemented, Kiah said that students should be prepared for the shift very soon.

This update is TCU’s first step toward a full mobile credential system that will be implemented during the current school year, Kiah said. Once completed, students can use their mobile devices as a replacement for a physical ID.

The mobile credential system is currently being tested at the Anne Burnett School of Medicine at TCU. According to the medical school’s newsletter, to activate mobile IDs, students and faculty must download the GET app. Once your account is authenticated in the app, the mobile ID will show up in your Apple or Google Wallet.

Not all students need to replace their ID. If there is a barcode in the top-left corner, it is one of the new proximity cards. Returning students living on campus should have received new IDs before the start of the school year.

Faculty and staff members are also encouraged to update their cards. Faculty IDs with a barcode in the bottom left corner are the new proximity cards.

Students and faculty who need to update their ID can get a new proximity card from the TCU ID Center, located on the second floor of the Brown-Lupton University Union. New proximity cards are free, but lost IDs will cost $30 to replace.

Excluding the line that might be there, Kiah said that the process takes less than five minutes.

Students and faculty will not have to change their old ID picture or number to receive a new card.

All old IDs under the magnetic stripe system will soon become useless. Making the switch is essential to enter athletic events, dining halls, residence halls and more.

Now, students can gain access with the tap of a card, and soon, all they will need is a cellphone.