Staff

All staff members of the University of Pennsylvania are eligible for a PennCard. 

There is no charge for your initial PennCard or renewal if it expires; other fees may apply for replacement cards.

You may apply for your first PennCard online and then make an appointment to pick up your card at the PennCard Office.

Important Note

Your PennCard is used to access buildings and spaces, for campus payments, and identification. It is University property and should receive the same care as your housekeys, your credit card, and government-issued ID card.

Important: You must produce a valid Passport or a valid photo ID issued by a U.S. state, territory, or the U.S. Federal Government to receive your first PennCard.

You must bring one of the following to the PennCard office:

  • A valid passport.
  • A valid photo ID issued by a U.S. state, territory, or the U.S. Federal Government (examples: driver's license, state-issued photo ID card, U.S. military ID)

No other documentation can be accepted other than those above. Unacceptable documents include, but are not limited to:

  • Reproductions or photographs of documents;
  • Expired or otherwise invalid documents;
  • Identification cards issued outside of the United States and its territories;
  • International driving licenses;
  • Voting registration cards;
  • Visas or other immigration documents;
  • Photo identification from another educational institution.
Staff

Full-time staff members paid directly by the University are eligible for a staff PennCard.

You may apply for your first PennCard online and then arrange to pick up the card at the PennCard Office.

In order to pick up your PennCard, please come to the PennCard center 1 business day after the day you start working.

There is no charge for your initial PennCard or renewals for expired cards; other fees may apply for replacement cards.

Temporary Staff

Temporary staff at the University of Pennsylvania are eligible for a temporary staff PennCard but they must be sponsored by a department/school/center.

  • In order to pick up your PennCard, please make an appointment to come to the PennCard Center after you receive confirmation that an electronic PennCard Request Form has been submitted on your behalf or bring a printed PennCard Request Form signed by your department.

  • On the day of your appointment, please bring a valid form of photo ID (U.S. government-issued photo ID, passport, past Penncard, etc.) to the PennCard Center

  • There is a $30 fee for the card. The PennCard Center will bill the cardholder’s department as long as the proper 26-digit budget code is entered on the form. If there is no budget code, the cardholder will be responsible for the fee. The fee can be paid by cash, check, or Visa/MasterCard.

Staff On Long-Term Disability

Staff members of the University of Pennsylvania on long-term disability are eligible for a PennCard.

Wait 1 business day after your department has made the appropriate changes to your record.

Retired Staff

All retired full-time staff members of the University of Pennsylvania are eligible for a PennCard. A PennCard Request form is not needed.

There is no charge for your initial PennCard or renewal when it expires after five years; other fees may apply for lost/stolen or damaged replacement cards.

To obtain a Retired Staff PennCard, come to the PennCard Center at least one day after the date you officially retire.

Note on Building Access

It can take up to two (2) hours for building access privileges to become available again after receiving a new PennCard. This applies for most campus buildings.

If you previously had access to Perelman School of Medicine buildings and recently received a new or renewed PennCard, you must contact PSOM Security to have your access restored. Visit 109 Stellar-Chance Laboratories or call 215.898.0196. You must contact this office to renew your access each time you receive a new PennCard.

Preferred Name

To receive a PennCard with a preferred name, you must first contact your HR partner for assistance with changing your preferred name in Penn's systems of record. Once your preferred name is on file, you can trade in your PennCard for one with your new name at no charge.