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Cougar Card Services

POI Special Program Card Policy & Procedures

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish the procedures and requirements for requesting, issuing, and maintaining Person of Interest (POI) Special Program credentials, including physical and mobile Cougar Cards, for eligible non-employee individuals affiliated with the University of Houston.

Policy

The Cougar Card serves as the official identification and access card for all active members of the University of Houston community. The POI Special Program classification applies to university-affiliated contractors, consultants, and non-degree-seeking students. POI Special Program cardholders may only hold one credential type at a time – either a physical or a mobile Cougar Card. The active status of a POI Special Program Cougar Card is directly tied to the status of the individual’s POI record. If the POI record expires, all associated Cougar Cards – physical or mobile – will automatically deactivate. If a Cougar Card has been deactivated due to POI expiration, it cannot be reactivated. If a credential is needed after expiration, a new Cougar Card must be issued once the POI has a fully executed renewal, and the card replacement fee will apply.

Cougar Card Services administers credential issuance based on information maintained in the university’s official systems of record. Access and credential status are dependent upon the accuracy and timeliness of those records. To maintain uninterrupted credential access, the UH sponsoring department is responsible for ensuring that the POI renewal is fully executed prior to the expiration date.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a POI Special Program Cougar Card the following requirements must be met:

  • A current POI record and UHID number must be established.
  • The sponsoring department is responsible for completing the ePOI process through their business office prior to submitting a POI Special Program Cougar Card request.
  • Cardholders must submit a photo that meets Cougar Card Services photo requirements.

Eligible cardholders may choose one of the following credential types:

Option 1: Physical Cougar Card

  • A printed, multi-purpose identification card that integrates a number of functions for use on campus.  

Option 2: Mobile Cougar Card

  • A mobile Cougar Card available on supported mobile devices that integrates a number of functions for use on campus. 

Provisioned through the following platforms via the UH Go app:  

    • For Apple devices, use Apple Wallet
    • For Android devices, use Atrium Connect App 

Fees & Payments   

A fee of $20.00 is required for all POI Special Program Cougar Cards. The fee applies to both physical and mobile Cougar Cards.

Important to Note:

  • Payment must be made by the individual or contracting company at the time of issuance using a credit or debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, or ShastaBUCKS.  
  • If the sponsoring UH department chooses to cover the cost, an invoice will be sent to the sponsor. Payment must be received before the card can be released.  

Expired POI & Credentials  

Regardless of the credential type selected – physical or mobile Cougar Card – the cardholder’s Cougar Card is directly tied to their POI record. If the POI record expires, the associated Cougar Card is automatically deactivated. Once deactivated, the Cougar Card cannot be reactivated.  
If the POI is renewed after the Cougar Card has deactivated, a new POI Special Program Cougar Card must be issued, and the $20.00 replacement fee will apply.  

  • Physical Card after POI expiration   
    • Once the payment is confirmed, a new Cougar Card will be printed and issued to the cardholder.  
  • Mobile credential after POI expiration  
    • Once the payment is confirmed, a Cougar Card representative will activate the mobile tag. 
    • The cardholder can complete the mobile activation through UH Go again.   

Request Process  

If paid by the sponsoring department: 

  1. The sponsor completes the POI Special Program Cougar Card Request Form . Requests are processed within 24 – 48 business hours (Monday – Friday).  
  2. The requestor will receive confirmation once processing begins.  
  3. The cardholder must provide a photo that meets the published requirements.  
    • If the cardholder has an AccessUH login, the photo must be submitted through the Cougar Card Connect portal.  
    • If the cardholder does not have an AccessUH login, the sponsor must email the cardholder’s photo to cougarcard@uh.edu. For cardholder privacy and security, Cougar Card Services does not accept government-issued ID photos via email. The sponsor is responsible for communicating the photo requirements with the cardholder.  
  4. A Cougar Card Services representative will issue an invoice. The invoice must be completed and returned before a physical Cougar Card is issued or the mobile Cougar Card eligibility for activation is turned on.   
  5. Once the invoice is processed:  
    • The cardholder may schedule an appointment or join the virtual line through CougarQ (via AccessUH or CougarQ Guest) to obtain a physical Cougar Card. The cardholder’s PSID must be provided when prompted.  
    • If the photo was submitted by email, the cardholder must present a government-issued ID at pickup at pickup to verify their identity and complete the Cougar Card Terms and Conditions.   
    • If the photo was submitted via Cougar Card Connect, no government ID is required at pickup. The Terms and Conditions were acknowledged during submission, and identity was verified using the government ID photo submitted.  
    • If the cardholder opts for a mobile Cougar Card as their credential, a Cougar Card Services representative will enable eligibility at the time the invoice is returned. An email with instructions to activate the mobile Cougar Card will be sent to the cardholder to complete the setup.   

If paid by the cardholder:  

  1. The cardholder submits a photo following the published requirements:
    • If the cardholder has AccessUH credentials, the photo must be submitted through the Cougar Card Connect portal.  
    • If the cardholder does not have AccessUH credentials, the photo must be emailed to cougarcard@uh.edu. Do not include a photo of the cardholders' government ID in any email correspondence. The sponsor is responsible for communicating the photo requirements  with the cardholder.  
  2. Once the photo is submitted, the cardholder must schedule an appointment or join the virtual line through CougarQ via AccessUH or CougarQ Guest .   
    • If the photo was submitted by email, the cardholder must present a government-issued ID at pickup at pickup to verify their identity and complete the Cougar Card Terms and Conditions.   
    • If the photo was submitted via Cougar Card Connect, no government ID is required at pickup. The Terms and Conditions were acknowledged during submission, and identity was verified using the government ID photo submitted.  
  3. The cardholder must pay the $20.00 fee at the time of issuance using one of the accepted payment methods.   
  4. If the cardholder opts for a mobile Cougar Card as their credential type, a Cougar Card Services representative will activate the mobile tag after the payment has been completed. An email with activation instructions will be sent to the cardholder to complete the mobile Cougar Card set up.   

Mobile Cougar Card – Lost device/Temporary Physical Card  

If a cardholder loses their device, they may choose one of the following options:  

  • Purchase a replacement physical Cougar Card 

Obtain a physical Cougar Card to access buildings, accounts, and parking (if necessary for access).  

    • Available at the Cougar Card Services office, Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.  
    • The cardholder must set up an appointment or join the virtual line through CougarQ. 
    • A $20.00 replacement fee is due at the time of card issuance.   
    • Once a new device is purchased, the mobile Cougar Card can be activated on the new device at no additional cost.  
    • The physical Cougar Card will be automatically deactivated once the mobile Cougar Card is activated on the new device.  
  • Provision a New Device  

Obtain a new device and log in with their Apple or Android credentials to provision the mobile Cougar Card on their new device.   

    • There is no additional cost for provisioning a new device as long as the credential has not been deactivated due to the expiration of the POI.  
    • If a physical Cougar Card was obtained as a temporary measure, it will be automatically deactivated when the mobile Cougar Card is provisioned on the new device.  
    • Until the new device is provisioned, the cardholder will temporarily lose access to buildings and accounts. Parking access may also be impacted if a Cougar Card is required for access.  

Administrative Authority  

Cougar Card Services is responsible for administering the issuance, replacement, and management of Cougar Card credentials in accordance with university policy. The office reserves the right to deny, suspend, or revoke credentials that do not meet established eligibility requirements or policy standards.