Sign Up for the OnePrinceton Card Thursday at the Farmers Market

Have you picked up your OnePrinceton card yet? 

Today, the public is invited to the Princeton Farmers Market to register and receive a card at the OnePrinceton information table. The market will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hinds Plaza on Witherspoon Street, next to the Princeton Public Library. 

OnePrinceton was created by Heartland Payment Systems of Princeton to provide a tangible incentive to the “Shop Local” initiative. 

“Now, every time you buy your groceries, clothes, books, toys---whatever you ordinarily buy-you will automatically be helping one of your local non-profit organizations which do so much to enhance the quality of life in our community”, Heartland CEO and Chairman Robert Carr said. 

As of Oct. 1, more than 50 local merchants and 10 non-profits had joined the program. 

The refillable debit card/credit card and parking smart card launched earlier this month. 

The program will not only save participating merchants money, but also tap into consumers' desire to support local businesses. A percentage of every purchase will go directly to support Princeton non-profits.

Right now, a customer can walk into a Princeton store and make a $100 purchase. If the customer pays via debit card, the store will pay anywhere from 1.75 percent to 7 percent in card processing fees- more when a customer pays by credit card.

With the Princeton Community Card, participating merchants will pay a $0.05 transaction fee and funnel 1 percent of the purchase price directly to a Princeton non-profit organization of the customer’s choosing. 

Heartland, a national intermediary for debit and credit card purchases, estimates that Princeton merchants currently funnel about $600,000 out of town in card processing fees.