Finally, the new “Auto Refill” ability allows students and their parents to charge a credit card automatically to replenish a Crimson Cash account once the balance falls below a preset level.

Cuppett wrote that for users who choose to activate the “Auto Refill” option, the Crimson Cash system will scan balance levels daily between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. and refill them as needed during that time.

Several students expressed a desire to utilize the “Auto Refill” option, saying they would no longer fret over forgetting to add value to their ID cards.

“After trudging through snow with a heavy sack of laundry, it would certainly be disappointing to not have enough money on my card to pay for the machines,” Jennifer R. Schiffman ’06 wrote in an e-mail. “I think I’d also find it equally disappointing to be unable to buy a bag of chips or soda at 3 in the morning due to low funds.”

The new system would also mean that students doing laundry would not have to scrounge for spare change if they forgot to refill their ID cards, Boychenko wrote.

“No more begging quarters for laundry and offering people my huge, although for some reason unappreciated, collection of pennies,” Boychenko wrote.

But some students said they worried that the ease of refilling their cards under the new system would promote fiscal irresponsibility.

“This may be a disadvantage for parents with kids who have not learned the concept of managing money,” Rebecca R. Gong ’08 wrote in an e-mail.

Cuppett wrote that the redesign of Crimson Cash is not yet complete. Within the next two weeks, problems with the PIN system should be fixed and the appearance of the website will be altered, he said.

—Staff writer Alan J. Tabak can be reached at tabak@fas.harvard.edu.