Pony Express has expanded off-campus, giving students more options on where they can eat using their express cash.

The pilot program, which will begin within the next two weeks, features four off-campus merchants: New York Subs, Schlotzsky’s, Roly Poly and La Madeleine.

“We wanted to start with eating locations because that’s what the student’s demand was for,” said Julie Wiksten, director of auxiliary services. “But we will expand it.”

Pony Express works like a debit card. It is a prepaid account accessible to students, faculty and staff. Money can be deposited into an account at anytime during the year and in various monetary increments.

SMU contracted Student Advantage, a company that also manages a nation-wide student discount card, to install the machines that will take Pony Express at the restaurants.

“They’re out-sourced by the university to set up all of the off-campus accounts,” said Student Advantage community manager Tad Wildrick.

Using Pony Express off-campus has been a long-term goal for Student Senate, which has been working on its execution for the last two to three years.

“While we are concerned with this delay, we are committed to continuing to work with the administration to see students be able to use their Pony Express off-campus,” said student body secretary Thomas Kincaid.

The university wanted to start the program off small to ensure its effectiveness. They hope to catch any bugs while in the pilot phase before expanding the program further.

“We want all the technicalities and the transaction process to run the way they’re supposed to,” Wiksten said.

However, late installation and miscommunication about contract specifics has already led to problems, said New York Subs owner Ken Harkness.

The terminals were installed at his restaurant last Wednesday, making it the first off-campus vendor. Harkness said that Wildrick told him the machines should be in operation by Friday.

On Friday morning, at 10:59, Reid Varner was the first student to use his Pony Express at New York Sub.

“We swiped it, and it went through,” Harkness said. “Obviously it was working. But [SMU] shut it down.”

Harkness left Friday morning to attend an out-of-town funeral and upon returning learned that the Pony Express hadn’t been working all weekend.

Student Advantage installed the terminals without informing Harkness that an unsigned contract still stood in the way of off-campus Pony Express, he said.

He did not find out that the holdup was due to contracts until Tuesday when he said Wiksten told him that it was in the lawyers’ hands.

“The machines are not live until the contract is fully signed and until then the merchants are not allowed to make transactions,” Wiksten said.

Harkness said he does not understand what the holdup is.

“It has been done at 20 other schools and should be a boilerplate contract,” Harkness said.

Wildrick also said Student Advantage knew about the contract and told Harkness that there was a possibility it could be up and running by Friday, but he could not guarantee him that.

Harkness, who placed an ad in The Daily Campus 10 years ago expressing his desire to accept Pony Express, is frustrated about SMU’s apparent unwillingness to move the service off the Hilltop.

“I have no idea why SMU uses their smoke and mirrors,” he said. “Just sign the contract, get the deal done and worry about something more important like getting a winning football team.”

Although the misunderstandings are irritating, the restaurant owner said he is looking forward to finally getting his wish.

“I have wanted this for 15 years,” he said.