Accepted now
Joe's Pizza & Pasta
Cougar Bucks are accepted in person today at 4 Club Centre Ct, Edwardsville, IL. Ordering, menus and hours stay on Joe's own site.
Explore Joe's →Cougar Bucks
SIUE Cougar Bucks off campus:
where they work, why they decline.
SIUE runs the Cougar Card program itself. This page collects what students keep asking — the merchants SIUE lists, how to check a balance, and what to do when a card gets declined — and links you straight back to SIUE for anything about your account.
Heads up before you order
Joe's still accepts Cougar Bucks — but some off-campus transactions have recently declined.
Joe's Pizza & Pasta in Edwardsville continues to accept Cougar Bucks. Some students have recently had off-campus Cougar Bucks transactions declined. Before you order, confirm your Cougar Bucks balance and that your account is set up for off-campus purchasing, and carry a backup payment method. We have asked SIUE to clarify the exact authorization process and will update this page when we have a confirmed answer.
We are not describing a specific settings change, and we are not saying every account needs one. SIUE is the only office that can see how an individual account is configured.
Sends a short message with a link to this page.
Before you order
- 1Confirm the money you want to spend is in Cougar Bucks — not only a university meal plan.
- 2Check your Cougar Bucks balance through SIUE's GET / Blackboard card tools.
- 3Confirm your account has off-campus purchasing access enabled.
- 4Bring a backup payment method until SIUE clarifies the authorization process.
- 5Remember that Joe's cannot view or change SIUE account settings, and cannot see the exact decline reason.
My card was declined
Work through these in order. Restaurant staff cannot see the decline reason or change anything on a SIUE account.
Check your Cougar Bucks balance
Sign in through SIUE's card management tools and confirm available Cougar Bucks funds.
Make sure it is Cougar Bucks, not meal-plan funds
Meal-plan dollars are a separate balance. Off-campus merchants take Cougar Bucks, so meal-plan money alone will not go through.
Check off-campus access on the account
Off-campus purchasing access is controlled on the SIUE side. If you are unsure how yours is configured, ask the Cougar Card Service Center.
Contact the SIUE Cougar Card Service Center
If declines continue, SIUE is the only office that can see and adjust the account. Contact details are below.
Use another payment method at the restaurant
Staff cannot see why a card declined or override it, so pay another way and sort the account out with SIUE afterward.
Where SIUE Club stands
Coming soon — not currently accepted
Clubhouse Lounge + Kitchen
Clubhouse is working on Cougar Bucks acceptance in Edwardsville. Nothing is live yet and no date has been announced.
Explore Clubhouse →We do not claim Cougar Bucks acceptance at The Penalty Box or Nuggz.
Off-campus locations SIUE lists
Listed by SIUE — verified August 22, 2026
- CVS
- Joe's Pizza & Pasta
- Bann Thai
- Peel Pizza
- WingZone
SIUE states that Cougar Bucks may not be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco or gift cards at off-campus locations. SIUE's Cougar Card site stays the authoritative list — check it before you rely on any location here.
What are Cougar Bucks?
Cougar Bucks are funds tied to your SIUE Cougar Card, and they are a different balance from university meal-plan dollars. SIUE says Cougar Bucks can be used at approved or select off-campus merchants in addition to on-campus locations, and that they may not be used to buy alcohol, tobacco or gift cards off campus. Everything about balances, adding funds, permissions and eligibility is handled by SIUE — SIUE Club is not an administrator of the card program.
Official SIUE resources
- Manage Cougar Card / check balance
- Add funds to Cougar Bucks
- Official SIUE off-campus merchant list
- Contact SIUE Cougar Card
SIUE Cougar Card Service Center
- cougarcard@siue.edu
- Phone
- 618-650-2080
- Hours
- Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
- Office
- Rendleman Hall, Room 1309
FAQ
Cougar Bucks questions
Statuses here match what each restaurant has confirmed. Balances, permissions and program rules always come from SIUE.
- Where can I use Cougar Bucks off campus near SIUE?
- As of August 22, 2026, SIUE lists these off-campus merchants for Cougar Bucks: CVS, Joe's Pizza & Pasta, Bann Thai, Peel Pizza and WingZone. SIUE's Cougar Card site is the authoritative list and can change.
- Does Joe's accept Cougar Bucks?
- Yes. Joe's Pizza & Pasta in Edwardsville, 4 Club Centre Ct, still accepts Cougar Bucks in person, and SIUE lists Joe's Pizza & Pasta as an off-campus location. Cougar Bucks are not a payment option in Joe's online checkout.
- Why was my Cougar Card declined at a restaurant?
- A decline can happen if there are no funds in Cougar Bucks, if the balance sitting there is meal-plan money instead, or if the account is not set up for off-campus purchasing. Restaurants cannot see the reason for a decline, so contact the SIUE Cougar Card Service Center if it keeps happening.
- What is the difference between Cougar Bucks and meal-plan funds?
- Cougar Bucks and university meal-plan dollars are separate balances on the Cougar Card. Off-campus merchants accept Cougar Bucks, so meal-plan funds alone will not pay for an off-campus order.
- How do I check my Cougar Bucks balance or add funds?
- Balances, account access and adding funds are handled by SIUE through the Cougar Card office and SIUE's GET/Blackboard card tools, not by SIUE Club. Use SIUE's manage-your-card and add-funds pages linked on this page.
- Can Cougar Bucks be used for alcohol?
- No. SIUE states that Cougar Bucks may not be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco or gift cards at off-campus locations.
- Does Clubhouse accept Cougar Bucks?
- Not yet. Clubhouse Lounge + Kitchen in Edwardsville is coming soon for Cougar Bucks and is not currently accepting them, with no announced start date. Use another payment method there for now.
Keep going
SIUE Club is an independent student resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by SIUE. SIUE controls the Cougar Card and Cougar Bucks program, including balances, account permissions and the official off-campus merchant list.