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First Alliance Credit Union offers easy activation and has its members’ backs.
Sponsored by Fiserv
First Alliance Credit Union has been using Portico from CUES Supplier member Fiserv, Brookfield, Wis., as its account processing system since November 2014 and recently added Instant Issue Advantage: Tablet. The $180 milion credit union, based in Rochester, Minn., can now provide consumers with new or replacement debit and credit cards instantly in its branch locations, meeting their expectations for fast, easy activation—because every experience matters.
Quickly Get a Card in Members’ Hands
CUES member David Schouten, SVP/IT/CIO at First Alliance CU, participated on a panel about Instant Issue Advantage in late 2017. He talked about his credit union’s search for a solution that met its need to instantly deliver a new card when one is lost or stolen, calling it a huge member benefit. For enrolling new members, he said, “We wanted to be able to get a card in their hands as soon as possible to increase adoption and engagement with First Alliance.”
Gain an Edge Over Competitors
Looking beyond instant card issuance, First Alliance wanted to take advantage of the Fiserv solution’s instant activation feature, so that members could confirm that their cards worked before they walked out the door, adding to a great member experience. The credit union was most excited about what Schouten calls the “wow” factor: “It gives us something our competitors in our market do not have,” he said. “It also makes the whole experience more convenient for our staff and the member, as it is not tied down to any specific workstation. It allows for this to be a fun experience in our branch.”
Become Members’ Primary Financial Institution
Since First Alliance CU began using Instant Issue Advantage, it has received feedback that Schouten says is extremely positive.
“Our conventional rush order costs have nearly disappeared with this solution,” Schouten notes. “Additionally, having the card right away for new members enables us to help them get set up with their mobile wallet and the CardValet app. Both of these solutions help increase overall adoption of First Alliance as the primary financial institution and keep us top of wallet with our card products.” Because of Instant Issue Advantage, the credit union has seen noticeable increases in interchange income and number of transactions per card.
Take Advantage of Ease of Use
Staff and members alike are grateful for the immediate access to new cards. According to Schouten, “The Instant Issue solution we implemented was so easy to use by our staff—and virtually foolproof—that they were able to provide Instant Issue cards to members with confidence on day one. Fiserv provides full training, but frankly, little was really needed to get things off the ground because of how easy it is. Members love this solution. I can’t tell you how appreciative they are with the ability to get a new card right away if it is lost or stolen. It is one more thing in our favor to promote being the primary financial institution they can rely on for all their needs.”
Tailor the Solution
First Alliance CU considers Fiserv to be responsive and flexible to its needs, “a great partner to make this work in our environment,” says Schouten. He believes his credit union now has “the strongest solution from a total integration standpoint with both our core system and our card services provider.
“Because we use Fiserv throughout the process, we were able to tailor the solution to our needs,” adds Schouten. “We recently rebranded and won awards for our card design, so we wanted our design to look great on all our cards. Fiserv was able to provide the right solution for us.”
And, Schouten says, even though his is a small financial institution, Fiserv gave First Alliance CU all the attention it required and made everyone in the organization feel that it was just as important as any other credit union.
Help Members at the Speed of Life
Regarding what he would like members to know about the decision at First Alliance CU to implement Instant Issue Advantage, Schouten says, “We have their back when they need us, in a situation where their cards are lost or stolen. We are able to provide a great card at the speed of today’s world in a process that can actually be fun!”
For more information on Instant Issue Advantage: Tablet, call 800.872.7882, email getsolutions@fiserv.com or visit www.fiserv.com.
