Credit unions from around the country have agreed to share their branch facilities to allow members to conduct personal financial transactions through a national shared branching network. By joining the CU Service Centers Network, your members have access to over 2,200 branches nationwide.  In Pennsylvania, the network is coordinated by Pennsylvania Credit Union Service Centers, Inc. (PaCUSC). The Delaware League has negotiated an agreement with the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association to tie into their shared branching network.

By using the CU Service Centers Network, member accounts remain at your own credit union. Members can access their credit union account and conduct business through any CU Service Centers Network location. With so many convenient locations, your members will be able to access their account whenever they travel or even if they relocate hundreds of miles from your credit union.

Member Services
Depending on the location, the following services are available:

   •  Check and Cash Deposits
    •   Withdrawals (Some restrictions may apply, depending on a location’s cash availability)
    •   Loan Payments
    •   Account Transfers
    •   Money Orders
    •   Travelers Checks
    •   Official Checks

Convenient Locations – Extended Hours
Many shared branches offer Monday through Saturday hours, as well as evening hours.

Since new branches are added to the network every day, your members will have two convenient ways to find the location and office hours for every shared branch on the network. Members with Internet access can view this information on the CU Service Centers website — www.cuservicecenter.com. Members may also obtain this information by calling our toll-free number — 800-919-CUSC (2872).

Member Verification
Members need three things when visiting a CU Service Centers branch office:

    •   The name of their participating credit union
    •   Their account number
    •   A current, government-issued picture ID with signature

Members simply provide this information to the teller at any CU Service Centers branch office.

Cost
The cost to certify to the network will be determined by your data processor. The initial setup to CUSC will cost approximately $1,000. Once certified, PaCUSC will bill your credit union based on an established transaction fee schedule.

PaCUSC offers an unlimited number of free transactions per member verification at any PaCUSC-certified shared branch in Delaware. The cost of a single member verification (essentially a branch visit) is fixed at $2.50 per verification.

For out-of-state transactions, pricing is determined by CUSC according to the type of transaction conducted. For example, the fee for a cash withdrawal is currently $2.00 per transaction. The cost to deposit up to five local checks is currently $2.60 per deposit.

A complete schedule of fees is available upon request.

Implementation
Credit unions should contact their data processor to determine if they are certified to the network through CUSC’s Next Generation Network (NGN).

Credit unions may opt to become an acquirer (i.e., open your credit union branch to accept shared branching transactions) in addition to participating in the network.

Each credit union will need to complete the following:

   •   Participation Agreement
   •   Client Profile
   •   Automated Settlement Authorization

In addition, credit unions will need to:

   •   Schedule certification with your Data Processor
   •   Have CUSC and Data Processor determine a “Live” date
   •  Conduct transaction testing, including issuer and acquirer testing

Depending on the credit union’s Data Processor, the typical implementation time is 90 to 180 days.

Marketing
Marketing material, including brochures, statement inserts, and newsletter articles, is available from either PaCUSC or CUSC. Some printed material is available at a nominal charge.

Getting Started
To receive a Price Quote Worksheet, please contact Jane Bailey at the Delaware League on 800-292-7875 or jane@dcul.org.