Personal Accounts FAQ
Click a subject below, if you can't find the answer to your question please feel free to contact us.
Checking & Savings
What is my routing number?
Coast Central’s routing number (also known as a transit number) is 321172248. This will appear in the line of numbers at the bottom of your checks, followed by the check number, then followed by your 12-digit checking account number (which is different from your member number).
How do I setup direct deposit to my account?
Direct deposits are set up on the depositor’s end (usually an employer or government agency). They will need Coast Central’s routing number and your account number in order to initiate direct deposits to your Checking account. Ask them for any paperwork you may need to fill out or you may use our Direct Deposit Set-up Form.
Coast Central’s routing number is 321172248. If you have checks, this will appear in the line of numbers at the bottom of each one, followed by the check number. Your checking account number will appear here as well (12 digits), on the right. If you don’t use checks, locate your 12-digit number in Online and Mobile Banking by clicking on your checking account in the Account Summary, then the information symbol at the top left to reach the Account Details page. Your 12 digit “Account Number (MICR)” will be displayed. You can also stop by any Member Services Branch for the information.
If you are requesting that the deposit be made to a Savings account, your account number will be your member number, plus the applicable account type (e.g. S1). For processing purposes, many companies will require all digits (no letters) in an account number. In this case, use a “5” in place of the “S.” For example, a Membership Savings is called an S1, so you would tell your depositor to use the account number 12345S1, or 1234551. An S7 (Liquid Assets) would be 12345S7, or 1234557. An S7.1 account would be 12345571.
You may receive a letter (or E-Letter, if you’re subscribed to our e-statements services) notifying you that a direct deposit will soon begin for your account. This is simply a required notification confirming that your deposit has been set up properly.
To change the account to which your direct deposit is sent, please update the depositor with your new information.
What happens if someone writes me a bad check?
If a check you deposit must be returned for insufficient funds, your account will be charged a small fee and the amount of the check will be deducted as well. This could trigger an overdraft situation, but you will not be charged an additional fee for having a negative balance. You should contact the person who wrote you the check to ask about repayment. Also, we recommend holding those funds in your account for several business days to make sure the check clears.
How can I pay bills electronically?
With Online & Mobile Banking, you can set up payees and pay bills directly from your CCCU account. Once logged in, click on “Bill Payment.”
Depending upon the person or company you’re paying, you may also be able to set up bill pay via ACH (Automated Clearing House) transfers or credit/debit card payments online. Companies like PG&E, AT&T, City Garbage, various mobile phone service providers, and many more will accept this kind of payment. You may visit their website and sign up to pay your bills online.
To set up electronic payments from your account, you will need your routing number and account number. You can use the same guidelines as above, regarding direct deposits, to obtain the appropriate numbers.
You may receive a letter (or E-Letter, if you’re subscribed to our e-statements services) notifying you that an automatic transfer will soon begin from your account. This is simply a required notification confirming that your transfer relationship has been set up properly.
What do I need to open an account or change my name?
To open an account or to change your name, you need to bring in at least 2 forms of ID. At least one of the forms needs to be a state or federally-issued ID, such as a driver’s license or a military ID. We will also need one other form of ID with the matching name, such as an insurance card, Social Security card, or an existing credit card.
Is my checking account free?
Although our checking accounts theoretically come with monthly service charges, we offer many ways to have these automatically waived. Approximately 80% of our members pay no fees on their Basic Checking accounts by meeting one of the following qualifying factors:
Basic Checking Fee Waiver Qualifications
- Enrolled in monthly e-statement services
- Any direct deposit is made to the account during the month
- You have an open loan with a balance of $1,000 or higher (excluding Visas and lines of credit)
- You have a minimum daily balance in the account of $500 or more
- Your combined balances in all accounts at the credit union are $3,000 or higher
- The primary member on the account is age 60 or older (see “Primetime Checking” below)
Interest Checking Fee Waiver Qualifications
- Any direct deposit is made to the account during the month
- You have an open loan with a balance of $1,000 or higher (excluding Visas and lines of credit)
- Your combined balances in all accounts at the credit union are $5,000 or higher
- The primary member on the account is age 60 or older (see “Primetime Checking” below)
Some of these factors can be determined automatically by our computer system, but others (for instance, if the qualifying factor is established across multiple member numbers) may need to be brought to our attention. If you find that you’re paying a monthly service charge but do in fact meet one (or more) of the above qualifiers, please contact us.
Qualification for monthly fee waiver is evaluated on a month-to-month basis, with balance evaluations taking place on the 27th of each month.
What’s the best way to keep track of my balances?
If you’re concerned about the time it takes to note every transaction immediately, you can keep track at intervals of your preference if you make sure to keep a receipt for every transaction you make. In this case, be sure to check your Online or Mobile Banking transaction history, e-statements, or paper statements regularly to ensure that all transactions have cleared (and that no unexpected or unauthorized ones have occurred).
Important: If you rely solely upon balance inquiries via ATM or Online Banking, we cannot guarantee that the stated balance (or even the available balance) is fully accurate. Coast Central cannot control the amount of funds charged or held by merchants, which can sometimes differ substantially from the balance on our system. You may also have outstanding checks which have not yet cleared. We recommend keeping track of what has cleared on your account, and what may still be pending, in order to know how much you can spend.
What does “Available Balance” mean?
The Available Balance takes into account any pending holds on your account due to debit card purchases or check holds (often including ATM deposits) that Account Balance does not. Transactions attempted for more than this amount will be declined.
Amounts held by pending debit card purchases generally drop off when the transaction clears (when it is withdrawn from your actual balance), within a few business days. ATM deposit holds are generally removed on the same or next business day; if you are concerned about when funds will be available, please contact us. Check holds placed at the time of deposit will be released on the date printed on your voucher, unless we notify you otherwise.
Important: We cannot control the amount of funds charged or held by merchants, which can sometimes differ substantially from the balance on our system.
What do I do if my checkbook is lost or stolen?
Notify the credit union immediately (or as soon as possible if discovered outside of business hours) if you discover your checkbook is lost or stolen. Contact us or visit our Bayshore Mall or McKinleyville locations.
If your checkbook is confirmed to be lost or stolen, we will close your checking account to prevent any unauthorized activity. Specific outstanding check numbers may be approved to clear with your permission. You will need to order new checks and shred any of your old existing supply. If your Visa Debit and Credit Cards were also stolen, and you have our Card Control app, you may suspend the cards. If not, please notify our Member Support Center of that as well.
In the event that you later find your lost checkbook, you may be able to reopen your checking account, depending on the circumstances. If there has been any possibility of an outside party obtaining some of your checks (or even noting the information on them for later abuse), we advise keeping the old account closed and starting new.
Why was I charged a monthly service fee?
Although our checking accounts include a low monthly service charge, there are many ways to waive this fee if you qualify. The following factors (determined on a month-to-month basis) will waive this monthly fee. Please see the above “Is my checking account free?” question at the top of this section for a full list of fee waiver qualifications.
If you find that you do meet one or more of the above qualifications, please contact us. Some of these qualifiers can be determined automatically by our computer system, but others (for instance if the qualifier is established across more than one member number) must be loaded manually. We would be happy to evaluate your account and find out whether you’re eligible for a monthly service charge waiver.
How can I reorder checks?
As long as your previous order was placed through Coast Central (or our check vendor, Deluxe) you may use any of the following options:
- Within Coast Central Online Banking (click on “More Options” then “Reorder Checks”)
- Online through Deluxe.com
- Via phone (interactive voice response) at (877) 838-5287
- At any of our Member Services Branches
- Call our Member Support Center at (707) 445-8801
If you need to make changes to your address or other printed information on your checks, please visit us in person or speak with a Deluxe representative by phone.
Why do I have to keep $25 in my Membership Savings Account?
As a credit union, we are owned by our members (as opposed to outside shareholders). This $25 represents your share of ownership and helps to conduct some of our day-to-day operations. Should you ever need to close your account after it’s been open more than 90 days, this $25 will be available to you in full.
Credit & Debit Cards
What do I do if my debit or credit card is lost or stolen?
Block a Card
Has your Visa Credit or Debit Card been lost or stolen? Contact Visa immediately to make a report:
When calling this number please have prepared:
- The last 4 digits of your Social Security Number.
- The full number of the compromised card.
- Your billing zip code.
- A list of all fraudulent transactions including the exact date of each transaction and the amount charged.
Your card will be blocked and a new Visa card number will be issued automatically. Your new card will be mailed and should arrive in about 7 to 10 business days.
Please note that only future transactions can be blocked; any existing or pending charges (as of the time the card was blocked) will still go through. If you have concerns about pending charges, please contact our Member Support Center.
Unblock a Card
If you receive a call, email, or text from our Risk Management team regarding possible fraudulent activity on your Coast Central Visa Debit or Credit card, they will provide you with the contact information needed to either confirm or deny fraudulent activity. Unusual out-of-the-area transaction activity is often what triggers these blocks, so the phone number is also provided below for those who may be traveling and need to unblock their card(s):
Activate a Card
If you’ve received a new Visa Credit or Debit card and need to activate it, please contact Visa to enable it for immediate use. Once you activate your card, stay on the line to set your PIN. You may also visit any of our Member Services Branches to set or change your PIN.
Was your card blocked?
Country blocks and restrictions placed on Credit and Debit Cards are becoming more and more of an unfortunate reality within all financial institutions. This is due to the rising high fraud that is occurring in particular countries, states, cities or particular types of merchants; all of which we monitor constantly to protect you. Unfortunately, sometimes these blocks can interfere with your travel plans. If you know you are planning a trip, please make sure to notify us so that we can exclude you from any restrictions that may be placed in the area you are traveling to. As always, you can contact us if you have any questions.
How do I dispute a charge to my Visa Debit Card?
If you see a transaction on your Coast Central Visa Debit Card you believe is unauthorized, first contact the company who made the charge at the number listed within the transaction (in your statement’s account history or online banking). Sometimes unexpected charges turn out to be legitimate, as the company name may vary. If you are confident the charge was unauthorized, you may pursue a Visa dispute. If you have general questions about the dispute process, our Member Digital Services Department can be reached at (707) 445-8801, ext. 1291.
To begin the dispute process, please call us at (866) 896-4689 and press option 4 to file a dispute.
When calling this number please have prepared:
- The last 4 digits of your Social Security Number.
- The full number of the compromised card.
- Your billing zip code.
- A list of all fraudulent transactions including the exact date of each transaction and the amount charged.
Once the dispute has been filed, it will be reviewed and investigated. You may receive a letter in the mail asking for additional information. Please make sure your address is up to date on your account. Due to Visa time limit restrictions, you must provide requested information by the date listed on the letter. If the charge is found to be fraudulent or unauthorized, you will receive a credit for the charge. Please refer to our EFT Disclosure for specific details on error resolution.
Please note that if in fact you participated in the transaction(s), you will need to attempt to resolve the situation with the merchant (refer to their terms and conditions). For example, charges resulting from “free trial” periods generally do not qualify as unauthorized. If you complied with the merchant’s terms and conditions and are unable to resolve the situation, you may pursue a Visa dispute through Coast Central.
For merchandise charges
If you received merchandise and returned it for a refund, a dispute cannot be filed until 15 days after the return date to give the merchant time to issue a credit. If 15 days have passed and no credit has been received, you may pursue a Visa dispute. You must provide a copy of your shipping receipt showing the tracking number and that the package was insured.
ATM disputes
For ATM disputes on transactions made at one of Coast Central’s ATMs, please contact us to help resolve the issue. For ATM disputes on transactions made at any other ATM, please call us at (866) 896-4689 and press option 4 to file a dispute.
How do I dispute a charge on my Visa Credit Card?
If you see a transaction on your Coast Central Visa Credit Card you believe is unauthorized, first contact the company who made the charge at the number listed within the transaction (in your statement’s account history or online banking). Sometimes unexpected charges turn out to be legitimate, as the company name may vary. If you are confident the charge was unauthorized, you may pursue a Visa dispute. If you have general questions about the dispute process, our Member Digital Services Department can be reached at (707) 445-8801, ext. 1291.
To begin the dispute process, please call us at (866) 896-4689 and press option 4 to file a dispute.
When calling this number please have prepared:
- The last 4 digits of your Social Security Number.
- The full number of the compromised card.
- Your billing zip code.
- A list of all fraudulent transactions including the exact date of each transaction and the amount charged.
Once the dispute has been filed, it will be reviewed and investigated. You may receive a letter in the mail asking for additional information. Please make sure your address is up to date on your account. Due to Visa time limit restrictions, you must provide requested information by the date listed on the letter. If the charge is found to be fraudulent or unauthorized, you will receive a credit for the charge. Please refer to our EFT Disclosure for specific details on error resolution.
Please note that if in fact you participated in the transaction(s), you will need to attempt to resolve the situation with the merchant (refer to their terms and conditions). For example, charges resulting from “free trial” periods generally do not qualify as unauthorized. If you complied with the merchant’s terms and conditions and are unable to resolve the situation, you may pursue a Visa dispute through Coast Central.
For merchandise charges
If you received merchandise and returned it for a refund, a dispute cannot be filed until 15 days after the return date to give the merchant time to issue a credit. If 15 days have passed and no credit has been received, you may pursue a Visa dispute. You must provide a copy of your shipping receipt showing the tracking number and that the package was insured.
Which ATMs can I use for free?
Members can use all Coast Central ATMs for free. In addition, you have free access to 30,000 CO-OP Network ATMs nationwide. You can easily locate them from wherever you are on our Locations & ATMs map, by texting your current zip code to 91989, or by calling the CO-OP Network at (888)748-3266.
Do you charge a fee for non-members to use CCCU ATMs?
Yes, non-members will be charged a fee of $4.99 per transaction done at Coast Central ATMs and at CO-OP Network ATMs.
What is a foreign transaction fee?
This small charge is applied whenever you do a transaction at an outside/foreign (non-Coast Central) ATM. To avoid paying a fee, use a Coast Central ATM whenever possible.
Other financial institutions may charge you a (generally much higher) fee for using their ATMs as well. You can avoid fees from outside institutions by locating a Co-Op Network ATM. See question above (“Which ATMs can I use for free?”) for additional details.
What’s the difference between “Debit” and “Credit” transactions?
Your Visa Debit Card can be accepted both as a debit card and a credit card and may be processed as either a “debit” or a “credit” transaction. Debit purchases (when you use your PIN) are processed through a different system and allow for immediate withdrawal of funds from your account. Credit purchases (non-PIN transactions) hold for an amount specified by the merchant, then are “cleared” from your account when the transaction posts, generally within a few days. If the transaction does not post within 3 days, the hold for the specific amount expires on the third day and the funds become available again. Even if the funds become available, you are still responsible for the transaction and must leave sufficient amount of funds in your account to cover the charge.
Credit transactions generally require a signature but in accordance with recent regulations, merchants are allowed to perform transactions under certain threshold amounts without a signature. Please contact our Member Support Center for additional details.
Can minors apply for a Visa Debit Card?
Members are generally required to be 18 years old in order to open a checking account and apply for debit card services. In some cases, usually when a minor is working and requires regular ATM deposit/withdrawal activity, a minor checking account may be approved with a parent or guardian as cosigner. The minor must demonstrate a need for these services. Their cosigner must be approved by the credit union and assumes all financial responsibility for the minor’s use of the account.
What is Visa Secure?
Visa Secure is advanced security for online purchases you make with your Visa card. It uses risk detection technology to confirm your identity to make online transactions secure, fast, and convenient. By exception, you may be asked for additional information, and the phone number to the Visa Secure Support Center will appear on the screen to assist you in completing your purchase.
What is Verified by Visa?
Verified by Visa is the former name for Visa Secure.
Is Visa Secure different from Verified by Visa?
No. Although the Verified by Visa name is no longer in use, the same technology is in place to help protect you. In fact, this service was recently enhanced to make transactions more secure and the user experience more seamless.
Can I use my Visa card anywhere in the world?
Visa cards are accepted at many merchants worldwide, but due to high fraud rates in certain countries, credit or debit transactions may be blocked (or blocked above certain limits). Even in countries with no such restrictions or within the U.S., our card processor may flag unusual activity as fraudulent and try to contact you to verify transactions. If they are unable to reach you, your card may be temporarily blocked while we wait for your verification.
Be sure to notify our Member Support Center at (707) 445-8801 whenever you’re traveling out of the area, to see if there are any current transaction limits or blocks to be aware of. We can also place a note on your account regarding where and when you’ll be away – this allows us to verify seemingly suspicious transactions much more quickly without having to contact you for verification. Be sure to download our free Card Control app to help manage your Visa card from wherever you are.
I just paid on my Visa card, how could it be declined?
Our credit cards are real time, and authorization goes directly to our system, so as soon as you make a payment, the card should be available for purchases. If you do experience a problem, please call us at (707) 445-8801.
What number is associated with fraud alert texts?
The short code number for fraud alert messages is 23618. All messages are FTEU (Free to End Users). Carrier participation is limited. US Cellular is not a participating carrier.
How do I opt-out of fraud alert text messages?
Text STOP to 23618 to cancel at anytime.
What designs are currently available?
Our latest card designs can be viewed here.
Courtesy Pay & Overdraft Protection
What is Courtesy Pay?
Courtesy Pay is a discretionary overdraft convenience service offered to qualified members which helps to minimize declined transactions and bounced checks. If approved, it is applied in addition to ordinary overdraft protection (via automatic account transfer), and is only applied if available funds in all applicable accounts have been completely depleted.
Without this service, a check written against insufficient funds would bounce – sometimes multiple times if the merchant continues to resubmit it, incurring a fee each time. With Courtesy Pay, the check clears (if within the applicable limit), preventing inconvenience for both you (the member) and your payee(s). One fee is charged and the overdraft situation can be more quickly and easily resolved.
If you are qualified for Courtesy Pay, you will receive a letter informing you of how the program works, including all terms and conditions. New member accounts will be evaluated after 45 days. You may opt out of Courtesy Pay at any time by calling us at (707) 445-8801.
What is a Courtesy Pay fee?
A Courtesy Pay fee is charged each time Coast Central pays a transaction for you to cover an overdraft. Instead of bouncing the check and returning it for insufficient funds, we cover it to protect your relationship with your payee(s). You then only need to repay the credit union for the overdraft and fee(s), saving you the inconvenience and time ordinarily involved in renegotiating payment with each payee.
What is an overdraft fee?
Different from a Courtesy Pay fee, an “overdraft fee” is charged when we must make a transfer from one of your accounts to another, to cover what would otherwise be an overdraft. When funds are present in another account, this can be preferable to the higher Courtesy Pay charge to cover your transaction(s).
Sometimes, when only some of the funds needed to cover an overdraft are present in other accounts, our computer system will transfer whatever it can before Courtesy Pay (if applicable) kicks in. You may experience an overdraft fee in addition to a Courtesy Pay fee in this case.
Overdraft transfers can only be made for accounts authorized by the member for this purpose. Please contact us if you are unsure which accounts you have set up for overdraft protection, or complete an Overdraft Protection Authorization Form to update your coverage.
How can I prevent overdrafts?
The best way to prevent overdrafts is to keep regular track of your transactions. You may choose to document every purchase as it is made, or periodically check your receipts against your Online or Mobile Banking account history, e-statements, or paper statements. The better you document your account activity, the better you know what your balance is and how much you can spend.
Important: You should not rely solely upon the balance stated on your receipt or online banking in order to determine how much you can spend. These balances (even your stated “available” balance) may not include all applicable holds to your account. You may have outstanding checks or debit purchases which have not yet cleared, and debit card purchases are not always held for the exact amount of your transactions. Coast Central cannot control the amounts held or charged by merchants, nor the order or timing of cleared checks, so it is always best to keep track of your actual transactions as they occur.
Which overdraft protection method is right for me?
You’ll want to choose an overdraft protection method that best suits the way you use your accounts, and the way you would like your transactions to be handled. You may use the following information for guidance:
Courtesy Pay
If you keep close, careful track of your balances, and you prioritize the clearing of your transactions, Courtesy Pay can help you avoid the inconvenience and embarrassment of a declined card or bounced checks. Since Courtesy Pay allows your check(s) to clear up to your approved limit, you save yourself the trouble of having to renegotiate payment with your payees. Please note that you must be qualified to receive Courtesy Pay services.
Overdraft Protection
If you are primarily a debit card user however, especially if you don’t keep close track of your transactions, you may find that Courtesy Pay is more of a burden than a convenience for you. Since a fee is charged for each transaction we cover beyond a zero balance, these can sometimes add up quickly. If you’d prefer to have most transactions declined when there are insufficient funds in your account, you may choose to opt out of Courtesy Pay.
General overdraft protection (via automatic account transfer) incurs a significantly lower fee to transfer funds from other credit union accounts. This service also attempts to cover multiple transactions at once by transferring funds in $100 intervals, which helps to save you money. If funds are present in another designated account, this transfer will be made; otherwise, transactions are usually declined. We’ll ask you to complete an Overdraft Protection Authorization Form to request this service.
No Overdraft Protection
Or, you may elect to set up no overdraft protection at all. If you never keep funds in any other account besides checking, or if you prefer to keep your savings funds separate and not connected to your checking account, this option may benefit you. Most debit card transactions will decline if there are insufficient funds in checking.
Important: Since Coast Central cannot control the way that merchants choose to hold funds or charge you for your purchases, every transaction may not decline if there are insufficient funds in your account. Many gas stations, for example, initially hold only $1.00 instead of the full transaction amount. Thus the transaction may be approved if you only have $5.00 in your account, but when the full amount clears, you will become overdrawn if the transaction amount is more than $5.00. Please keep careful track of your transactions to be sure you don’t spend more than you have available.
How can I sign up for Courtesy Pay?
New memberships (with checking accounts) are automatically evaluated after 45 days. If qualified, you will receive a letter welcoming you to the Courtesy Pay service and explaining our terms and conditions. If you do not receive this letter, you may need to establish more positive account history with us before you’ll be qualified.
If you’ve been a member for some time, you may already have this service (your qualification letter may have been sent quite some time ago). If you’re curious to see whether you have Courtesy Pay already, please contact our Member Support Center.
Can I opt out of Courtesy Pay?
You may opt out of Courtesy Pay overdraft protection at any time. Simply call or write us with your request.
Opting back in later is a possibility; however, you may have to re-qualify.
What is my Courtesy Pay limit?
Personal accounts with Courtesy Pay have a limit of up to $800; business accounts have a limit of up to $1,500.
Why did I receive Courtesy Pay fees?
Courtesy Pay occurs to minimize declined transactions and bounced checks. We recommend reviewing your statement or online banking history, and examining each transaction in chronological order (this is not always the same order that they appear on your account history). When transactions are posted to your account on a different day, the original date is shown on that transaction line in your account history. You may also need to check receipts in order to determine the exact order that transactions were placed.
Start with a previous day’s balance, before fees started occurring and when you know everything was in order with your account. As you subtract transactions in the order they occurred (again, do not necessarily use the order on your account history), you should begin to see what happened. The most common reason for unexpected overdrafts is the assumption that sufficient funds were present in the account. If you forgot about an outstanding check or hadn’t taken a pending debit card transaction into account, you (or a joint member) might have spent funds that weren’t actually there.
If you go through this process and still can’t determine how the overdraft(s) occurred, please contact our Member Support Center or drop by one of our Member Services Branches. We’re happy to help you review your transactions.
How do overdraft transfers work?
If you attempt a transaction which totals more than the available balance in your checking, our system will attempt to make transfers from accounts you designate (provided you have requested this service). You may select up to four accounts that our system will try before a transaction is declined.
Overdraft transfers are made in increments of $100 when possible, always rounding up to the nearest $100 in order to cover additional transactions. Since an overdraft fee is charged for each transfer, our system tries to anticipate and cover future transactions as well, to prevent you from receiving multiple overdraft fees whenever possible. Note that excess funds that may result in a transfer will not be transferred back to your originating account.
I have overdraft protection…why wasn’t a transfer made?
Occasionally, an ATM or Point of Sale (POS) purchase will decline even when a member has overdraft protection. This occurs when funds are not present in the first or second designated savings accounts, because our system may time out before the third account on these types of transactions. If this occurs, please contact our Member Support Center for assistance.
If you have overdraft protection set up to draw funds from a line of credit or Visa card, transfers will fail if you are late on your loan payment (even by one day). Amending this situation should resolve the problem.
Overdraft protection can only transfer funds from available balances. If you have a check hold on one of your designated accounts or a pending ATM deposit, these funds cannot be used for overdraft protection until the hold is released. Likewise, the $50.00 held in your Membership Savings is unavailable for overdraft transfers.
What can I do if I used Courtesy Pay and can’t pay the money back right now?
We recognize that Courtesy Pay fees can sometimes rack up faster than anticipated, and sometimes you need time to pay things back. For this reason we offer a Fresh Start Repayment Plan, which allows you to convert your entire Courtesy Pay-related overdraft into a small loan-like account (interest free), then pay it off over a period of up to four months. This clears out your checking account, bringing it back to a zero balance so you can “start fresh.”
To set up a Fresh Start Repayment Plan, visit any of our Member Services Branches, or call our Member Support Center for more details. If you have already taken advantage of this program, and have since been re-qualified for Courtesy Pay, you may be able to set up another Fresh Start. This decision will be made at our discretion.
What is Regulation E and how does it affect Overdraft Protection?
Regulation E, also known as the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Act, is a federal regulation that affects your rights and liabilities as a banking consumer. Beginning in 2010, Regulation E required us to “opt out” all of our existing overdraft protection users from fee-based coverage on ATM and everyday debit transactions, unless they specifically told us they preferred to “opt in.” (Note that this doesn’t include checks, electronic transfers, or recurring debit transactions.) All new accounts require an “opt in” or “opt out” preference at the time of opening. This preference will govern how transactions are handled on your account until we receive further notice from you.
Quick Links:
How do I know if I’m “opted in” for overdraft protection?
Once your account has been opened and established for 45 days, if you qualify for this service, you will receive a letter with Courtesy Pay details. Courtesy Pay allows your transactions to clear the first time, eliminating the need to re-coordinate payments with your payees and incurring multiple fees. Please read and compare your options on our Courtesy Pay & Overdraft Protection Services. Feel free to contact us at (707) 445-8801 or stop by a Member Services Branch if you have further questions.
How do I know if I’m “opted out” for overdraft protection?
Once your account has been opened and established for 45 days, if you qualify for this service, you will receive a letter with Courtesy Pay details. However, you may choose at any time to not participate in Courtesy Pay by contacting us at (707) 445-8801 or stopping by a Member Services Branch. For more information, please read and compare your options on our Courtesy Pay & Overdraft Protection Services.
What happens if I’m not “opted in” for Overdraft Protection?
Unless you opted in at the time of opening your account, or before the Reg E conversion process took place in 2010, not all of your transaction types will be equally covered by your overdraft protection. Since Reg E required us to essentially “turn off” protection for ATM and everyday debit transactions unless you requested otherwise, these transactions will be handled differently than others when overdraft protection is needed.
Regular overdraft transfers will still be made (when you have funds available in designated accounts), but Courtesy Pay coverage – if you have it – will vary depending on your “opt in/out” status.
Please note that “everyday” debit transactions are different from “recurring” debit transactions. Everyday transactions are for things like gas purchases, groceries, or coffee, while recurring transactions are those set up for periodic payments with billers, such as utility companies. If you’re opted in, all of your transactions will be treated equally, but if not, ATM and everyday debit transactions you attempt when there are insufficient available funds in your account will be declined. Recurring debit transactions, electronic (ACH) transfers, and checks will still be paid up to your Courtesy Pay limit.
For more information on your options, please review our Courtesy Pay & Overdraft Protection Services.