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New members: FAQs for your first 30 days

General

Your member number is your unique UNFCU identifier. You will need to provide it to us when you contact us. You will also need your member number to enroll in Digital Banking and to complete various transactions, including money transfers. To protect your accounts, keep your member number in a secure place. Do not disclose it on social media or on other publicly accessible channels. 

It was included in your welcome letter confirming your membership. It also appears on your monthly statements.

All UNFCU share and loan accounts are in USD. US-based credit unions cannot offer accounts in other currencies. Although we serve a global membership, UNFCU is established in the United States. We are therefore subject to the laws and regulations of the US. In order for your shares to be insured by the NCUA, UNFCU must comply with these restrictions.

No, the Membership Share is not an account. Therefore it cannot be used for deposits and withdrawals. This is where we keep your ownership share in UNFCU.

Credit unions are cooperatives of members who are also owners of the organization. This is a key difference between credit unions and banks. All credit union members are therefore required to purchase an ownership share to reflect their status as owners. This ownership gives members the right to vote for their credit union's Board of Directors.

If you are a UNFCU member who joined based on your employment or affiliation with a membership association, your immediate family can join the credit union. This includes your:

  • Spouse
  • Parents
  • Children, including adopted children and children for whom you are the legal guardian
  • Grandchildren
  • Grandparents
  • Siblings

Individuals living in the same household and sharing expenses with a member can also join UNFCU. UNFCU members who joined as family members are not permitted to invite additional family members to join.

If you apply for membership as a family member, you will need to provide proof of your relationship. Examples of acceptable proof include a marriage certificate, birth certificate(s), or a utility bill that shows shared financial responsibility in a household. 

Membership for family members may be restricted in countries subject to US economic sanctions. Family members may also be restricted in countries where there is significant political, social, civil, or economic upheaval and/or violence. This includes countries without a functional government or those engaged in civil wars. View other account restrictions.

Once you join UNFCU, you are a member for life. You can keep your accounts wherever life may take you. If you relocate, please remember to update your contact details using Digital Banking.

If you are located in a sanctioned country or are a national of certain sanctioned countries, your accounts may be subject to restrictions once you leave the UN for any reason other than retirement. If you know these sanctions apply to your country, please be sure to manage your accounts before separating from the UN prior to reaching full retirement age.

It depends on the loan that you are interested in. Length of UNFCU membership is an eligibility criteria for some of our unsecured consumer loans. We encourage you to review the frequently asked questions about our consumer loans to assess if you are eligible for a loan, including credit cards.

Use our online scheduler to make an appointment to meet with a representative in person or by phone.

Savings & checking

These are listed in Digital Banking, including the app, and on your monthly statements.

A checking account is your spending account for payments and expenses. It allows for unlimited monthly transfers at no charge. A savings account is the account you use to increase your assets and earn dividends. View our guide for a detailed comparison.

There is no minimum balance requirement for the high-yield savings and checking accounts. There is a minimum balance requirement to open a share certificate, which is a fixed-term savings account.

The dividend rate for the high-yield savings account is not fixed and may fluctuate over time. We review market rates each week to evaluate the overall interest rate environment. We also look at rates being offered by other financial institutions. These factors may lead to UNFCU changing the rate for its high-yield savings. If you are looking to lock in a dividend rate for a period of time, consider UNFCU's share certificates

A beneficiary is the person, organization, or trust that will receive the money available in your accounts upon your passing. To ensure that your money goes to the right place, update your beneficiaries whenever you have a significant life change. Marriage, divorce, birth, or loss of a family member may require such an update.

Request a UNFCU debit card. You can use your debit card at ATMs worldwide to withdraw money from your checking or high-yield savings accounts. The standard daily withdrawal limit for UNFCU debit cards is $500. You can modify the daily maximum amount using Digital Banking. Locate the UNFCU and no fee ATMs near you. If you are in the US, you can also visit one of our New York branches to withdraw money.

If you have multiple accounts, you can transfer money between your accounts using Digital Banking. Go to the Transfers and Payments tab to view your options. Select Account Transfers to transfer money between your UNFCU accounts. If you have accounts at other financial institutions in the US, select External Transfers. You can transfer money between these accounts and your UNFCU account.

You can automatically deposit all or a portion of your income into your UNFCU checking or high-yield savings accounts. If you have multiple accounts, you can choose the accounts to which you would like to make the direct deposit. 

This service is available to all staff of the UN, its agencies, and affiliates that allow direct payroll deposits. It is also available to members working for US organizations that are not directly affiliated with the UN. 

To set up a direct deposit, contact your payroll department and provide them with your UNFCU account number(s), as well as the UNFCU ABA number: 226078609. You do not need to provide your member number. If your payroll department requires a SWIFT code or BIC, please contact us.

You can transfer money from another account to your UNFCU account. View the information you will need to provide to the other financial institution

If you have a check in US dollars from a US financial institution, you can deposit it using the Digital Banking mobile app. Follow these steps to remotely deposit a US check.

Debit & credit card

Once your UNFCU membership is confirmed, we will mail your debit card to the address you provided in your application. The time it will take for you to receive your card depends on the mailing method (standard or UN pouch) and your location. Here are the delivery time estimates: 

  • Up to three weeks by standard mail 
  • 4 to 6 weeks by UN pouch 

While you wait for your card to arrive in the mail, you can access your card number and other details on Digital Banking. You can use this information for immediate digital wallet and online purchases.

As a security measure, only the primary holder of the account can receive a debit card. If your child is at least 12 years old, you can open a Youth savings or Youth checking account for them. You can include a debit card with this account.

The daily transaction limit on your debit card is a security measure, in case your card falls into the wrong hands. The standard daily transaction limit is $5,000. Due to a number of factors, your daily transaction limit may be lower. You can use Digital Banking to modify the daily withdrawal limit of your UNFCU debit card. This will in turn modify your transaction limit.

You can only withdraw US dollars from UNFCU ATMs. UNFCU ATMs that are not located within branches dispense $20.00 denominations. Denominations at UNFCU ATMs within branches may vary. The denominations may also vary at other ATMs that are part of the CO-OP and Allpoint networks.

UNFCU offers Visa® debit cards. The foreign transaction fee is a fee charged by Visa to cover their currency conversion costs.

We offer two types of Visa cards. The Elite credit card offers premium travel and dining benefits. The Azure credit card offers global benefits and no annual fee. Compare the two cards.

Digital Banking

You can enroll as soon as you have your member number. Follow these easy steps to enroll.

You can securely reset your credentials online. Select the Forgot Password or Forgot Username links. If you forget your username and have activated Google Authenticator, you can open the app to view your username. 

If you forget both your username and password, call us at +1 347 686 6000 or use one of our toll-free numbers. For security reasons, we cannot reset your sensitive information via email, Skype, or Web Chat.

Google Authenticator is an app for your phone or tablet. It quickly provides a security code that you can use to log in to Digital Banking.

Money transfers

Yes. UNFCU does not charge a fee for incoming wires, but we can only accept deposits in US dollars (USD). Any transfers sent in another currency must be converted to USD. The conversion can be done by the financial institution sending the money, or by their partners involved in the transfer.

You can use a wire transfer to send to an account at a financial institution outside the US. View how to submit a wire transfer

We also offer additional transfer options if you wish to send money to accounts at US financial institutions.

The cost depends on the type of transfer you use, the amount you want to transfer, and the need for intermediary banks. If you are using Digital Banking, you see the cost of your transfer before you complete your transaction. You can then decide if you wish to proceed with the transfer.