In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses continuously explore ways to streamline processes and enhance member experiences. One such success story involves a credit union’s strategic implementation of an online self-service portal for faster payments.
Heartland Credit Union, known for its community-focused approach, has explored ways to modernize operations while maintaining core values.
In this article, we’ll dive into the journey of Heartland Credit Union and how they harnessed the power of digitalization to enhance their services.
By seamlessly incorporating an online portal that facilitates digital payments, Heartland Credit Union stayed ahead of the curve and has even set a new standard for member-centric experiences.
The Financial Landscape Evolution
The financial landscape has evolved dramatically over the past decade. Considering member's evolving expectations, financial institutions have been compelled to rethink their strategies. Credit unions, often associated with community service and charity involvement, are no exception.
Heartland Credit Union is a member-owned nonprofit offering various financial products and services, including consumer loans, real estate loans, checking and savings accounts, debit cards, and more to members across all stages of life — from accounts for the youth to retirement options.
Manually processing bill payments required significant time and effort from the Heartland Credit Union staff, and fees for over-the-phone payments were high. They needed a self-service payment option to relieve staff resources while simplifying bill payments for their members.
Recognizing the need to adapt to the digital era, Heartland Credit Union took a step to embrace technological advancements that promised to enhance member experiences. Implementing an online portal was not merely an upgrade but a strategic move to align with the changing preferences of members who sought convenience, efficiency and a seamless payment experience.
By offering digital payments, Heartland Credit Union aimed to bridge the gap between traditional values and modern expectations.
The Power of REPAY’s Online Portal for Members
REPAY’s online portal provided a convenient and efficient way for Heartland Credit Union’s members to manage their bills and loans. One of the critical features of REPAY’s online portal was the introduction of digital payment capabilities.
Heartland Credit Union members could now seamlessly set up recurring payments for bills and loans. REPAY's online portal not only eliminated the inconvenience of over-the-phone payments, which had wait times in addition to processing fees but also allowed for timely transactions, reducing the likelihood of late payments.
Members were no longer burdened with remembering due dates, writing checks or logging into multiple accounts to manage their bills. Instead, they could set up recurring payments to ensure their bills were paid on time.
As an alternative to paying bills over the phone before the introduction of an online portal, Heartland Credit Union’s members could make payments by visiting their physical locations. However, this was a time-consuming process; not everyone lived near a physical location. Some would need to commute a long distance, taking time out of their day.
REPAY’s online portal expedited bill pay and widened Heartland Credit Union’s reach by allowing distant members easier access to their services.
In addition, REPAY’s online portal contains robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive member information. This ensures that the online portal maintains the highest standard of data security. PCI compliance continues to be one of REPAY’s top priorities.
Benefits For Credit Union’s Internal Staff
Integrating REPAY’s online portal into its core system contributed to significant time savings for Heartland Credit Union’s staff. Staff personnel initially had to gather certain member information to process their payments. This manual process was not only time-consuming but also susceptible to errors.
With the online portal, Heartland Credit Union members were less likely to encounter issues regarding incorrect payment amounts, meaning fewer member grievances and greater member satisfaction. Overall, this contributed to their members having a positive experience with their services and reducing manual reconciliation efforts for staff.
REPAY’s online portal eliminated the need for routine inquiries because much of the process could be completed online. This newfound efficiency reduced staff workload and allowed them to redirect their time and energy toward more strategic initiatives and projects, contributing to Heartland Credit Union’s growth and success.
Credit unions can enormously benefit from incorporating REPAY’s online portal. By providing seamless transactions and integrated, realtime reporting, our online portal enhances the payment experience and simplifies processes for staff. Furthermore, it allows credit unions to stay competitive in the digital age, ensuring long-term sustainability in an increasingly digital financial landscape.
Want to learn more about our online portal and digital payment solutions? Contact us today. Here are more tips on how credit unions can enhance member services.