CUA’s current online and mobile banking system will be changed to a new system, which is modern, easy to use and navigate, and will allow us to deliver on our brand promise of being the better way to bank.  Our new system is called Xpress, which is owned by Celero, a Canadian IT services provider.  Celero currently provides IT services to 40% of all credit unions in Canada, including 55% of the top 100 credit unions.

This change is in response to our members’ feedback about our existing system.  Many of our members have told us that the current online and mobile banking system is outdated and doesn’t meet their needs.  In the 2023 Annual Member Survey, respondents rated this service a 6.8 out of 10.  This rating doesn’t meet CUA’s or our members’ expectations of a great banking experience.  Online banking and the mobile app have consistently received the lowest overall satisfaction rating of our service delivery channels.  In addition, individuals and companies who have considered moving their banking to CUA have said that a major barrier to doing this is our current online and mobile banking system.  We are confident that the new system, which is modernized and easy to use, will meet the needs of both CUA and its members for years to come.

The transition to the new system will be happening the weekend of August 16 – 18, 2024. The new system will be available to access beginning Monday, August 19, 2024, except for Interac e-Transfers, which will be available starting at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 20.

We will be providing you with both communications materials and support to ensure this transition is as seamless as possible. Over the coming weeks, we are sharing further details, instructional videos, step-by-step guides for both before and after the transition and a complete checklist of items that may impact you.  As we get closer to the transition weekend, we’ll also be offering in-branch appointments where you can bring your own device and meet one-on-one with a CUA staff member for a personalized IT session if that would be helpful to you.  Or, you can follow our user-friendly instruction guides that will take you through any steps.

An extensive due diligence process was carried out in order to select a new online and mobile banking system.  We first conducted a thorough scan of the IT environment for system providers that would meet our members’ needs and expectations.  We retained an international technology consulting firm to support the assessment of possible system options.  This assessment encompassed a review of each organization, system features, innovation, client service and operational reliability, governance structure, key personnel, vendor partners and system architecture.  In addition, we carried out our own due diligence, which included gathering client feedback and satisfaction data, accessing their actual systems, participating in product demonstrations and tutorials, and holding meetings with both senior executives as well as client-focused staff in these organizations. 

The new online and mobile banking system will have a more modern look and feel and will be intuitive and easy to navigate. There are a number of improvements that our members have told us are important to them, and a list of some of the benefits can be accessed here.

Yes. Between 6:00 p.m. on Friday, August 16 and 8:30 a.m. on Monday, August 19, you will not be able to use online banking or the mobile app. That includes doing online banking transactions such as paying a bill, sending or receiving an Interac e-Transfer® or transferring funds between your accounts.

However, you will still be able to use your debit card for making purchases in a store or accessing an ATM during that time.

While you will be able to log in and use the new system starting at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, August 19, sending or receiving Interac e-Transfers will not be available until 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 20. This is because Interac requires the new online banking system to be operating for a period of time before it can restore e-Transfer connection.

Great question! IT system experts and vendors all advise that it is normal for the existing system to not be operational when a company is implementing a new system. Here are some of the reasons why this is the case:

1. Data transfer – In order to ensure the data in the existing system is accurately transferred into the new system, the old system is taken offline to allow that transfer process to occur.
2. System testing – Before a new system goes live, extensive testing is required to ensure all functionalities are working as expected. The best way to allow that testing to work is to not have the old system operational.
3. Downtime for cutover – a cutover period, which is when the switch happens from the old system to the new system, usually involves planned downtime to ensure a smooth transition.

While it is disruptive, having the existing system not operational during the implementation of the new system is a common and strategic approach to ensure a smooth, secure and efficient transition. This helps to mitigate risks, ensures data integrity and streamlines the overall process.

This is a requirement that’s implemented by Interac because they need the new system to be online before they can restore e-Transfer connection. You can jump to question 18 for more detailed questions and answers about Interac e-Transfers.

As we get closer to the launch of the new online and mobile banking system, we will be providing you with step-by-step instructions on how to log in for the first time. In order to log in, we need to have your current email address and mobile phone number. If we don’t have this information or it’s incorrect, you will not be able to access the new system. Please take 1 minute and complete these steps to confirm your email address and mobile phone number.

Great question! There are many things that are staying the same. There is no change in the following aspects of your banking with CUA:

• Your member / debit card.
• Your credit card.
• Your member account number.
• Your bank account number(s).
• Your cheques.
• Direct deposits you receive.
• Pre-authorized payments you make.
• Automated Funds Transfers (AFTs) you have scheduled.
• Bill payees setup.
• Stop payments you have put in place.
• Account nicknames you assigned.

Yes. Your account alerts are specific notifications that you receive by either email or text message when certain actions are taken within your account. This is for items like when a new Payee or Interac e-Transfer contact is added, when your Personal Access Code (PAC)  or password has been changed or if you have a new message within online banking.

Your current online banking alerts will not be automatically transferred into the new system. Please write down any current alerts before August 16 so that you can set them up in the new online banking system.

We are pleased to advise that you will have a larger selection of alerts available in the new system, which will make it easier to manage your accounts. You can choose how you would like to receive these alerts: by email, text message or push notification from the app. You can find more information on account alerts in the new system on our list of benefits.

If you have appointed delegates for your Small Business accounts, you will need to set them up again after you have logged in for the first time. They do not get transferred into the new system.  Please write them down before August 16.

If you have any unapproved small business transactions as of 6:00 p.m. on Friday, August 16, including those that have been initiated but not approved, they will not transfer into the new banking system. Please ensure any of your transactions have been approved prior to 6:00 p.m. on August 16. Once you are able to log in to the new online banking system, please review your accounts and ensure that all expected transactions have processed.

There are two specific Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) bill payment accounts which will not automatically transfer over into the new system. Specifically, this is for payments set up for CRA GST/HST Amount Owing Remittance (RC 159) and CRA GST/HST Interim Payments Remittance (RC 160).

Before August 16 at 6:00 p.m., please record or save your corporate payee information so that it is easily accessible for you to enter into the new system. You should also download your bill payment history if needed as it will not be available for you within the new system. You can also obtain this same history through your MyCRA account at any time.

After August 16, you will need to set up your payee information again for these two accounts specifically before you can begin making payments.

Yes. You will lose the ability to view your historical data through the online banking system, which includes your past bank statements and summary of recent account activity. However, this information will be available to you by calling CUA’s Customer Contact Centre at any point in time, and our staff will be happy to provide you with a copy of anything you need. You can reach the Customer Contact Centre by calling 902.492.6500 or email us at info@cua.com.

Once the transition to the new system has been completed, you won’t be able to view past bank statements or the details of transactions that occurred prior to the conversion. This specific data is not moved to the new system because of unique system configurations.  The old and the new online banking systems function differently, which also means data is handled differently.  Moving the data would add significant levels of complexity, which increases the potential for errors.

If you receive printed bank statements in the mail, then you already have a copy of this information and won’t need to take any action. If you receive digital bank statements and would like to have easy access to these historical records, you should download or print off these statements as well as any transaction details, such as cheque images. You will need to do so before 6:00 p.m. on August 16.  We have prepared a step-by-step guide to show you how to save this information using online banking or the mobile app.

The e-Documents feature which currently allows you to see your tax documents (e.g., T4RSP, T5, RRSP Receipts) is not integrated with our new online banking system. However, this data will be available to you by calling CUA’s Customer Contact Centre at any point in time.

If you would like to download or print off any of your previous tax slips, please do so before 6:00 p.m. on August 16. We have prepared a step-by-step guide to show you how to save this information. If you need the information after that date and you didn’t save it, please call us at 902.492.6500 or email at info@cua.com and we’ll be pleased to provide it for you.

Yes. Between 6:00 p.m. on Friday, August 16 and 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 20, you will not be able to send or receive Interac e-Transfers because this service is part of the online and mobile banking system.

Your access to full Interac e-Transfer functionality will be available starting at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 20. The Interac e-Transfer feature is available one day after the online and mobile banking platforms. This is because Interac, the organization that owns this feature, requires the new online banking system to be operating for a period of time before it can restore the connection.

 If you receive an Interac e-Transfer during this period, you will not lose these funds. They will remain in a pending state in your email or text messages. You will be able to accept the transfer as normal beginning at 8:30 a.m. on August 20.

If you have sent an Interac e-Transfer prior to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, August 16 that hasn’t yet been accepted by the recipient, you will not be able to see this as a pending transfer once you log in to the new online banking system. This means that you will not be able to make any changes to the pending transfer, including canceling it.

If you would like to cancel the pending transaction, you will need to ask the intended recipient for their help. They can decline the transaction and the funds will be returned to your account. If they take no action, the Interac e-Transfer will expire 30 days after you sent it, and the funds will be returned to your account.

If you have sent a transaction that is pending, but it does not require any changes, then you don’t need to take any action. The recipient can accept the transfer whenever they have an opportunity to do so within 30 days.

Any Request Money sent via e-Transfer prior to the system change must be actioned by the recipient by Friday, August 16 at 6:00 p.m.  If the individual tries to action it after this date, the request will not process.

Yes. If you have previously set up the Autodeposit feature (which means any of your deposits received by Interac e-Transfer will be automatically deposited into your account), it will not carry over into the new online banking system. You will need to turn this feature on again after you log in to the new online banking system for the first time.

If you receive an Interac e-Transfer while the system is not available, you will receive a notification by email or text message, depending on what you have chosen in your Interac settings. You will need to manually accept this Interac e-Transfer once you are able to access the new online banking system.

Yes. Your existing Interac e-Transfer contacts will not transfer into the new online and mobile banking system. You will need to manually re-enter any contacts after you log in to the new system for the first time. Please either write down the contact details or take a screenshot of your current recipients before August 16 so that you can enter the information into the new system. Here is a step-by-step guide using online banking or the mobile app. Before writing it down or taking a screenshot, now is a good time to review your contacts and delete any that are old or that you no longer use.

There is only one minor change with the bill payment functionality, no longer available at the ATM.  This function is only used by 120 members.  All other aspects of the ATM Service stay the same.  CUA has lots of convenient ways to pay bills, including through the online and mobile banking platforms as well as in branch. You can continue to use the ATM in the same way you do now for things like withdrawing cash, depositing your funds or transferring money between your accounts.

The ICU service enables CUA members to go to a branch of another credit union in Atlantic Canada and do banking transactions at the counter with a teller. In March, we communicated to the 200 members who used this service more than six times in the last year and advised them that it will no longer be available starting on August 16.

Our improved banking system is not connected to other credit unions and therefore, in-branch transactions at non-CUA branches will not work. The vast majority of these transactions include withdrawing or depositing cash, depositing a cheque or making a transfer between accounts.

There are other ways to get much of the same service. For example, you can use the ATM and withdraw up to the limit available through your member / debit card, and you can also deposit cash or cheques or transfer money between your accounts. We also have a great feature through mobile banking called “Deposit Anywhere” which allows you to deposit a cheque by taking a photo of it with your phone. Through our online and mobile banking, you can also easily pay bills or transfer money.

Please contact us if we can assist with ensuring your banking activity continues to work for you.