Unforeseen circumstances happen to us all...and usually at just the wrong time!  Your car breaks down on Wednesday and you don't get paid until Friday.  You make an honest mistake in your check book and it leaves you a "little short" to cover all your outstanding checks.

That's why University Credit Union offers Courtesy Pay, an added member service that protects you from the embarrassment and expense of returned checks.

• Protects you from NSF returned checks

• Protects you from merchant returned check charges

• Protects you from collection agency fees

• Protects your good credit

WHAT IS COURTESY PAY?

Courtesy Pay is a new service that adds a measure of protection to your personal checking/share draft account.  Courtesy Pay may cover items such as checks, up to your approved limit, when funds are insufficient for a set fee per covered overdraft transaction. That means, instead of returning a check to the merchant because of insufficient funds, the Credit Union may pay your check, saving you additional charges from the merchant collection companies, in addition to the Credit Union’s insufficient funds fee. It saves you the embarrassment an inadvertent overdrawn check can cause. It also helps protect your credit rating.

HOW DOES COURTESY PAY WORK?

Overdrafts on your checking account, up to a limit of $500 [including the amount of the overdrawn item(s) and the Courtesy Pay fee(s)] may be honored by University Credit Union. A $25 fee will be assessed for each item that draws your account negative. You then have up to 30 days to bring the account current, either through a direct deposit, transfer of funds, or a deposit at one of our full-service ATMs or main branch office.

WHAT IF I ALREADY HAVE OVERDRAFT PROTECTION?

If you have established other overdraft protection methods, such as a line of credit or automatic transfer from your other accounts, we will always look to pay any overdraft by those other methods first before paying your overdraft utilizing Courtesy Pay and imposing a $25 fee for each overdraft we pay.

DO I HAVE TO APPLY FOR THIS SERVICE?

No. We require no applications or additional signatures. As long as you are a member in good standing which includes having an account with us for at least 60 days, you make regular deposits to that account, bring your account back to a positive balance regularly, and there are no legal orders against your account, your Courtesy Pay privilege remains activated.  Courtesy Pay is a way for us to provide a higher level of service to our members by helping protect your account and reputation when an inadvertent overdraft occurs.

CALL US FOR MORE INFORMATION

We are happy to review Courtesy Pay and its features with you, along with giving you other options to add convenience and ease to your account. Please call us at (617) 739-7447.

Important Courtesy Pay Information

Courtesy Pay is a new service that allows us to pay a check/share draft written on our member's checking/share draft account even if it causes the account to become overdrawn.

Courtesy Pay may provide certain accountholders in "good standing" with the ability to overdraw their personal share draft account up to $500.

If the account has been open at least 60 days and maintained in good standing, defined as A) Making regular deposits sufficient to cover transactions; B) Bringing the account to a positive balance at least once every thirty days or less, and; C) There are no legal orders outstanding on your account, we may, at our sole discretion, pay overdrafts up to the limits mentioned above, including our normal Non-Sufficient Funds and/or Courtesy Pay charge(s).  Whether we pay or return an item, your account will be assessed a fee, either as a Courtesy Pay charge or a Non-Sufficient Funds charge but you will not be charged both fees.

Courtesy Pay offers additional flexibility and convenience in managing accountholder funds, and provides peace of mind knowing that checks may be paid up to the authorized overdraft limit.

This non-contractual courtesy of paying overdrafts requires no accountholder action.  It is not a loan.  No additional agreements need to be signed, and it cost nothing unless the privilege is used - by initiating checks/share drafts, electronic funds transfers, or other payment or withdrawal requests for more than is on deposit in the account.  If you maintain the account in good standing and have need for this "courtesy", we may, at our sole discretion, pay the item(s) up to the authorized limit, and we will charge the account our normal Non Sufficient Funds and/or Courtesy Pay charge for each item that overdraws the account.  We will send you a notice each time an overdraft occurs.

If you receive a direct deposit of your monthly Social Security payment into your checking account and do not want Courtesy Pay eligibility, you must advise us to stop us from paying your overdrafts with these funds.

Courtesy Pay allows University Credit Union to provide a higher level of service to our members by helping to protect your account and reputation when an inadvertent overdraft occurs.

If you have questions, do not hesitate to call Member Services at (617) 739-7447.