“In 2006 Pittsburgh Central FCU was looking for alternative income in addition to our interest income from loans and investments. From a trusted friend, the credit union was introduced to SmartStep Solutions as a solution to overdraft protection. In the preceding months, I interviewed other providers of Courtesy Pay and was surprised at the fees those companies expected from the credit union for servicing the program, which would have caused Pittsburgh Central a profitability concern. SmartStep provided a complete solution for this credit union. The initial marketing materials, program compliance, and an ease-of-use administering process was a welcome surprise - especially in an industry that does more with less as a rule. SmartStep and its employees have been wonderfully supportive of the needs of the credit union. They provide a great product, great service, and definitely a preferred service provider in the credit union movement!”

Dan Moon • Pittsburgh Central Federal Credit Union • Sewickley, Pennsylvania
$41M • 1713 Checking Accounts
IntegraSys - Premier
240% Increase in NSF Fee Income

“When we were considering a Courtesy Pay program, our state examiner referred us to SmartStep Solutions. Once we discovered everything they offered, we were pleased to see that they manage and maintain all of the compliance requirements of the program. That takes the burden off of the credit union staff to make sure current rules and regulations regarding Courtesy Pay are current. If anything changes, SmartStep notifies us and updates our brochures, policies, letters, disclosures and
whatever else is needed – that’s a wonderful value to our credit union.”

Georgia Roberts • Co-op Toledo Credit Union • Toledo, Ohio
$8.6M • 674 Checking Accounts
R.C. Olmstead
172% Increase in NSF Fee Income

“We researched three different vendors who all provided an identical service, but SmartStep Solutions was able to do it at a much more cost-effective price. They were extremely helpful and answered all of our questions as we performed our due diligence in selecting a vendor.

The implementation and staff training of this service was quick, simple, and easy. The SmartStep team was available every step of the way. On the first day we launched the program, we had a few questions which were promptly addressed by the SmartStep staff. Choosing SmartStep Solutions as our ODP provider was a great decision which resulted in growth in income for our credit union.”

Lori Weber • Lehigh Valley Federal Credit Union • Allentown, Pennsylvania
$13.6M • 981 Checking Accounts
CompuSource, Inc.
328% Increase in NSF Fee Income

“The main reason we chose SmartStep Solutions was because of their pricing structure. Our current Data Processor, Symitar, endorsed another vendor for ODP, but the SmartStep program was much less expensive and provided substantially the same service. The implementation was simple, and the SmartStep group has followed through on everything they promised. We’re very pleased with the results from our ODP program. Since initiating our partnership with SmartStep, we have increased our NSF fee income by 100%. “

Kevin Maguire • DCH Credit Union • Tuscaloosa, Alabama
$27M • 3017 Checking Accounts
Symitar, Cruise
103% Increase in NSF Fee Income

“SmartStep Solutions has been a great source of income for our credit union over the years. Since implementing our ODP program, we have recognized and sustained over a 500% growth of our NSF income, with relatively minimal effort or staff resources required on our part.

As a small credit union, we were thrilled to find an ODP vendor like SmartStep Solutions who would work with a credit union our size.

Our relationship with SmartStep Solutions was so successful during the contractual period, we immediately enrolled in their renewal program when our contract expired. Their compliance guarantee and ongoing support is worth the renewal fee we paid. It was a no-brainer.”

Deborah Hartke • Superior Savings Credit Union • Massillon, Ohio
$13M • 679 Checking Accounts
GBS - Sharetec
534% Increase in NSF Fee Income

“When we decided to research ODP vendors, a neighboring credit union suggested we contact SmartStep Solutions. We evaluated several vendors and determined that SmartStep would be the best fit for us.

When we were starting the program, I had a little apprehension about two issues. The first was how the SmartStep technology would integrate with our current data processor. SmartStep had never worked with our core system and that gave me a little cause for concern. The second issue was the fact that SmartStep would be conducting all staff training remotely via conference call. I wasn’t sure how effective that type of training would be for our staff. The other ODP vendors offered to visit the credit union to conduct the staff training – but at the credit union’s expense.

As far as the technology, SmartStep handled everything. They worked directly with our DP vendor, OSI, to ensure that their technology platform was compatible with our system. They worked with us and our vendor to test, troubleshoot and resolve any issues that arose. Overall, the technology issue that I thought was going to be such a big problem, ended up being a non-issue.

Regarding the training, the SmartStep team was professional, informative, and thorough to ensure that our staff was educated regarding this new product. Our training materials arrived on time, the conference calls were effective and helpful, and I was pleasantly surprised they did such a comprehensive job training our staff and never once visited us in person.

Overall, our experience with SmartStep has been wonderful. The program has had a great response from our members, and the SmartStep staff was (and continues to be) extremely helpful whenever we have any questions or need their assistance.”

Lisa Hilderbrand • Omega Federal Credit Union • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
$68M • 4118 Checking Accounts
OSI (Liberty Fi-Tech)
74% Increase in NSF Income

“SmartStep Solutions has a great ODP program that has provided a significant amount of income for our credit union. I don’t know where we would be without it, especially in this economy.

The implementation was simple and easy – the initial training from our SmartStep representative was extremely thorough, and all staff members were fully educated about the details of this program. As any CEO knows, launching a new product can be chaotic, but the SmartStep team made it a breeze.

The software system integrates with IntegraSys, and the program requires very little staff time and effort to implement. But the bottom line is….members love it.”

Pam Suber • Pennstar Federal Credit Union • Hermitage, Pennsylvania
$27M • 959 Checking Accounts
IntegraSys - Charlotte
114% Increase in NSF Income

“We’ve been using the SmartStep ODP program for almost 4 years, and we’ve averaged a 300% increase in revenue throughout that time period. Our members continue to appreciate and utilize the service. In this economy, our members are trying to stretch their paychecks as much as possible, and this gives them a little help in between paydays. Our board of directors is thrilled with the overall results – additional income as well as providing a safety net for our members.”

Marsha Garris • City of Painesville Employees Credit Union • Painesville, Ohio
$18M • 929 Checking Accounts
GBS - Sharetec
380% Increase in NSF Income

“Our credit union had developed our own ODP program, but we wanted to find an outside source to help better manage the program and provide an additional lift in revenue.

As a Symitar customer, we were told about their endorsed partner, however, after evaluating them and others, we found that SmartStep Solutions offered all the same components and was the best value for the price.

We have been pleased with our decision. Our ODP program has shown a significant increase in revenue, and SmartStep delivered everything they promised, including a seamless interface with Symitar.”

Jay Hufford • Community First Credit Union • Santa Rosa, California
$121M • 3716 Checking Accounts
Symitar - Episys
32% Increase in NSF Income