FAQs

An insufficient funds fee (sometimes referred to as a non-sufficient funds fee or NSF fee) can occur when you don’t have enough money in your checking (spending) account to cover the entire transaction. Most financial institutions will reject the transaction and charge a fee. Stanford FCU will reject the transaction, but we won’t charge a fee.

An uncollected funds fee can occur when there are pending credits to your account (like a deposited check that has yet to clear), and you try to make a purchase for more than your available balance. Although there are funds on deposit, a transaction may be declined because the purchase would overdraw the account. Since the check has not cleared, a financial institution cannot guarantee those funds.

As a best practice, always use your available balance as a guide for writing checks, withdrawing cash and making purchases. You can monitor your available balances through Digital Banking.

There are options available to protect you from an overdrawn account. Learn more about our overdraft protection options.

There is no fee for a Cashier’s or Official Check for our members! You can request one in Digital Banking if it’s payable to you, stop by one of our branches, call us at 888.723.7328, or send a secure Message through Digital Banking to get your Cashier’s Check today!

There’s no fee for Stop Payments! For security purposes and faster service, we recommend that you complete your Stop Payment requests in Digital Banking:

• Click here to place a Stop Payment of a check or checks
• Click here to place a Stop Payment or Dispute an ACH transaction

After your request has been received and processed, you will receive confirmation through a secure Message in Digital Banking.

We do not have money orders. Members can get a Cashier’s or official check, and there is no fee. You can get a free Cashier’s Check from a local Stanford FCU branch, any shared branch in the U.S., or request one in Digital Banking if the check will be payable to you. If you need a Cashier’s Check made payable to another person, you can send a secure Message through Digital Banking.

Stanford FCU charges a monthly $5.00 inactivity fee for an account with less than $2,500 and no activity for the past 12 months. For current information about our fees, please see our Schedule of Fees.

The inactivity fee was disclosed in the Member Agreement you received at the time you opened your account. If you have other active accounts or loans, you will not be charged this fee.

Avoid Inactivity Fees

You can avoid the fee by making at least one transaction every six months, or opening other active accounts such as:

• New and used auto loans – consider refinancing an existing loan to lower your monthly payment
• Rewards Credit Cards with no foreign transaction fees, balance transfer fees, or annual fee (and you’ll earn rewards on every purchase)
• Home loans you can trust, with great rates and personal service
• High-rate Money Market and Certificates help you earn more
• Investment products to help your savings grow

Stanford FCU does not charge our members to use non-Stanford FCU ATMs, however the owner of the other ATM may charge a fee. We waive those bank fees for members with Student Spending Accounts, and those with an Ambassador or Partner Loyalty+ relationship (and provide other benefits!). All members can find over 30,000 fee-free ATMs by using our ATM and Branch Locator.

There are no fees for replacing a lost or stolen card.

You can view our current ATM and Debit Card fee(s) on our Schedule of Fees. All fees are subject to change without notice.

If you are a member of Stanford FCU, then all Stanford FCU ATMs are free! If you are a member of the Co-op Shared Branch Network, then our ATMs are free for you as well.

Stanford FCU members with Student Spending accounts and members with an Ambassador relationship get free unlimited worldwide ATMs, with all ATM fees reversed.

All Stanford FCU members have access to 30,000 fee-free ATMs nationwide. Use our ATM Locator to find one near you.

If you use your debit card, you can also receive cash back at no charge when you make a purchase at a retail location.

If you are a non-member you will be charged $3.00 per transaction (unless you are a member through Co-op). The only time our members will be assessed an ATM fee is when you withdraw cash from an ATM that is not in our network (the fee will be charged by the other bank, not Stanford FCU).

Please refer to our Schedule of Fees for a complete list of fees.

Yes. Notary service is available at our branches and we encourage you to make an appointment to ensure a notary is available. There is no charge for members to use this service. Please bring a photo ID.

Not a member yet? Joining is easy! You can open an account with Stanford FCU with as little as $5.00. Open your account today!

Yes, we highly recommend that you schedule an appointment for notary service at one of our local branches to ensure a notary will be available to assist you. There is no charge for members to use this service. Please bring a photo ID.

Stanford FCU does not have Safe Deposit Boxes in our branches

Looking to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud? Check out our Fraud Prevention Center for information on online security, resources and tips!

It’s easy to get even more value from your Stanford FCU membership - just deposit your payroll with us or use our debit or credit card for your everyday expenses to access your Loyalty+ rewards (formerly Membership Rewards)!

At Stanford FCU, we want to help you make the most of your banking experience. That’s what Loyalty+ is all about. You get more value when you do more business with us. There are two levels of membership based on your engagement: Partner and Ambassador.

You’ll enjoy exclusive benefits like bonus deposit rates, loan discount rates, and unlimited free worldwide ATMs.

Learn more on our Loyalty+ web page, and view your Loyalty+ status in Digital Banking.

We do not offer traditional insurance products, but we do have specialty insurance for auto loans and some of our credit card products.

Auto Specialty Insurance

• Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP)
• Mechanical Breakdown Protection (MBP)

You will be offered these products at the time you fund a new auto loan.

If you have additional questions, please call 888.723.7328 to speak with a Member Care Team Specialist.

We absolutely will accept coin deposits! We do not have coin counting machines, so you will need to roll your coins before you bring them in for deposit.

You can find a Stanford FCU branch or fee-free ATM near you by visiting our ATM and Branch Locator.

Questions? Contact us at 888.723.7328 or use Chat.

You can get a free Cashier’s Check from a local Stanford FCU branch, any shared branch in the U.S., or request one through Digital Banking (if the check will be payable to you). You’ll receive an email confirmation after your request is received, and you should receive your check within 7 to 10 business days.

If you need a Cashier’s Check made payable to another person, you can use Chat or send a secure Message through Digital Banking.

The maximum daily ATM withdrawal is $500. If you need to withdraw more, please call us at 888.723.7328 or visit a branch.

Out of town? No problem!

For your convenience, we participate in shared branching with Co-op, a cooperative effort between credit unions nationwide to assist each other’s members. As a result, you can conduct business on your Stanford FCU accounts at other credit unions and ATMs throughout the country as if you were at your local branch (with some service restrictions).

For a list of participating shared branch locations, please visit our ATM and Branch Locator.

Yes! To find a deposit-taking ATM near you, please use our ATM and Branch Locator. You will find a list of our branches and thousands of fee-free and deposit-taking ATMs throughout the country.

Our policy is to make funds from your cash and check deposits available to you on the first business day after the day we receive your deposit. Funds from deposits (cash or checks) made at ATMs that we do not own or operate may not be available until the fifth business day after the day of the deposit. If the deposit is made at a non-Stanford FCU ATM, we may also extend the hold depending on the type of check deposited.

You can also make deposits electronically using mobile deposit within our mobile app. Just download the Stanford FCU mobile app from the App Store or Google Play, then follow the prompts to enroll.

You can get your own credit report for free by visiting annualcreditreport.com.

Your credit score is a reflection of the information contained in your credit report, and we encourage members to review their credit report regularly.  Here’s what you should look for and what it means to your credit:

• Accuracy – Review the entire report for general accuracy. If you see any accounts that you didn’t open or any existing accounts with errors, you should contact the credit bureau to request a correction.
• Inquiries– Your credit report will show who has been accessing your credit report. There are two types of inquiries:
  • Soft inquiries include inquiries made by creditors with whom you already have a credit account, inquiries where you’re monitoring your own credit, or when your credit is checked by a lender to make you a pre-approved credit offer. Since lenders are not making a lending decision or guaranteeing approval, these inquiries are typically considered promotional and won’t affect your credit score.
  • Hard inquiries occur when a business has accessed your credit report in connection with an application for credit. If you see any hard inquiries that you don’t recognize, it may be an indication that someone is attempting to obtain credit using your name and social security number. In that event, you should quickly report the inquiry to the credit bureau.

Your Free Credit Report

Under federal law, you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months from each of the three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The bureaus have established one central service for consumers to contact:

Annual Credit Report Request Service

Website: annualcreditreport.com

Telephone: 877-322-8228

Mail: P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348

You can obtain your three reports all at once, or stagger your requests throughout the year to monitor your credit more frequently. Your credit score is not included with the report, although you can purchase it for a fee. You can also view your free credit score quarterly in Digital Banking!

Yes! We have a special relationship with Enterprise Car Sales to bring you quality used vehicles at affordable prices.

We’ve got great rates and great loans!

We have the same low rates for new and used vehicles, up to 90 days with no payments, and up to 125% financing. Learn more on our Vehicle Loans page. We even offer a convenient auto loan calculator to help you estimate your payments.

Members will apply through Digital Banking. Non-members must first apply for membership online in as little as 10 minutes. You can also apply by phone at 888.723.7328 or make an appointment at a local branch to discuss your loan needs.

Yes, Stanford FCU members can redeem Series E, EE, and I U.S. Savings Bonds at one of our Bay Area branches. Your accounts must be in good standing and there’s no limit on the number of bonds we can redeem in a single visit. The bonds must be signed in our presence, which can be time consuming.

For special situations like when the payee is a minor, deceased, or has a Power of Attorney, all documents confirming the legality of the payee will need to be reviewed before we can redeem the bonds.