Rivermark Community Credit Union - Card Solutions - Fiserv

Case Study
Rivermark Community Credit Union
Rivermark Community Credit Union Discusses Its Decision to Move
Its Card Services Processing to Fiserv
“Members Come First.” More than just a motto, these three
words define the approach to member service delivery that
Rivermark Community Credit Union adopted 60 years ago
and continues to excel at today.
Since 1951, families in the communities
served by the credit union have trusted
Rivermark for affordable financial solutions.
The credit union offers membership to
anyone who lives or works in 11 Oregon
counties. Rivermark has a passion for its
members and the communities it serves,
believing that all the credit union’s strategic
plans should be based on improving the
member experience. This includes its card
services processing and debit network
business partner relationships.
Bobbi Brown, Vice President of Information
Technology for Rivermark, is proud of the
credit union’s focus on member services.
“We don’t do anything as a credit union
without asking the question, ‘What’s in it
for our members’ It’s just who we are and
a priority in all of our decision making.”
An Evaluation Process Spotlights Fiserv
When Rivermark decided to consolidate its
signature and PIN debit services to a single
processor, the credit union took a similarly
cautious approach, thoroughly evaluating
several vendors. Fiserv was one of many
technology providers that Rivermark
approached. It was during the evaluation
process, noted Brown, that Fiserv began
to set itself apart from the other firms.
“The level of professionalism at Fiserv was
Client Profile
• Six branches located throughout Oregon
• $550 million in assets, 64,000 members
• Delivers a variety of financial services,
including checking accounts, credit and
debit cards, and auto and home loans
• Existing Fiserv client using XP2 ® ,
Nautilus ® and LynxGate ®
• Member of the Accel TM Debit Payments
Network from Fiserv since October 2010
www.rivermarkcu.org

unmatched. They went so much deeper
into what they had to offer as a partner for
us than any of the other vendors.”
As the evaluation process progressed,
Brown was continually impressed with her
complete accessibility to Fiserv expertise:
“The fact that we were able to assess
how the entire Fiserv relationship could be
leveraged to bring better efficiencies and
member service was a real differentiator.”
“When we needed to dig down to the details – we
didn’t have to dig the answers out of Fiserv. We
were able to talk directly to the experts in every area
where we had questions or concerns. That level of
commitment to service was simply not there from the
other vendors.”
Bobbi Brown
Vice President, Information Technology
Rivermark Community Credit Union
Fiserv outlined a comprehensive strategy
for Rivermark, which included a complete
implementation plan, detailed pro forma
information about what to expect from
its debit payments network, Accel, and
its related services, ongoing training
opportunities post implementation, and
unlimited access to the Fiserv teams
assigned to support the credit union in
every aspect of its card services delivery.
The Fiserv presentation also outlined an
aggressive fraud prevention framework
for Rivermark, something the credit union
knew would be a critical component of its
card services program moving forward.
The Right Choice for Rivermark
Rivermark converted its PIN and signature
debit card processing services to Fiserv
and its Accel network. Since the move,
Brown has been very pleased with the
decision. “For years we had separate
vendors for signature and PIN. We
adapted to two different reports from
different platforms. But since the Accel
implementation, we have definitely seen
the significant benefits of consolidating the
signature and PIN debit business under
Fiserv. Utilizing a single vendor and network
for our entire card services program has
made it dramatically easier for cross training
and to effectively support our members.”
Consolidating signature and PIN under
Fiserv has also made issue resolution much
easier for Rivermark. “With our last vendor,
we would call in an issue, and the vendor
would call the third-party company it used
for processing. Things would often get
lost in translation. That has not happened
with Fiserv. If we have an issue, we speak
directly to the person who solves our
problem, and that has given us much more
control over our circumstances,” said Brown.

Rivermark has been equally impressed
with the fraud prevention strategy it has
in place. “Risk Office SM from Fiserv has
been invaluable to us,” said Brown. “With
recent fraud issues happening across the
country, different financial institutions
have taken various steps to mitigate
loss – and with different levels of success.
The granularity of Risk Office has enabled
us to maximize our fraud protection for
our members and our credit union – with
limited inconvenience to our members.
That is extremely important to us!”
Why Fiserv
“I have been asked by other institutions
why we chose Fiserv and Accel” said
Brown. “First and foremost, there were no
surprises – the implementation and the Accel
product were exactly as advertised. We
knew what to expect from day one, and I can
say six months later that I would make the
same decision again,” Brown noted.
The professionalism at Fiserv is unmatched. Being
able to go directly to the processor with any issue
or question, and knowing that you are talking to the
person who can answer your question and make
things happen is invaluable.”
“The second aspect that really attracted us
was the Network Advisory Council – and
the fact that Accel council members are
actually member financial institutions.
It’s a true cross-section of the Accel
membership base, which helps drive
fair pricing and network decisions based
on what is advantageous for members,
and not just the network. That is truly
a differentiator for Fiserv, and for Accel
network members like us.”
Another differentiator for Brown was the
level of service that her members gained
through Accel, which has enabled her to
drop a competing PIN debit network when
the credit union’s contract ends this year.
“After we witnessed the power of Accel,
having a single PIN debit network made
sense to us. It gives us more control for
servicing our members, and by choosing
Accel as our preferred PIN debit network,
we were able to enhance our revenue even
further. It was a win-win for Rivermark and
our members!”
Bobbi Brown
Vice President, Information Technology
Rivermark Community Credit Union

Fiserv is driving
innovation in Payments,
Processing Services,
Risk & Compliance,
Customer & Channel
Management and
Insights & Optimization,
and leading the
transformation of financial
services technology to
help our clients change
the way financial services
are delivered. Visit
www.fiserv.com for a look
at what’s next, right now.
Accel from Fiserv
Accel provides a cost-effective way for
financial institutions to deliver cardholders
anytime, anywhere access – and choice
in secure and convenient payments with
innovative transaction sets and channel
diversity to help members strengthen
consumer relationships and create a
competitive edge. Our clear, competitive
pricing maximizes member financial
institution revenue and minimizes overall
participation expenses, while eliminating
unnecessary overhead and fees that can
hurt a financial institution’s profitability.
Connect With Us
For more information about Accel or Risk
Office, call us at 800-888-0085 or visit
www.fiserv.com/accel.
Challenge
Rivermark Community Credit Union was
looking to optimize its debit card processing
and payments portfolio, maximize its
payments network investment, and enhance
overall service delivery to its members.
Solution
After Fiserv outlined a comprehensive
strategy including implementation, postimplementation
training, aggressive fraud
prevention, and unlimited ongoing access to
Fiserv expertise, Rivermark made the decision
to consolidate its PIN and signature debit card
processing services by selecting Accel as its
preferred payments network and Fiserv as its
primary technology services partner.
Proof Points
Since the implementation of Accel, Rivermark
Vice President of IT Bobbi Brown has
been very pleased with the credit union’s
decision to partner with Fiserv.
• Member support has been dramatically
enhanced by utilizing a single network
for all member services
• Staff cross-training has been simplified
• Support issues have been solved
quickly, and without any need for
third-party intervention
• Fraud prevention via Risk Office has been
extremely effective, and with minimal
inconvenience to credit union members
Fiserv, Inc.
255 Fiserv Drive
Brookfield, WI 53045
800-872-7882
262-879-5322
getsolutions@fiserv.com
www.fiserv.com
© 2013 Fiserv, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Fiserv is a registered trademark of Fiserv, Inc. Other products referenced in this material may
be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. 611-12-14047-COL 04/13