Servus Credit Union is based in Edmonton, Alberta, and is one of the largest credit unions in Canada based on assets under management.
Read this review of Servus Credit Union to learn about the financial products and services they offer to individual and business members.
Who is Servus Credit Union?
Servus Credit Union has been around for a while, going back to 1938 when it was founded in Alberta. As of this writing, the credit union has more than 385,000 members and over $16 billion in assets.
Servus Credit Union’s headquarters is in Edmonton. They have regional offices in Lloydminster and Red Deer and over 100 branches across Alberta.
Like other credit unions in Canada, Servus is member-owned and pays out dividends as part of its annual profit share program.
Members of Servus have access to 1,800+ no-fee (ding-free) ATMs in Canada.
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Servus Credit Union Accounts: Personal Banking
They offer chequing and savings accounts, loans, mortgages, investing, insurance, trust, and estate services.
Servus Chequing Accounts
Pay-As-You-Go: No monthly fee, $1.25 per transaction and per Interac e-Transfer.
Personal Plan 30: $10.95 monthly fee (waived with a $3,000 minimum monthly balance), 30 free electronic or in-branch transactions/month ($1.25 after), and unlimited Interac e-Transfers.
Personal Plan 60: $11.95 monthly fee (waived with a $3,500 minimum monthly balance), 60 free electronic or in-branch transactions, and $1.25/transaction after.
Personal e-Plan 60: $11.95 monthly fee (waived with $2,500 minimum monthly balance), 60 electronic transactions per month ($1.10-$1.50/transaction after), unlimited Interac e-Transfers, and one free non-credit union ATM withdrawal.
Personal Unlimited Plan: $15.95 monthly fee (waived with $4,000 minimum monthly balance), unlimited electronic or in-branch transactions, unlimited Interac e-Transfers, and two free non-credit union ATM withdrawals.
Personal Premium Unlimited Plan: $25 monthly fee (waived with $5,000 minimum monthly balance), unlimited e-Transfers and free non-credit union ATM withdrawals.
Senior Unlimited: For members who are 60+. No monthly fee, 100 free cheques per year, unlimited electronic and in-branch transactions, a $10 discount on safety deposit boxes, five free cover drafts, and $1.50 per Interac e-Transfer.
17-25 Be Free: For members aged 17-25. No monthly fee, unlimited electronic or in-branch transactions, unlimited Interac e-Transfers.
Youth Plan: For members aged 0-16 years. No monthly fee, 60 electronic or in-branch transactions, two free Interac e-Transfers, and one free non-credit union ATM withdrawal ($1.50 each after).
U.S. Pay-As-You-Go: No monthly fee, $1.25 for withdrawals, cheques, and automated fund transfers.
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Servus Savings Accounts
Personal Savings: No monthly fee, one free transaction ($1.50 after), $1.50 per Interac e-Transfer, deposits are free (including photo cheque deposits and Interac e-Transfer).
High-Yield Savings: No monthly fee, tiered monthly interest, one free transaction, then $5 each.
U.S. Personal Savings: No monthly fee and tiered monthly interest rates.
U.S. High Yield Savings: No monthly fee, tiered monthly interest, one free transaction/month, unlimited transactions between Servus accounts.
Servus Credit Cards
Servus offers four personal Mastercard credit cards:
1. Servus No Fee Mastercard: $0 annual fee, earn 1 point for every $2 spent on eligible purchases (0.50% cash back), accidental death, and baggage delay insurance.
2. Servus Gold Mastercard: $75 annual fee, earn 1% back on all eligible transactions, purchase protection and extended warranty, comprehensive travel insurance, 19.99% purchase interest rate, and 5,000 bonus points (worth $50).
3. Servus Low-Rate Mastercard: $30 annual fee, a purchase interest rate of 11.99%, baggage delay, and accidental death insurance.
4. Servus World Elite Mastercard: $150 annual fee, earn 2 points per $1 spent (2% cash back), price protection, purchase protection and extended warranty, identity theft assistance service, comprehensive travel insurance, and 19.99% purchase interest rate.
Investing: Invest/save in an RRSP, TFSA, RESP, and more using stocks, bonds, mutual funds, GICs, and high-yield savings. Servus has a partnership with Credential Securities (full-service brokerage) and Qtrade (for online self-directed investing).
Loans: Personal, mortgage, consolidation, investment, student, and renovation loans.
Insurance: Including home, auto, travel, life, illness, and disability insurance.
Trust and Estate Planning: They offer estate planning, estate administration, professional trustee services, and investment administration services.
How To Open a Servus Credit Union Account
Members of Servus can choose to bank in person at a branch, by phone, or by using the Servus Credit Union app, which is available on iPhone and Android.
Mobile banking: You can easily access your balance, manage your payment cards, and deposit a cheque.
Telephone banking: Call 1-877-378-8728. This service is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
In-Branch banking: Servus has more than 100 branch locations in 60 communities across Alberta. For inquiries, you can also mail them at [email protected] or use the contact form on their website.
To open an account, you must:
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Live in Alberta or within 75 km of the nearest branch
- Purchase one membership share for $1
- Have a social insurance number
Online membership applications take 10 minutes or so. Members receive a share of the profit every December in both cash and common shares.
Related: Free Cash Back Apps To Save Money
Servus Credit Union Fees
In addition to the posted fees for various accounts, some other fees to be aware of are:
- Non-credit union Canada ATM: $1.50 each
- Cirrus ATM withdrawal in the U.S.: $3 each
- Cirrus ATM withdrawal international: $5 each
- Paper statements: $2/quarter unless included in an account package
Is Servus Credit Union Safe?
Servus Credit Union is a member of the Alberta Credit Union Deposit Guarantee Corporation (CUDGC). This means that your deposits (chequing, savings, and GICs) are 100% guaranteed against bankruptcy.
Note that non-deposit investments like common shares, investment shares, mutual funds, and self-administered RRSPs (shares and mutual funds) are not protected by CUDGC.
Conclusion
There are hundreds of credit unions that offer their members lower fees, customized banking options, ownership benefits, community development opportunities, and more.
This review of Servus Credit Union is a part of a series on credit unions in Canada.
Apparently Servus requires l a minimum credit score of 500 to qualify to become a member if you wish to open an account online. If it’s below 500 then you need to go into a branch with ID, speak to an advisor and see if they will make an exception to allow membership. It is at the discretion of the branch & staff. I feel this is a ridiculous rule to have after Covid considering how many people struggled due to unemployment or underemployment – especially when only trying to open chequing and savings accounts. Poor service from representatives and it is not listed in the criteria required to open a new account
@Eva: Thanks for noting this.