From everyday to event-driven: How Peoples Advantage FCU drove 4X higher card-on-file switches

Overview

Peoples Advantage Federal Credit Union (PAFCU), a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), serves the Richmond, Virginia metropolitan area. With a mission to close the wealth gap and provide affordable financial services to underserved members, PAFCU looked for innovative ways to increase card usage and strengthen member relationships.

Challenge

Ahead of Amazon Prime Day in 2022, PAFCU aimed to make its debit card the default payment method for its members. While the credit union had run card-on-file campaigns before, performance lagged behind the Digital Onboarding platform average. PAFCU needed a way to better motivate members to act quickly and make the switch in time for a major shopping event.

Solution

PAFCU used the Digital Onboarding platform to launch a dedicated Prime Day campaign that included:

• Two emails and two SMS messages sent to opted-in debit card holders
  
• A cadence timed to shopping behavior: five days before Prime Day and one day before
  
• Personalized microsites featuring the Card on File Widget, allowing members to instantly update default payment settings at Amazon and 60+ other online merchants
• A 100-point debit rewards incentive for making the switch

We are excited to make our card top-of-wallet, not only for members that we are onboarding but also our existing members.”

‍Heather Minetree, VP of Operations

Results

The campaign delivered impressive results, driving stronger card engagement and accelerating digital wallet adoption across key channels:

• Default payment switches occurred at a rate 4x higher than average compared to prior card-on-file campaigns
  
• Members updated their payment preferences not only at Amazon but also at other online merchants
  
• Increased debit card transaction volume while positioning PAFCU’s card top-of-wallet

Impact

By aligning a digital campaign with a major retail event, PAFCU drove stronger engagement and captured a larger share of member spending. The initiative demonstrated that well-timed, incentive-based campaigns can effectively accelerate behavior change and enhance product adoption.

By making banking easier, we are able to foster greater relationships and capture a larger portion of our members’ transactions.”

‍Heather Minetree, VP of Operations

Conclusion

Peoples Advantage Federal Credit Union successfully leveraged Digital Onboarding to transform a routine card-on-file initiative into a high-performing campaign. By targeting Prime Day specifically, the credit union increased default payment switches, boosted debit card usage, and deepened member relationships.