Overview

Founded in 1915, Navigant Credit Union is Rhode Island’s oldest credit union, with more than $3.7 billion in assets and a strong presence across the state. With a mission to improve the financial well-being of its 140,000+ members, Navigant is recognized for its innovation, award-winning service, and community focus.

To better attract and retain younger members while reducing onboarding friction, Navigant partnered with Digital Onboarding. The credit union eliminated outdated paper welcome kits and adopted a digital-first approach, resulting in impressive increases in service adoption, operational cost savings, and a more personalized member experience.

Misson

This insight sparked a shift in perspective. While many institutions focus heavily on acquiring new accounts, Navigant recognized that speedy account opening means little without a simple, engaging post-opening experience. Friction in onboarding—like paper welcome kits and scattered service enrollment steps—discourages adoption and erodes trust.

Navigant’s marketing team, led by Molly Pastore, knew that traditional 2x2x2 onboarding—centered around paper folders and disjointed communications—was no longer serving members or the business.

To eliminate friction and increase service adoption, Navigant chose to overhaul its onboarding experience. The mission: replace outdated processes with a seamless, digital journey that aligns with modern member expectations—especially among younger generations.

Goals

• Replace costly, ineffective paper welcome kits
• Increase adoption of digital services like direct deposit, debit card activation, and eStatements
• Create a more engaging, modern onboarding experience
• Reduce new account attrition and boost long-term value

Tactics

Navigant Credit Union transformed its onboarding process by implementing a fully paperless experience using Digital Onboarding’s engagement platform. The initiative was designed to remove friction, increase service adoption, and better align with how modern members—particularly younger generations—prefer to engage.

Instead of relying on printed welcome kits, Navigant now delivers personalized microsites tailored to each member’s account type and onboarding stage. These microsites are part of a strategic 40-day sequence of email and text communications that guide members through key setup steps.

Each microsite includes embedded self-service widgets that make it easy for members to complete essential actions such as enrolling in direct deposit, activating debit cards, signing up for eStatements, and downloading the mobile app. By removing unnecessary steps and providing clear, timely prompts, Navigant ensured members could quickly take action without confusion or delay.

• Personalized digital microsites replaced printed welcome folders
• 40-day onboarding sequence drives member awareness and action
• Embedded self-service widgets made it easy for members to enroll in direct deposit, activate debit cards, sign up for eStatements, and download the mobile app
• Email and text reminders encouraged completion

Results

Navigant’s onboarding transformation led to significant member engagement improvements and operational benefits:

• 50% of checking account openers enrolled in direct deposit
• 25% adopted eStatements
• 50% activated their debit cards
• Reduced paper waste and mailing costs associated with welcome kits
• Positioned Navigant as a digital-first leader among credit unions

Impact

Navigant Credit Union’s investment in Digital Onboarding translated directly into deeper member relationships and measurable operational efficiency. By streamlining adoption of key services like direct deposit, eStatements, and debit card activation, the credit union accelerated wallet share growth in critical early stages of the member lifecycle. Just as important, the shift from paper to digital onboarding significantly reduced fulfillment costs and freed up frontline staff—enabling the team to focus on advisory conversations instead of administrative follow-up. For Navigant’s leadership, the results weren’t just digital—they were strategic.

Conclusion

Navigant’s strategic shift toward radical onboarding simplicity is paying off. The credit union is not only engaging new members faster but also building trust and loyalty through thoughtful, frictionless experiences. As it continues to attract younger generations and stand out in a competitive market, Navigant plans to expand its use of Digital Onboarding to further personalize and automate member journeys.