USE Credit Union

USE CU has convenient full-service and ATM locations onsite at University of California campuses and other major employers that USE serves. I don’t use the full-service location often, but it is nice to have nearby. A big plus is the free (for just 15 minutes) parking next to the branch on the University of California, San Diego campus. Free parking just doesn’t exist on a UC campus!

I’m satisfied overall, but can only rate this CU average, because of my dissatisfaction with the online banking experience and the ATM experience. Unfortunately, the web site and the ATMs are what I use most often to conduct business with USE CU.

The ATMs are my biggest source of dissatisfaction, for the following reasons:

--Users have to select a language every time I access the ATM, even though the language preference of a customer is very unlikely to change over time

--The ATM allows only 1 transaction at a time. After completing any transaction (even an on-screen account balance), you have to end your session, reinsert your ATM card, and log in again. Aside from the tremendous nuisance (a typical stop might include viewing a balance, depositing a check, transferring funds from savings to checking, and withdrawing cash) involved, I believe that the need to enter a PIN multiple times greatly increases the risk that someone watching can learn my PIN.

The online banking is just so-so. Navigation involves too many steps in many cases. Also, there is often some service or another that the CU seems to be pressing on its customers.