evergreenDIRECT Credit Union (WA) Kasasa Cash Available Statewide
evergreenDIRECT Credit Union (eDCU) added the Kasasa brand to its product line more than two years ago. The Kasasa Cash checking account currently earns 2.50% APY on qualifying balances up to $20k. Qualifying balances over $20k earn 0.35% APY, with non-qualify balances earning 0.05% APY.
The monthly qualification requirements include,
- At least 12 debit card purchases
- At least one ACH debit payment or eDCU Bill Pay transaction
- Be enrolled in and receive monthly electronic statements
- Be enrolled in and log into online banking
The Kasasa Cash account has no minimum balance requirement, no monthly service fee, and no required minimum opening deposit. Nationwide ATM fees will be reimbursed up to a total of $25 per month (maximum $4.99 per single transaction), if qualification requirements are met. An ATM receipt must be provided for any ATM fee of $5.00 or greater to receive the refund. Unlimited checking writing is available and a free Visa® debit card will be issued following account opening. There is a limit of one account per Social Security number. A Kasasa Cash account is required to have a Kasasa Saver account.
The fine print on the Kasasa Cash landing page describes in great detail how a Kasasa Cash account can and cannot be used, with the last sentence reading,
Accountholders who persist in making debit card transactions in a calculated and limited fashion in order to meet their monthly qualifications for four (4) consecutive months, may have their Kasasa checking account converted to a different checking account or closed altogether.
Kasasa Saver
eDCU’s Kasasa Saver account earns 1.00% APY on qualifying balances up to $20k. Qualifying balances over $20k earn 0.35% APY, with non-qualify balances earning 0.05% APY.
Kasasa Cash earned rewards and reimbursed ATM fees are automatically transferred to the linked Kasasa Saver every month. The Kasasa Saver has no minimum balance requirement, no monthly service fee, and no required minimum opening deposit. There is a limit of one account per Social Security number.
Annual Earnings of Combined Kasasa Cash Checking/Kasasa Saver Accounts
The potential combined annual earnings of the Kasasa Cash (2.50% APY/$20k) and the Kasasa Saver (1.00% APY/$20k) is approximately $700 (1.75% APY/$40k).
Kasasa Cash Back
eDCU’s Kasasa Cash Back earns 3.00% cash back on debit card purchases, limited to the first $250 of monthly purchases. If you are planning on maintaining a balance under $3,600, the Kasasa Cash Back account would probably be a better deal than the Kasasa Cash account; the maximum annual earnings for the Kasasa Cash Back account is $90 ($7.50 per month).
The Kasasa Brand
For those not familiar with the Kasasa brand, Kasasa Cash is a type of Reward Checking Account (RCA) developed by the Texas company, Kasasa, Ltd. According to the Kasasa website,
Kasasa: the free checking account that rewards each month for doing things you already do.
By performing certain actions valuable to your bank or credit union, like using your debit card or online banking, your institution makes more money, which they share with you in the form of rewards.
In case you were wondering, “Kasasa” is just a made-up word.
In a world where real-life people are too often taken for granted as account numbers,
we didn’t want to be the next [INSERT GENERIC NAME] checking account.
Availability
Headquartered in Tumwater, Washington (just south of Olympia), evergreenDIRECT Credit Union’s field of membership (FOM) includes anyone who lives, works, or worships in Washington State, or is part of any school district in Washington State.
Relatives of current eDCU membership are also eligible to join, regardless of where they live.
Joining eDCU and/or opening a Kasasa Cash, Kasasa Cash Back, or Kasasa Saver account can be done online or over the phone (360-943-7676 or 800-327-4286). The lobbies of the two Washington branches in Olympia and Tumwater remain closed to walk-in traffic, but appointments are available.
$5 of the initial funding amount will be used to open a
Share Savings Account that is required for membership.
eDCU participates in the CO-OP Shared Branch and ATM networks, as well as the MoneyPass ATM network.
Credit Union Overview
evergreenDIRECT Credit Union has an overall health grade of “A" at DepositAccounts.com, with a Texas Ratio of 2.55% (excellent), based on September 30, 2020 data. In the past year, the eDCU has increased its total non-brokered deposits by $9.04 million, an excellent annual growth rate of 18.09%. Please refer to our financial overview of evergreenDIRECT Credit Union (NCUA Charter # 68546) for more details.
Established in 1954 by State Department of Public Assistance employees, the original name was SDPA Credit Union. Nearly 20 years later, a federal charter was adopted and the name was changed to Social and Health Services Federal Credit Union. At that time, the FOM consisted of Department of Social and Health Services and Department of Health employees, and all other previously included groups. A State Charter was adopted in 2005 and the current FOM was put into place. The evergreenDIRECT Credit Union rebrand occurred in 2007, following the merger with Evergreen Federal Credit Union.
How the Kasasa Cash Compares
When compared to the High Yield Reward Checking Accounts tracked by DepositAccounts.com that are available to all Washington State residents and have maximum qualifying balances of at least $20k, evergreenDIRECT Credit Union’s Kasasa Cash APY currently ranks second.
The above rates are accurate as of 12/30/2020.
To look for the best Reward Checking Account rates, both nationwide and state specific, please refer to our High Yield Reward Checking Account Rates Table page.
