EXCEL Federal Credit Union (GA) Rewards Checking Available Statewide

EXCEL Federal Credit Union’s (EXCEL) has been offering its Kasasa Cash Checking account for more than three years, with the initial 2.50% APY on qualifying balances up to $15k still in effect. Qualifying balances over $15k earn 0.25% APY, with non-qualifying balances earning 0.05% APY.

The qualifying requirements are easily fulfilled and do not include a direct deposit or ACH transaction.

• Have at least 12 debit card POS purchases
• Be enrolled in and agree to receive e-Statements
• Be enrolled in and log into online banking at least once per statement cycle

EXCEL’s Kasasa Cash Checking account has no monthly service fee, no minimum balance requirement, and no minimum opening deposit requirement. Unlimited check writing is available and a free debit card will be issued following account opening. Unlimited nationwide ATM fees will be reimbursed per month (maximum $4.99 per individual transaction), if all qualifying requirements are met. There is a limit of one account per social security number/tax ID/household.

Kasasa Cash Back

EXCEL also offers a Kasasa Cash Back account, which currently earns 2.00% cash back on debit card purchases, limited to $300 of monthly purchases. If you are planning on maintaining a balance of less than $2,900, the Kasasa Cash Back account would probably be a better deal than the Kasasa Cash Checking account, as the maximum annual earnings for the Kasasa Cash Back account is $72 ($6 per month).

Kasasa Saver

EXCEL does not offer a Kasasa Saver account.

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 Peachtree Corners, Georgia, EXCEL Federal Credit Union’s field of membership (FOM) is employment-based, with employees/members of more than 500 Atlanta area Select Employer Groups eligible to join. (A complete list of the SEGs can be found on the online application.)

One of those SEGs, the Getting Ahead Association (GAA), can be joined by “any individual who maintains a valid Georgia residence and is genuinely committed to improving their own financial well-being.”

According to GAA’s About Us page, its members are eligible to join 16 different Georgia credit unions, including EXCEL. Joining GAA ($5 annual dues) can be done online or by downloading a GAA Membership Application. As stated on the GAA Membership page,

Applications can also be found at participating credit unions, or by calling 678-542-3535.

Immediate family members (spouse, parent, sibling child, grandparent, and grandchild) of a current EXCEL member are also welcome to apply.

Joining EXCEL and/or opening a Kasasa Cash Checking/Kasasa Cash Back account can be done online, or at any of three Georgia branches, located in Atlanta (2) and Peachtree Corners. As stated on EXCEL’s home page,

Text “APPOINTMENT” to (770) 441-9235 or click here to schedule a time to visit an Atlanta banking branch. Masks required.

A $10 minimum deposit in a savings account establishes an Excel FCU membership. The $2 monthly minimum balance fee on savings account balances below $100 will be waived if you have more than one EXCEL deposit account.

EXCEL participates in the CO-OP ATM network, but not the Shared Branch network.

Credit Overview

EXCEL Federal Credit Union has an overall health grade of "A+" at DepositAccounts.com, with a Texas Ratio of 1.3% (excellent) based on March 31, 2021 data. In the past year, EXCEL has increased its total non-brokered deposits by $26.47 million, an excellent annual growth rate of 29.99%. Please refer to our financial overview of EXCEL Federal Credit Union (NCUA Charter # 7825) for more details.

EXCEL Federal Credit Union was founded in 1952 as the Atlanta GSA Federal Credit Union, with an FOM exclusive to federal employees of the General Service Administration. BY 1996, more than 400 additions (mergers and new SEGs) had been made to the original charter, prompting the EXCEL rebrand. EXCEL Federal Credit Union is currently the 28^th largest credit union headquartered in Georgia, with nearly 15,000 members and assets in excess of $146 million.

How the Kasasa Cash Checking Compares

When compared to the High Yield Rewards Checking Accounts tracked by DepositAccounts.com that are available within the FOM and have maximum qualifying balances of at least $15k, EXCEL Federal Credit Union’s Kasasa Cash Checking APY currently ranks fifth.

The above rates are accurate as of 6/18/2021.

Thinking of opening a Reward Checking Account? Please refer to our High Yield Reward Checking Account Rates Table page for both nationwide and state-specific accounts.