Checking Frequently Asked Questions

Our credit union checking accounts are the simplest, safest, most convenient way for you to make purchases and manage your money anytime, anywhere.

It allows you easy access to your money for your usual daily transactions. Most anywhere you can purchase a good or service with cash, you can use a debit card or check instead. It may take hours or days after a transaction until the money is withdrawn from your account. Checking accounts are deposit accounts at banks, credit unions and other financial institutions.

Checking accounts allow consumers to deposit cash to safe places that are often federally insured by NCUA or FDIC. First Tech deposit accounts are insured by NCUA or the National Credit Union Administration. The NCUA’s Share Insurance Fund has the backing of the full faith and credit of the United States. Credit union members have never lost even a penny of insured savings at a federally insured credit union. Depositing your money at an FDIC or NCUA insured financial institution also means you don’t risk cash on hand being lost or stolen. Plus, it may even pay you some interest so you money grows over time. The same can’t be said for money under the mattress or buried in a backyard.

To submit your first check order, log in to Digital Banking and send us a secure message (see instructions below), stop by an experience center location near you or call us at 855.855.8805.

• On a desktop device, locate the Message Center by clicking the account name in the upper left corner of your screen, then selecting “Messages” from the drop-down menu. Select “Compose” to bring up the “New Message” window. Write your message and click “Send Message” when complete.
• On a mobile device, locate the Message Center in the collapsed menu indicated with the three horizontal bar icon. Touch the icon, scroll to Message Center and select, then select Compose. Write your message and press “Send” when complete.

1. Log in to Digital Banking, select the “More” option on your dashboard and locate the “Check Services” widget.
2. Navigate to the “Reorder Checks” tab in the “Check Services” widget. Click “Order Checks,” to be redirected Harland Clarke, First Tech’s trusted third-party check ordering service.
3. Pick a new check design or simply click on the First Tech check in top right corner.
4. Confirm your personal information and verify the starting check number. This should be in sequence with your last used check.

Make changes to the information on your checks or choose a different starting check number by logging in to Digital Banking and using the steps below to send us a secure message. You may also stop by an experience center location near you or call us at 855.855.8805.

• On a desktop device, locate the Message Center by clicking the account name in the upper left corner of your screen, then selecting “Messages” from the drop-down menu. Select “Compose” to bring up the “New Message” window. Write your message and click “Send Message” when complete.
• On a mobile device, locate the Message Center in the collapsed menu indicated with the three horizontal bar icon. Touch the icon, scroll to Message Center and select, then select Compose. Write your message and press “Send” when complete.

Your Available balance is the amount of funds available to cover transactions after subtracting any pending transactions or held funds from your current balance.  Examples of how Available balance and Current balance may affect your transactions can be found within the overdraft fee FAQs.

First Tech may put a hold on your deposited check to help ensure deposited funds clear before they are made available. This helps protect our members, as well as the credit union, against incorrect account balances. If a member spends funds from a check they deposited, and it’s later returned unpaid, they would have to cover the negative balance. The length that funds may be held depends on the situation or type of check that’s deposited. For any hold longer than two days, First Tech will provide notice.

Yes, all of our locations provide temporary checks for new accounts.

To order checks for the first time or to place reorders with changes, log in into Digital Banking and send us a secure message, stop by an experience center location near you or call us at 855.855.8805. To order checks with no changes, log in to Digital Banking and use the Check Services widget.