Disclosures

Visa Disclosure

How We Will Calculate Your Balance:

We use a method called "average daily balance (including new purchases)."

Effective Date:
The information about the costs of the card described in this application is accurate as of: October 1, 2024
This information may have changed after that date. To find out what may have changed, contact the Credit Union.

For California Borrowers, the Visa Platinum & Visa Platinum Secured, Visa Gold & Visa Gold Secured and Visa Classic & Visa Classic Secured are secured credit cards. Credit extended under this credit card account is secured by various personal property and money including, but not limited to: (a) any goods you purchase with this account, (b) any shares you specifically pledge as collateral for this account on a separate Pledge of Shares, (c) all shares you have in any individual or joint account with the Credit Union excluding shares in an Individual Retirement Account or in any other account that would lose special tax treatment under state or federal law, and (d) collateral securing other loans you have with the Credit Union excluding dwellings.

Other Fees & Disclosures:

Late Payment Fee:
$20.00 or the amount of the required minimum payment, whichever is less, if you are 10 or more days late in making a payment.

Returned Payment Fee:
$20.00 or the amount of the required minimum payment, whichever is less.

Card Replacement Fee:
$20.00.

Emergency Card Replacement Fee:
$160.00.

Pay-by-Phone Fee:
$5.00.

Rush Fee:
$50.00.

Statement Copy Fee:
$2.00.

Overdraft Disclosure

Shell Western States FCU understands that unexpected overdrafts occur from time to time – Overdraft Coverage can help.

Overdraft Coverage Options 

The choice is yours. Consider these ways to cover overdrafts:

Call us at (925) 228-4545 Option 2, email us at CourtesyPay@SWSFCU.net, or visit the branch to sign up this service.

* Per item presented means each time an item is presented, including representment.

Overdraft Protection applies to all transactions and may help prevent overdrafts by automatically transferring funds to your checking account from another account you may have at Shell Western States FCU for a fee. Please note that overdraft lines of credit are subject to credit approval.

Courtesy Pay allows you to overdraw your account up to the disclosed limit for a fee to pay a transaction. Even if you have Overdraft Protection, Courtesy Pay is still available as secondary coverage if the other protection source is exhausted. Please review What Else You Should Know for other important information.

*If you choose Extended Coverage on your consumer account, ATM transactions and everyday debit card transactions will be included with the transactions listed under Standard Coverage. If you already have Courtesy Pay Extended Coverage, it is not necessary to request it again. Business accounts automatically have Extended Coverage. 

You can discontinue Courtesy Pay in its entirety by contacting us at (925) 228-4545 Option 2 or sending us an e-mail at CourtesyPay@SWSFCU.net.

WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW

• A link to another account or line of credit may be less expensive than an overdraft. A single larger overdraft will result in one fee, instead of multiple smaller overdrafts. Use our mobile, internet, and telephone banking services to track your balance. For financial education resources, please visit www.mymoney.gov.

• The $20 Courtesy Pay Fee that is charged if you overdraw your account is the same fee that is charged if an item is returned as unpaid. If multiple items overdraw your account on the same day, each item will be assessed an appropriate Courtesy Pay Fee or a NSF Fee of $20. All fees and charges will be included as part of the Courtesy Pay limit amount. Your account may become overdrawn more than the Courtesy Pay limit amount because of a fee.

• Recipients of federal or state benefits payments who do not wish us to deduct the amount overdrawn and the Courtesy Pay Fee from funds that you deposit or that are deposited into your account may call us at (925) 228-4545 Option 2 to discontinue Courtesy Pay. 

• If an item is returned because the Available Balance (as defined below) in your account is not sufficient to cover the item and the item is presented for payment again, Shell Western States FCU (“We”) will charge a NSF Fee each time it returns the item because it exceeds the Available Balance in your account. Because we may charge a NSF Fee each time an item is presented, we may charge you more than one fee for any given item as a result of a returned item and representment of the item. When we charge a NSF Fee, the charge reduces the Available Balance in your account and may put your account into (or further into) overdraft. If, on representment of the item, the Available Balance in your account is sufficient to cover the item we may pay the item, and, if payment causes an overdraft, charge a Courtesy Pay Fee. We may use the terms “item” and “transaction” interchangeably.

• For consumer accounts, there is no limit on the total Courtesy Pay Fees per day we will charge. 

• Order of Posting: The order in which items are paid is important if there is not enough money in your account to pay all of the items that are presented. We will pay checks, automated debits (ACH), Debit Card transactions, ATM withdrawals and point-of-sale transactions in the order presented to the Credit Union. Multiple checks presented for payment on the same day will be paid in check number order. For ACH transactions, deposits are posted first then debits are posted by settlement date, then lowest to highest amount. For ATM Card and Debit Card transactions, items are posted in the order received. You understand that the order in which items are processed can affect the total amount of fees that may be assessed against your account. The Credit Union reserves the right to adjust the above processing times in its sole discretion. Holds on funds (described herein) and the order in which transactions are posted may impact the total amount of Courtesy Pay Fees or NSF Fees assessed. 

• Courtesy Pay is not a line of credit; it is a discretionary overdraft service that can be withdrawn at any time without prior notice. 

• Depositor and each Authorized Signatory will continue to be liable, jointly and severally, for all overdraft and fee amounts, as described in the Membership Application and Account Agreement. The total (negative) balance, including all fees and charges, is due and payable upon demand.

• We may be obligated to pay some debit card transactions that are not authorized through the payment system but which we are required to pay due to the payment system rules, and as a result you may incur fees if such transactions overdraw your account. However, we will not authorize debit card or ATM transactions unless your account’s Available Balance (including Overdraft Coverage Options) is sufficient to cover the transactions and any fee(s). 

• Giving us your consent to pay everyday debit card and ATM overdrafts on your consumer account (Extended Coverage) may result in you incurring Courtesy Pay Fees for transactions that we would otherwise be required to pay without assessing a Courtesy Pay Fee. However, this would allow us to authorize transactions up to the amount of your Courtesy Pay limit. If you consent to Extended Coverage on your consumer account, it will remain on your account until it is otherwise withdrawn.

Understanding your Available Balance: Your account has two kinds of balances: the Ledger Balance and the Available Balance.

• We authorize and pay transactions using the Available Balance. 

• Your Ledger Balance reflects the full amount of all deposits to your account as well as payment transactions that have been posted to your account. It does not reflect checks you have written and are still outstanding or transactions that have been authorized but are still pending. 

• Your Available Balance is the amount available to you to use for purchases, withdrawals, or to cover transactions. The Available Balance is your Ledger Balance, less any holds due to pending debit card transactions and holds on deposited funds. 

• The balance used for authorizing checks, ACH items, and recurring debit card transactions is your Available Balance plus the amount of the Courtesy Pay limit and any available Overdraft Protection. 

• The balance used for authorizing ATM and everyday debit card transactions on accounts with Standard Coverage is your Available Balance plus any available Overdraft Protection but does NOT include the Courtesy Pay limit. 

• The balance used for authorizing ATM and everyday debit card transactions on accounts with Extended Coverage is your Available Balance plus any available Overdraft Protection and includes the Courtesy Pay limit. 

• Because your Available Balance reflects pending transactions and debit holds, your balance may appear to cover a transaction but later upon settlement it may not be sufficient to cover such transaction.  In such cases, the transaction may further overdraw your account and be subject to additional overdraft fees. You should assume that any item which would overdraw your account based on your Available Balance may create an overdraft.  Note that we may place a hold on deposited funds in accordance with our Deposit Account Agreement and Disclosure, which will reduce the amount in your Available Balance. 

• Please be aware that the Courtesy Pay amount is not included in your Available Balance provided through online banking, mobile banking or Shell Western States FCU’s ATMs.

• We will place a hold on your account for any authorized debit card transaction until the transaction settles (usually within two business days) or as permitted by payment system rules.  In some cases, the hold may exceed the amount of the transaction.  When the hold ends, the funds will be added to the Available Balance in your account.  If your account is overdrawn after the held funds are added to the Available Balance and the transaction is posted to the Available Balance, a Courtesy Pay Fee may be assessed.

• Except as described herein, we will not pay items if the Available Balance in your account (including the Courtesy Pay limit, if applicable) is not sufficient to cover the item(s) and the amount of any fee(s)..

• Shell Western States FCU may also suspend your debit card if your account is overdrawn more than 32 consecutive calendar days. Debit cards on your account will remain suspended until you make sufficient deposits so that your account balance is positive.

• Shell Western States FCU may also suspend your debit card if we are unable to contact you due to an incorrect mailing address or phone number(s). You must contact us with your correct mailing address and/or phone number(s) to have your debit card reinstated.

• If your debit card is suspended, you will be unable to use your debit card(s) for purchases or to access your account(s) associated with the debit card(s) at the ATM while your debit card is suspended.  If you use your debit card for recurring payments, e.g., utilities, you are responsible to make other arrangements for your recurring debit payment(s).

Understanding Overdraft Privilege Limits

• New consumer and business checking accounts will receive a $100 Introductory Courtesy Pay limit at account opening that will be increased to $500 after 30 days in good standing for consumer accounts

• Courtesy Pay may be reduced if you default on any loan or other obligation to us, your account becomes subject to any legal or administrative order or levy, or if you fail to maintain your account in good standing by not bringing your account to a positive balance within 32 days for a minimum of one business day. You must bring your account balance positive for at least one business day to have the full Courtesy Pay limit reinstated.

If you have any questions about Overdraft Protection or Courtesy Pay, please call us at (925) 228-4545 Option 2 or visit a branch.

What You Need To Know about Overdrafts and Overdraft Fees

An overdraft occurs when you do not have enough money in your account to cover a transaction, but we pay it anyway. We can cover your overdrafts in two different ways:

1. We have standard overdraft practices that come with your account.

2. We also offer overdraft protection plans, such as a link to another account, which may be less costly than our standard overdraft practices. To learn more, ask us about these plans.

This notice explains our standard overdraft practices.

What are the standard overdraft practices that come with my account?

We do authorize and pay overdrafts for the following types of transactions:

• Checks and other transactions made using your checking account number

• Automatic bill payments

We will not authorize and pay overdrafts for the following types of transactions without your consent.

• ATM transactions

• Everyday debit card transactions

We pay overdrafts at our discretion, which means we do not guarantee that we will always authorize and pay any type of transaction. If we do not authorize and pay an overdraft, your transaction will be declined.

What fees will I be charged if Shell Western States FCU pays my overdraft?

Under our standard overdraft practices:

• We will charge you a fee of up to $20 each time we pay an overdraft 

• There is no limit per day on the total fees we can charge you for overdrawing your account

What if I want Shell Western States FCU to authorize and pay overdrafts on my ATM and everyday debit card transactions?

If you want us to authorize and pay overdrafts on ATM and everyday debit card transactions, call (925) 228-4545 Option 2, visit our website at www.SWSFCU.org, email us at CourtesyPay@SWSFCU.net, complete the form below and present it at a branch or mail it to: 1700 Pacheco Blvd, Martinez, CA 94553.  You can revoke your authorization for Shell Western States FCU to pay these overdrafts at any time by any of the above methods.  Your revocation must include both your name and your account number so that we can properly identify your account.

SWS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION - Privacy Policy

We at SWS Federal Credit Union value the privacy of our members. You have chosen to do business with us, and we recognize our responsibility to keep the information you provide to us secure and confidential. We believe that all personal financial information specific to you that you provide SWS Federal Credit Union through any channel constitutes personal information. Protecting your privacy, along with your financial assets is our top priority. SWS Federal Credit Union is committed to servicing all the financial needs of its members. As a service to you, our member, we may share information with select third parties that can offer valuable products and services that may interest you. When we share information with other parties for marketing purposes, you can expect them to treat it with the same strict standards as your credit union.

This privacy policy, explains how we protect the privacy of your personal information and when we release information about you under certain situations, such as to maintain your account, or other circumstances as required or permitted by law.

Information We Collect and Disclose to Others

In the course of doing business, we collect and use various types of information, such as information available from public records and credit reports, as well as information you provide to us. We may also access information about you, such as credit reports, when considering a request from you for additional services or when exercising our rights under the law or any agreement with you. In addition, we collect information about you from the following sources:

• Information we receive from you on applications and other forms you submit to us, such as your name, address, and social security number

• Information about transactions with us, our affiliates or others such as account balances and payment history

• Information we receive from credit reporting agencies, such as your credit worthiness and credit history

We may also disclose all the information that we collect as described above. We do not disclose any non-public personal information about our members and former members to anyone, except as permitted by law.

Sharing Information with Third Parties

We may disclose non-public personal information about you to financial service providers such as insurance agents. We may also disclose non-public personal information about you to nonaffiliates third-party processors as necessary to complete transactions, maintain accounts and records, and as permitted by law.We may disclose all the information we collect as described above, to companies that perform marketing services on our behalf or to other financial institutions with whom we have joint marketing agreements. We may also disclose information about you, under other circumstances, as permitted or required by law.

Confidentiality and Security of Information

Keeping your financial information secure is an important responsibility that is taken seriously at SWS Federal Credit Union. We value your trust and handle your information with care. We restrict access to non-public personal information about you except to those employees who need to know that information to provide products or services to you. Our policies and procedures emphasize the importance of keeping our members' information confidential. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal regulations to guard your non-public personal information.

Controls and Alerts

The Controls & Alerts App periodically collects, transmits, and uses geolocation information to enable features that prevent fraudulent card use and send alerts, but only if the End User expressly authorizes collection of such information. Geolocation information can be monitored on a continuous basis in the background only while the Solution is being used or not at all, depending on the End User’s selection. End Users can change their location permissions at any time in their device settings.

Accuracy of Information

We make every effort to ensure that our records contain accurate, current, and complete information. If you find that your account information is inaccurate, please call us at (925) 228-4545 or write to us at 1700 Pacheco Blvd, Martinez, CA 94553. We will promptly investigate and make any necessary changes to update our records.

Termination of Membership

If you decide to terminate your membership with SWS Federal Credit Union, we will not share information we have collected about you, except as may be permitted or required by law.