Credit unions send thousands upon thousands of statements, notices, and forms each month. And, although printing, material, and mailing costs per letter aren’t expensive, they add up quickly. Eliminating those associated costs can save credit unions a lot of money!

But how can they do that? You already know the answer! The easiest way to save on mailing costs is by sending electronic statements and notices instead of paper ones.

And pushing conversion to eStatements doesn’t just help your bottom line—it also reduces the workload on credit union staff! Here are a few eStatement conversion campaign ideas for your credit union.

How to Convert Members to eStatements

At XDI, we have years and years of experience with conversion campaigns. Some of our favorite methods can’t be replicated outside of the XDI ecosystem, but we still have a few tricks up our sleeves. Here are some of our favorites:

1. Eliminate account or maintenance fees. You’re not the only one trying to save money. So are your members. Dropping any associated account fees for members who switch can motivate a good number of people!
2. Push notifications and marketing interruptions. Make an alert or popup in your online and mobile banking portals to switch to eStatements. Some people just need a little push. Others will do it just to get rid of the notification!
3. Clearly explain the benefits. Some don’t switch to eStatements because they don’t understand the advantages. Create an attractive infographic that explains why they might want to make the switch! For example:
   1. Allows earlier access on any device.
   2. Enables easier file management.
   3. Saves money for the CU that can be passed onto members.
   4. Reduces paper use and waste.
4. Targeted ads and (e)mail outreach. If your credit union uses retargeting advertisements, an eStatement conversion campaign could be very effective. If not, try sending a couple mail or emails urging members to switch.
5. Incentivize! Some credit unions have paid members to switch, but you might get more creative. A sweepstakes or a raffle might do the trick, or perhaps make eStatement adoption a prerequisite to accounts bearing higher interest.

Any of these methods can certainly work. And of course, you can always promote the switch to eStatements on your website, mobile app, or even in branch.

One thing we recommend avoiding is charging a new fee for members who don’t convert. Nobody likes paying for something that used to be free. That kind of move could hurt member satisfaction—some members might even close their accounts!

Additional Reading

There are many ways to run eStatement conversion campaigns, but none of them are particularly easy. Nevertheless, the move to electronic statements and notices an important one. Not only does it loosen your budget—it also ensures continued great service for your members!

If you’d like to learn more about eStatements and eNotices, follow the links below.

Does Your Credit Union Have a Letter Production Process if You Go Virtual?

What Kinds of Member Communications can Credit Unions Outsource?