TNB Card Services Purchases Credit Card Portfolios in Five States

TNB Card Services has purchased the credit card portfolios of five more credit unions, in five states, and is currently converting those card portfolios to TNB’s agent issuing program. The latest purchases bring the total number of programs that credit union-owned TNB has purchased to 115 since it launched its agent issuing program in 2002.

TNB now owns the programs of Central Florida Healthcare Federal Credit Union in Florida, Plains Bell Federal Credit Union in Texas, Wyandotte Community Federal Credit Union in Michigan, Arkansas Superior Federal Credit Union in Arkansas, and Richland Federal Credit Union in Montana.

Among the five card programs, TNB added more than $4.6 million in outstanding balances to its agent issuing portfolio.

“For some credit unions, managing and growing their credit card programs through a dedicated management team with effective promotions is just too overwhelming,” said Jay Kurian, first senior vice president of TNB Card Services. “That is when the best thing for the program may be to sell it. As a trustworthy partner and a part of the credit union movement for more than 30 years, TNB understands credit unions and delivers the best payment products and services to members thus, strengthening their relationships with the credit unions.”

Central Florida Healthcare Federal Credit Union, based in Orlando, had been considering selling its program for a few years, since it wasn’t able to offer truly competitive card products, said Shawna Gore, assistant lending manager.

The credit union decided to go with TNB because of its background – TNB Card Services has always been owned and directed by credit unions – as well as its service and card product offerings, Gore said.

The 52-year-old credit union serves medical employees in six central Florida counties, with seven branches in the cities of Orlando, Ocala, and DeLand. It has 14,000 members and assets of $61 million. Gore said the credit union will use proceeds from the program sale to enhance its auto loan program.

Plains Bell Federal Credit Union, based in Amarillo, Texas, was already a client of TNB’s credit card processing services when it decided to sell the program to the company it had grown to trust.

“If we were going to grow the card program, we realized that we needed to put more resources into building and marketing it,” said Terry McCormick, CEO of Plains Bell Federal Credit Union. “We felt we could do just as well by selling it.”

The credit union considered only TNB as the program buyer, McCormick said. “I’ve known John Reap, CEO of Town North Bank, for many years and knew we could trust TNB. They aren’t going to go after my car loans or steal our members.”

Plains Bell was founded in 1940 and historically served telephone company workers, but now  serves a variety of special interest groups. It has five branches in the Texas Panhandle to serve its members.

Wyandotte Community Federal Credit Union, which has served the Detroit suburb since 1951, came to the conclusion that it just couldn’t offer its members the best credit card products on its own. It decided that TNB, because of its credit union ownership, was the best buyer for the program.

“We looked at the cost of the program and what we weren’t able to offer our members because of our size,” explained Yvonne Taylor, president and CEO of Wyandotte Community Federal Credit Union. “We looked into a number of issuers, but TNB was the best option. It was important to us that they understand the credit union philosophy. We hope that with TNB expanding the card program, our members will make us their number one financial institution.”

For Arkansas Superior Federal Credit Union, based in Warren, Arkansas, the credit card program wasn’t a priority, so the credit union was receptive when TNB, its longtime card payments processor, brought up the subject of a purchase.

“We really just want our members to have better cards as part of a stronger program,” noted Dwayne Ashcraft, president and CEO of Arkansas Superior Federal Credit Union. “We’re hoping that TNB will grow the program to the point that we can receive income from it comparable to what we received when we managed it.”

The credit union, 50 years old this year, serves 100 different employee groups in southeastern Arkansas.

At Richland Federal Credit Union, based in Sidney, Montana, the card program had stagnated, and the credit union just didn’t have the resources to make it competitive. Impressed by TNB Card Services, it chose TNB as the program’s buyer.

“We wanted to offer our members more products and benefits and to promote the cards, but we didn’t have the experience or finances to effectively manage and grow the program,” said Kevin Mayer, manager and CEO of Richland Federal Credit Union. “TNB’s longevity in this business, and the volume of what they process, are impressive. We are looking to them to grow the number of cardholders relative to our membership and offer the promotions that we couldn’t.”