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Card Services

Visa Card

ARC FCU is happy to offer two options for members who are applying for a credit card:

Silver Card - members have come to love this low-rate* card for its security, reliability, and convenience.

Gold Cash Back Rewards Card - earn 1.5% cash back on all your eligible purchases** while still receiving the security, reliability, and convenience that users of our Silver Card have come to love.

Both our Silver and our Gold Visa credit cards offer a limit up to $10,000* and are accepted worldwide, anywhere you see the Visa logo. For the record, that’s more than 200 countries and territories around the world, and over 9 million merchants in the US alone. Here are some of the reasons an ARC Visa credit card might be the one for you:

  • Use anywhere Visa is accepted
  • No annual fee
  • No minimum finance charge
  • Easy account access to view recent activity, including earned cash back rewards
  • Contactless and Digital Wallet payment options

 

*(Annual Percentage) Rate and card limit is based on credit score at time of application. Other restrictions may apply. Rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Must meet ARC Federal Credit Union membership and loan requirements. Credit union approval depends on creditworthiness and other qualifications.

**Some exclusions apply. See Gold Cash Back Rewards Terms & Conditions for full details.

 

Call 1-866-643-9031 if your ARC Visa Card was lost or stolen.

To activate your card or change your PIN, call 1-866-985-2273.

If you notice fraudulent activity on your card, call 1-888-918-7313 to report it immediately.

For other card questions or concerns email us at cardsupport@arcfcu.org


Visa Secure

Visa Secure (formerly Verified By Visa) provides and extra layer of security when using your Visa card online. In addition to ARC’s methods of preventing, detecting, and resolving fraud, we also offer Visa Secure. This free, simple-to-use security feature helps make shopping online safer by helping prevent unauthorized use of your Visa card.

When you see the Visa Secure badge on a merchant site, you may be guided through an additional check to verify your identity. This helps us know that you’re really you and better protects you from fraud.

FAQs

MasterMoney Debit Card

Our members who open a checking account at ARC also qualify for a free debit card to get quick, easy access to those funds. In a world where convenience is key, be sure to apply for an ARC debit card when you open your checking account so you don’t miss out on:

  • Access to funds in your ARC checking account for purchases anywhere you see the MasterCard logo
  • 24/7 access to your ARC accounts at any ATM machine
  • Large network of free ATMs – Click here
  • Contactless and Digital Wallet payment options

Call 1-866-643-9031 if your ARC MasterMoney Debit Card was lost or stolen.

To activate your card or change your PIN, call 1-866-985-2273.

If you notice fraudulent activity on your card, call 1-888-918-7313 to report it immediately.

For other card questions or concerns email us at cardsupport@arcfcu.org


MasterCard SecureCode

MasterCard SecureCode is a private code for your debit card that you can use when you're shopping online. Only you know what your code is – retailers aren't able to see it. So you can trust that your transactions get independent approval every time. 

FAQs

Prepaid Cards

At ARC, we understand that payment types are not one-size-fits all. We offer two types of prepaid cards as an easy, affordable money management alternative. Both are pre-funded and feature an online tool to login and track your spending.


ARC Everyday Spend Card

To help meet the needs of someone who may not fit the mold for a traditional debit card, we offer our prepaid Everyday Spend card. Also called our General Purpose card, this card is an easy way to manage your money because it’s pre-funded. You only load the amount you want to spend onto the card so you don’t need to worry about over-spending or costly checking account overdraft fees.

With unlimited reloads and your name imprinted on the front, the Everyday Spend card is a great alternative to traditional debit cards. You can use it wherever Visa Debit is accepted.

  • Great way to budget your spending
  • Available to all members 13 and older – you just need an ARC savings account!
  • Unlimited reloads ($0.50 per reload)
  • ATM and PIN access
  • Avoid checking account overdraft fees
  • Safer way to shop & pay bills online

You can call a Member Service Representative (MSR) at ARC during regular business hours to reload your card. Typically, these funds will be available within 1 to 2 hours of calling the credit union.

You can also log in to CU Money and manage your card balance there. *Card reloads processed through CU Money directly typically take 3 business days before funds become available.*

Access Your Everyday Spend Card

CALL 1-877-850-9650 TO REPORT YOUR EVERYDAY SPEND CARD LOST OR STOLEN.


Gift Cards

What’s the only present that doesn’t need a gift receipt? Money – and our gift cards are no exception. They make the perfect gift for any occasion and are ready for you the minute you walk in the door. With all the advantages our gift cards offer, you’ll wonder why you waited so long to start using them!

  • Instant issue (great for last-minute gifts)
  • Use anywhere in the US where Visa is accepted
  • Safe spending alternative when traveling

Activate your card and keep track of your remaining balance with the link below:

ARC Visa Gift Card

CALL 1-866-833-2370 TO REPORT YOUR GIFT CARD LOST OR STOLEN.

We’ve all been there – the dreaded fraud alert that strikes at the worst possible moment. Whether you’re standing in (the longest) line at the store, just trying to get this week’s groceries, or 12 hours from home in the middle of a family vacation, there is no good time to deal with card fraud. We understand and, more importantly, we understand the impact of working to prevent card fraud before it happens.

ARC’s fraud detection programs monitor your MasterCard debit card transactions 24/7/365 for suspicious activity. If potentially fraudulent transactions are taking place, we’ll contact you immediately so that future fraudulent transactions can be avoided. We monitor for activity outside of your normal purchasing patterns, unusual timeframes and geographical locations, or purchase patterns that are consistent with previously identified fraud trends.


How we contact you

Speed is critical in stopping potential card fraud, which is why our Card Alert Notification service will send you a text message as soon as it detects suspicious activity. You can then confirm whether or not the transaction was authorized by you and, if necessary, we can immediately take steps to ensure no more fraudulent transactions come through your card. If suspicious charges appear on your card, we do following to contact you:

  • A text message will arrive containing: our financial institution name, dollar amount of the transaction in question, and the merchant name.
  • You will be asked to reply with “Y” for yes if you authorized the transaction. You will receive a confirming text message and can continue to use your card with confidence.
  • Replying “N” for no means you have not authorized the transaction. You will receive a confirming text message and you will be contacted immediately by a fraud specialist to protect your account. Please answer this important call.
  • Do not reply to this text message with any personal information or confidential card information.
    • If you would like to opt out of receiving these important messages by text, you may reply "STOP" to indicate this preference.
  • If the text message is not answered within 30 minutes, a digital call is made to your phone and a message is left if you do not answer.
  • If you do not respond within 3 hours of this call, a second, final, call is made. No message will be left after the second call attempt if there is no answer.
  • Our final attempt to alert you to potential fraud if no response to our first three attempts is received will be an email sent 5 minutes after the final call.

*Text messages to your mobile device are free, but all other fees on calls and texts are subject to the terms of your voice/data plan with your mobile carrier.


Help us protect you

Here are some important tips to help us help you when it comes to card safety:

  • Make sure we have your current mobile & home phone numbers, email address, and contact information.
  • Notify us prior to your departure if you are traveling in the US or to a foreign country.

Updated contactless card designs

What is EMV?

EMV is a global card payment standard that was named after its original developers (Europay, Mastercard, and Visa). Development for this technology was started in 1993, began to see widespread global adoption around 2011, and is now used in over 130 countries worldwide. The EMV Chip is a more secure alternative to storing sensitive card and cardholder information than on a card’s magnetic stripe because the chip creates a unique code for each transaction.

Information on a magnetic stripe never changes and is simply used over and over with each swipe. If that information is compromised, it can easily provide scammers with the ability to make fraudulent charges and convert stolen card info to cash. Since October 2015, the US (finally) jumped on board with EMV technology and now all credit and debit cards are chip-enabled. Yay!

The Chip Dip

At this point most of us are familiar with the look and function of a chip-enabled card, but a concern that has come up surrounding day-to-day use of these cards is that the chip will malfunction or fail before the card expires. One of the most important steps that you as a cardholder can take to prevent this from happening is – DO NOT REMOVE YOUR CARD FROM A PAYMENT TERMINAL BEFORE THE TERMINAL INSTRUCTS YOU TO.

Let’s break down why:

  • When paying with an EMV chip-enabled card, you first “dip” the card into the payment terminal.
  • Depending on the terminal being used, you may be asked to remove and then re-insert your card.
  • Next, the transaction will occur as in the past when using a magnetic stripe – you will approve the amount of the transaction then sign or enter your PIN.
  • After you have authorized the transaction you will (hopefully) see a notice on the terminal that your transaction was approved. Here’s where we make mistakes folks. The terminal is not done with your card just because your transaction was approved – DO NOT REMOVE YOUR CARD YET!
  • Finally, about 1 second after your transaction is approved, you will see a notice on the terminal that says “Please Remove Your Card”. NOW you can safely remove your card.

Waiting for that small prompt from the machine holding your card hostage can make a difference. When the hardware in the terminal latches onto your card to communicate with the EMV chip, there is metal-on-metal contact. If you do not wait for the “ok” from the machine to remove your card, that contact is still happening and though your card still slides out of the terminal, every time it happens you risk damaging your chip.

Other Factors

Not waiting for your card to be released from a terminal is not the only way to damage you chip card, but it seems to be what we’re guilty of most often. Cards can also be cracked, warped, or exposed to other things that will cause physical damage to the chip and prevent it from working. We recommend that you keep it in your wallet (bonus points if you have an RFID-blocking one) and try not to expose it to extreme conditions. We also understand that stuff happens, so if your card does stop working, contact us at (814)946-0857, opt. 3 so we can order you a replacement.