Looking for a credit card best practice? Consider instant issue, suggests one card expert.
Dynamic Card Solutions' Card Wizard offers CUs the ability to instantly issue plastic cards with no fuss, no muss and no wait.
"It eliminates the cost, delay and risk of sending cards through the mail," said Ron Zanotti, vice president of the Englewood, Colo.-based firm. "It's a way to delight your members. We consider this the best practice in issuing cards to members."
Among the other benefits of instant issue:
* Provides a "wow factor" when a member can walk into a branch and immediately get a card, choose his own PIN and start using the card right then.
* Eliminates the security risk of cards being stolen in the mail or being mistaken for junk mail and being thrown out.
* Members are more likely to use a card that has already been activated, versus having to activate a card they have received through the mail.
* Even for cards granted through online or other remote channels, instant issue can cut down on the delivery time, either because members can opt to come to a branch to pick up the card themselves or because the CU can get it in the mail immediately.
* It's affordable: typical investment is about $10,000 to $12,000 per branch with ROI achieved in less than 24 months.
* Gives the CU the opportunity to educate the member on how interchange fees work so they can make informed choices about the difference between signature and PIN transactions.
