The ACH Backup Plan Your Credit Union Needs

It’s not official yet, but we’re just waiting for Merriam Webster to deem “uncertainty” as the word of the year for 2025. We’re not surprised by any means, but it’s certainly (ironic, huh?) wearing out its welcome these days.

Instead of resisting the word, though, why not do what we can to address the root cause of the uncertainties plaguing credit unions? In the payments world, there are many uncertainties, but one that we’ve seen occur quite a few times in recent history are service disruptions. That begs this critical question…

What Happens if Your ACH Processor Goes Down?

Whether they stem from severe weather, tech failures or even a global pandemic (let’s not relive that, shall we?), outages can cause damages that are just as catastrophic as they are uncertain.

For services such as ACH, delays and disruptions aren’t just inconvenient – they could be detrimental to your credit union’s reputation and your members’ finances. Think about it…members rely on those funds to pay bills, buy groceries and manage their finances, and not having access to them can create serious ripple effects.

The truth of the matter is, if your credit union relies on a single ACH processor – such as a core provider or third-party vendor – and an outage does occur, you may be at risk of a single point of failure.

The High Cost of a Single Point of Failure

Recent history has shown that the impact of an ACH processor outage can be far reaching and severe, not just for your credit union, but also for your members that depend on timely processing of electronic payments.  If your credit union doesn’t have a contingency plan in place, you’re risking more than just downtime – you’re risking member satisfaction and institutional credibility.

Luckily, having an ACH contingency option can be the antidote that brings peace of mind to all parties…and we know just where you can find one.

The Solution: MY CU Services’ ACH Contingency Solution

MY CU Services, the payments CUSO of Vizo Financial, offers an ACH contingency solution for credit unions that currently utilize another primary ACH provider. This solution will allow you to process and deliver ACH payments through an alternative source.

Here are just a few reasons why our ACH contingency solution might just be the backup plan your credit union needs:

• Negates any outages that stem from technical issues, security incidents, natural disasters or equipment failures with your primary ACH provider.
• Ensures operational resiliency and mitigates reputational risk.
• Reduces risk-related costs compared to regulatory penalties and lost revenue.

With an ACH contingency solution, you’re not just following operational best practices – you’re giving your members the much-needed reassurance that their financial needs will be met, no matter what may come. And in a world filled with uncertainties, that encouraging message goes a long way.

Be uncertain no longer…explore your ACH contingency options with us today. Contact our sales team at sales@mycuservices.com to make sure your credit union is one step closer to a fail-proof future!

Andi Crockett is the director of payments product managers at Vizo Financial. Her role involves developing and implementing EFT services — including Instant Payments, ACH for Business, ACH Contingency, ACH Receipt & Returns, ACH Originations, ACH Settlement, Domestic, International and Third-Party Wires and Foreign Check and Currency Services — for credit unions. She is also an Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) and Accredited Faster Payments Professional (AFPP).

Erica Johnson is the director of payments at Vizo Financial. Her role encompasses the oversight of several member services operations, including instant payments, foreign currency, bill pay, wires, ACH, Positive Pay, cash services and the member contact center. Ms. Johnson is an Accredited ACH Professional (AAP), a Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) and a National Check Professional (NCP).