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Frequently Asked Questions

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Getting Started

We are so excited for you to join us. We have a few different options for you to become our newest member:

  • Use our Contact Us online form to get started

  • Stop by your nearest branch

  • Call (403) 320-4600 and someone from our branch is happy to help you.

We are excited you are taking this step! First, you will need to create a profile.

  1. Go to the login screen and enter your Member Card® debit card number and click ‘Continue.’

  2. Enter your date of birth and the mobile phone number or email address associated with your account. Click ‘Continue.’

  3. A popup window may display asking for the code you received by text message or email. Enter the code, if applicable, and click ‘Continue.’

  4. Enter a new username (username cannot be your debit card number).

  5. Enter a new password (following the password rules provided).

  6. Re-enter password for verification.

  7. Read and acknowledge the direct service agreement and click ‘Continue.

  8. Confirm details and click 'Create user profile'.

  9. The user profile is successfully created. Click 'Proceed to sign in.

  10. You will be redirected to the login screen. Enter your new username and password.

If you do not receive your secure code by email or text message within 10 minutes, please check your Junk mail/Spam or other folders. Alternatively, you can try again either with your email or phone number.

If you do not receive a code using either method, you may need to update your contact information with us. We are happy to help. You can do so by calling us.

We recommend using the most recent version of one of the following supported browsers:

  • Google Chrome

  • Apple Safari

  • Mozilla Firefox

  • Microsoft Edge

To access digital banking, you need an email address or cellphone number to be able to receive the secure code to initiate login. 

If you get the error “Identification details entered do not match our records” while setting up your digital banking profile, you will need to update the contact information we have on file for you.


You can do so by calling us at 403.320.4600.

No, the good news is now you can log in with the use of your personal username instead of having to remember a 19-digit card number.

Once you create your username, it cannot be changed.

If you forget your username, you may be able to use your debit card number as an alternative login method. Once logged in, you can locate your username by navigating to Profile Details in the top menu bar.

You also can contact us and we can assist with recovering your username.

If you forgot your password, that’s OK, you can reset it!

Click the ‘Forgotten password?’ link on the login page and follow the instructions. You will need your username and the email address or cellphone number you have on file with 1st Choice Savings.

You can access the 1st Choice Savings and Credit Union mobile app by searching for “1st Choice Savings Mobile App” in the App Store or Google Play. Please delete your previous 1st Choice Savings Mobile Banking App on your smartphone before you install the new app.

With Mobile Deposit, you can deposit your cheque into your account without needing to visit a branch or ATM.

You can deposit your cheques any time of the day or night (anywhere you have an Internet connection). It's quick, easy, and secure...just follow these simple steps:

  1. Open the app on your iPhone or Android smartphone.

  2. Open the menu options in the top left corner.

  3. Select ‘Mobile Deposit.’

  4. Select the account you want to deposit the cheque to

  5. Enter the amount of the cheque.

  6. Take a photo of the front and back of the cheque and click ‘Continue.’

 Branch

 Route/Institution #

 Transit/Branch #

 Fairmont

 899

 71599

 3rd Ave

 899

 01849

 Westgate

 899

 61229

 Taber 

 899

 21229

 Cardston

 899

 10499


Financial institutions use routing numbers in order to send and receive money from other banks or credit unions. Routing numbers are essential in a lot of transactions that 1st Choice Savings provides like bill payments, wire transfers, cheque processing (sometimes called electronic cheques), and direct deposits.

You can also find the route/transit number on the lower left-hand corner of your cheques.

Manage Account

Yes. You can set up shortcuts through the widget function on your mobile device by navigating to the menu, choosing ‘Settings’, and tapping on ‘Widgets.’ There you will be able to add up to three chequing accounts you would like to view.

If you’re sharing this device, we recommend you turn off this option.

Your account number can be located:

  • On your statements

  • Within your digital banking

  • On the bottom number of your cheques

If you have misplaced or forgotten your account number, please contact us at 403.320.4600 or stop in at any of our locations to obtain your full account number. For security purposes, we will not include any account numbers via email.

Find a convenient 1st Choice Savings branch or ATM location near you!

  1. Log into your Digital Banking account.

  2. Click on ‘Accounts.’

  3. Click ‘View eStatements.’

  4. Select the account that you would like to view.

  5. Select the year and then the month of the statement you wish to look at.

eStatements are available to view on the desktop and on mobile apps.

Steps:

  1. From the menu, go to 'Alerts.'

  2. Click 'Security' or 'Account.'

  3. Toggle on/off the types of notifications to receive

    (text message, email, push notifications).

  4. Click 'Save.'

Please note that there are 3 mandatory security alerts that are received by email and cannot be turned off. 

Account alerts are unique to each account – different alerts can be set up on different accounts. Only one balance frequency notification can be selected (daily, weekly or monthly) per account.

INTERAC e-Transfer

  • If you have an INTERAC e-Transfer profile already set up, just log in to 1st Choice Savings digital banking and you will be able to send and receive e-Transfer transactions.

  • If you do not have an INTERAC e-Transfer profile created, go to ‘Transfers & Payments’ and select ‘Interac e-Transfer.’

    • Click ‘Profile settings.’

    • You will be asked to confirm your information – name, email, mobile phone.

    • Click ‘Continue.’

    • Verify your details and click ‘Continue.’

    • Enter the 2-Factor Authentication code you will receive via text or email.

    • Click ‘Continue.’

  1. Go to ‘Transfers & Payments’ (on the app tap the menu icon then select Transfers) and select ‘Interac e-Transfer.’

  2. Click ‘Manage contacts.’

  3. Click ‘Add contact.’

  4. Enter the name of the person you wish to add.

  5. Enter the email address/mobile phone number.

  6. Select language preference – defaulted to English.

  7. Select the notification method using the drop-down menu.

  8. Enter the security question and the answer.

  9. Re-enter the answer to the security question.

  10. Click ‘Continue.’

  11. Confirm the details of the contact added

  12. Click ‘Continue.’

  13. Enter the 2-Factor Authentication code you will receive via text or email.

  14. Click ‘Continue.’

Sending money by INTERAC e-Transfer® is quick and easy. First, you will need to set up a user profile and a recipient list. Once that is completed, you can now send an INTERAC e-Transfer transaction.

  1. Go ‘Transfers & Payments’ and click ‘Interac e-Transfer.’

  2. Click ‘Send money.’

  3. Select the account you wish to send from.

  4. Select contact from the dropdown menu.

  5. Enter the amount.

  6. Add optional message.

  7. Click ‘Continue.’

  8. Confirm details and click ‘Continue.’


1st Choice Savings members can receive an INTERAC e-Transfer® transaction. Money received by email will be deposited directly into your 1st Choice Savings account.

  1. Click or tap the link in the email or text notification indicating you have received a new INTERAC e-Transfer transaction.

  2. Skip over 'Find your Financial Institution' as this will not populate 1st Choice Savings and Credit Union.

  3. Select Province as 'Alberta' first, then credit union as '1st Choice Savings and Credit Union.'

  4. Choose the account into which you wish to deposit the money.

  5. Log in to Digital Banking to deposit the funds.

When receiving an INTERAC e-Transfer for the first time in the new Digital Banking platform (launched July 6th, 2021), and if you had received INTERAC e-Transfers previously, you may be presented with the 1st Choice Savings name and logo. If this is the case, please follow these steps:

  1. Do NOT click on the logo presented.

  2. Scroll down to “Select a different financial institution”.

  3. Select 1st Choice Savings and Credit Union from the list.

The reason for this is due to your device remembering where to go, which is the old platform that is no longer there.Once you do this for the first time, you will not have to repeat these steps.

You can cancel an INTERAC e-Transfer® transaction before it has been deposited by the recipient.

An Interac e-Transfer can only be canceled if the status has changed to ‘Recipient Notified’, then you will have the option to cancel or resend the notice.

  1. Log in to digital banking

  2. Click ‘Transfers & Payments’ and choose ‘pending INTERAC e-Transfer transactions.’

  3. Find the transfer you wish to cancel and click the ‘Cancel’ button

  4. Choose the account to deposit the reclaimed funds

  5. Click ‘Continue’

  6. Review your information and click ‘Confirm’ to cancel the transfer

  1. Log in to Digital Banking

  2. Select 'Transfers & Payments' from the navigation menu

  3. Select 'Interac e-Transfer'

  4. Click 'Autodeposit settings'

  5. Click 'Add autodeposit'

  6. Enter email address

  7. Select an account from the dropdown

  8. Check off the acknowledgment

  9. Click 'Continue'

  10. Confirm details

  11. Click 'Continue'

  12. Receive 2-Factor Authentication code and it where indicated

  13. Click 'Continue'

  14. A confirmation screen appears that it has been successfully added.

  15. Receive notification from Interac to complete registration

Transfers

Transferring money to another 1st Choice Savings member is fast and easy – all you need is their account number. Then:

  1. Log in to digital banking.

  2. Select ‘Transfers & Payments.’ 

  3. Select ‘Transfer funds.’

  4. Select the account you wish to transfer funds from.

  5. Under ‘Transfer to’ select ‘Another 1st Choice Savings Member.’

  6. Enter the Member’s Account number (must be obtained from the member you wish to transfer funds to - 1st Choice Savings will not provide this information to you)

  7. Select ‘Continue’

  8. Select ‘Continue’ when asked to confirm.

  9. Select either e-mail or text to receive a 2-Factor Authentication code.

  10. An authentication code will then be sent to you by email or text message and simply enter the received code into enter code field and click ‘Continue’.

Transfers to other members can also be set up as scheduled and recurring.

Wires can be sent within Canada, the USA, and to more than 100 countries around the world in more than 91 different currencies. We encourage you to call us at 403.320.4600 or stop by your nearest branch and our team will be happy to assist.

Payments

Making an extra principal-only payment on a loan is simple with our new digital banking platform.

  • Log in to Digital banking on desktop or app

  • Select ‘Transfers & Payments.’ 

  • Select ‘Transfer funds.’

  • Choose the account you want to transfer the funds from.

  • Choose the amount.

  • Select the loan you wish to make a payment on from the drop-down menu under ‘Transfer to.’

You can also set up recurring payments or schedule future payments.

  1. Log into Digital banking on desktop/tablet or the app

  2. Go to ‘Transfers & Payments.’ 

  3. Select ‘Manage Payees.’

  4. Click ‘Add payee.’

  5. In the ‘Search for payee by name’ box, type the first 3 characters of the payee name.

  6. A list of possible payees will be displayed. Select the applicable payee.

  7. Enter the payee account number and click or tap ‘Continue’.

  8. Review your details and confirm by clicking ‘Continue’.

  9. An authentication code will then be sent to you by email or text message and simply enter the received code into enter code field and select ‘Continue’.

  10. You will receive a successful verification message.

  11. Choose ‘Manage Payees’ and verify the added Payee is included in the list.

  1. Log onto Digital banking on desktop/tablet or app.

  2. Go to ‘Transfers & Payments.’

  3. Select ‘Pay bills.’

  4. Choose the account you want to pay from.

  5. Click ‘Schedule recurring payments.’

  6. From the drop-down, select the bill you want to schedule.

  7. Enter the amount, payment frequency, and start and end dates. Click ‘Continue.’

  8. Review details and click ‘Continue.’

Please note: If you had any scheduled or recurring CRA payments set up prior to our new digital banking launch, you will need to set these up again. These did not transfer to the new digital banking system.

  1. Open the app and sign in.

  2. Go to 'Menu' and 'Payments.'

  3. Select 'Pay bills.'

  4. Choose the account you wish to use.

  5. Tap 'Add payment.'

  6. Select the bill payee you want to pay.

  7. Enter the amount and payment dates.

  8. Tap 'Add payment.'

  9. Tap 'Add another payment' for each bill you have to pay.

  10. Tap ‘Continue.’

  11. Confirm payment details and tap 'Continue.'

  12. A successful payment message is received.

Located under the "Transfers & Payments menu", click on "Pay Corporate Taxes" to make CRA payments.

If you had any scheduled or recurring CRA payments set up in the previous system, you will need to set these up again. These did not transfer to the new digital banking system.

Cards

To order a new debit card, we encourage you to call us at 403.320.4600 or stop by your nearest branch and our team will be happy to assist.

1st Choice Savings Credit Card

If you suspect your 1st Choice Savings credit card has been lost or stolen, please call cardholder support at 1-855-341-4643 or international collect at 1-647-252-9564.

Member Card® Debit Card

For lost/stolen Member Card debit cards, please call toll-free at 1-888-277-1043. 

You can add your credit card provider and account number as a bill payee on digital banking. Once the account has been successfully added to your bill payees, you can make a payment to that account. Payments can take up to 3 business days to process so ensure you make the payment well in advance of the due date.

Alternatively, you can enroll in Automatic Payments through MyCardInfo. Automatic Payments enables monthly balances to be pulled automatically from a chequing or savings account. You can choose to setup payments for the minimum monthly balance, or the full statement balance.
Rewards can be redeemed online through MyCardInfo. Once you are logged onto your MyCardInfo account, you can click the "Check My Rewards" link in the footer.
These links are available on the Credit Cards page of our website and our digital banking login page.

Mobile App

You can access the 1st Choice Savings and Credit Union mobile app by searching for “1st Choice Savings Mobile App” in the App Store or Google Play. Please delete your previous 1st Choice Savings Mobile Banking App on your smartphone before you install the new app.

Our mobile app is compatible with most Android devices with operating system version 6 (Marshmallow) and up. 

iPhone 6S and up with operating system version 13 and up are the supported Apple devices.

Security 

Just like any other form of banking, we all play in helping ensure our activity is done safely.

  • Exercise caution when it comes to sending or receiving money.

  • Only send money to people you know and trust, just as you would cash. An INTERAC e-Transfer transaction cannot be reversed once a recipient has deposited the funds.

  • Always use a strong password that cannot easily be guessed or found – and make sure you share it via a safe, and different channel.

  • Better yet: Suggest that your recipient set up INTERAC e-Transfer Auto-deposit for ease and added security.

Too often in the news, we hear stories where the transfer is sent to the wrong email address or intercepted by a fraudster who has hacked an email address and the scammer is able to easily answer the question. Do not ask questions such as:

  • What month is my birthday?

  • What is my daughter’s name?

  • What team do I cheer for?

For many of us, those answers can be easily answered with a quick search of our social media feed.

We suggest that you create a unique question and send it to your recipient by another channel, like a text message if you are sending the transfer by email, and ensure it is kept confidential. It might be an extra step, but it is one that can help ensure your money ends up where you intended it.

This type of transfer is designed to be as secure as possible. You are not sending money by email or text message: Only the notification travels over the Internet to advise the recipient that the transfer has been initiated and to provide instructions on how to deposit the money. Your money is always residing with your financial institution, like 1st Choice Savings and Credit Union, and is transferred through existing payment networks that banks and credit unions have used for years to settle cheques, bank machine deposits, and withdrawals. Security measures have been built into the system, including:

  • Encryption technology

  • Confidential user IDs and passwords issued by financial institutions

  • Secure login process

  • A security question and answer to ensure only the intended recipient receives the money

  • 128-bit browser encryption

Always make sure you have entered the correct mobile phone number each time you wish to send money via INTERAC e-Transfer.

Reasons your contact may not receive their notification:

  • The phone number entered is a landline.

  • You entered a non-Canadian mobile phone number.

  • The recipient has blocked Interac e-Transfer notifications from being sent to his/her mobile phone number.

  • The recipient is encountering technical issues on his/her mobile phone and therefore the message cannot be delivered (e.g., mobile network unavailable)

  • The Mobile Network Operator does not support all text messages

One-time security codes provide an additional layer of protection that safeguards sensitive information and certain online banking activities. It’s a numeric security code (up to 7 digits) that you will receive via text message to your mobile phone or to your email address when you perform certain activities. The code is time-sensitive and only valid for one transaction. Here are some examples of when 2-Factor Authentication is used:

  • Register for digital banking

  • The first time you sign into digital banking

  • Add a new bill payee

  • Update your contact information

  • Change or reset your password

  • Transfer funds to other 1st Choice Savings members

  • Add an Interac e-Transfer® recipient

First, check your spam or junk folder. If you don’t find it there, click resend the code on your confirmation screen to try it again.

If you have a mobile phone number on file with us the verification code will automatically send the code to your mobile phone number. If you choose to have the code sent to your email address, you will receive a second code. The second code sent is the one that you should use.

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