Sprint Savings For CUs and Members

Arrowhead CU Receives Nearly $40,000 for Participation

In today’s business climate, what credit union wouldn’t love to find new ways to save money for themselves and their members? The Sprint Credit Union Member Discount Program provides such a way, and more credit unions are finding out about it.

The program allows credit unions to extend discounts on Sprint Nextel services to their members, while the credit unions receive marketing incentives for their participation. Depending on their asset size, credit unions receive hundreds and, in many cases, even thousands of dollars in return.

A Valuable Program
In December of 2008, leaders from CUcorp presented San Bernardino, California-based Arrowhead Credit Union with a check for $39,666 for their participation in the Sprint Credit Union Member Discount Program.

At the check presentation, Lisa Robinson, vice president of marketing and sales for CUcorp, said, “This is a program that is valuable to consumers and allows the credit union to offer this product at a great discount in a down economy.”

Robert Reed, senior vice president of sales and services for Arrowhead Credit Union said, “We are excited to support this program. We have allocated funds to the Arrowhead Foundation Scholarship Program. This money is going to change a lot of lives.”

“We are really excited to be able to share this substantial revenue with Arrowhead Credit Union,” said Lisa Treat, director of marketing and sales for CUcorp. “This is a win-win for all parties involved.”

The company says that since 2006, it has given more than $1.7 million to the credit union community, while saving approximately 212,000 members more than $18 million.

Benefits for CUs
The credit union receives marketing incentives for fulfilling simple marketing requirements, and the marketing materials are provided to the credit union free of charge. The credit union will also receive a portion of the income generated from national member activations. Since the plan is already available for credit union members, a credit union can begin promoting it immediately. And Sprint handles all of the member service needs associated with the products.

“Credit unions that have participated in this program tell us it is very easy to implement,” says Sylvia Fath, the League’s senior vice president of business services. “Sprint Nextel provides highly convenient, pre-made marketing materials and a marketing calendar/flow-chart for staff members to follow. Sprint Nextel associates are also available to help guide credit unions through the program.”

“I think the Sprint Nextel program gives credit unions an effective and simple means of providing an added benefit to their members,” Fath adds.

Benefits for Members
The plan offers members a variety of savings on a comprehensive range of wireless communications services. These services bring the freedom of mobility to members, businesses, and government users. Sprint is widely recognized for developing, engineering, and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks that served nearly 51 million customers at the end of the third quarter 2008; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone.

Members receive 10 percent off most regularly-priced Sprint Nextel service plans, waived activation fees on new activations, and waived upgrade fees. They can also get additional savings for corporate accounts and national rates with no roaming or long distance charges. These benefits are available to new and existing Sprint Nextel customers.

L-R: League Director of Business Development Tonja Wheatley; League Business Development Account Manager Magda Goez; Arrowhead CU SVP of Sales and Services Robert Reed; and Arrowhead CU Public Relations Coordinator Lisa Browning