Philadelphia Federal Credit Union

Main point: I’ve been a member of PFCU for a year and recently have decided to bank elsewhere. The inconveniences significantly outweigh the benefits. I’d rather not bank with a big institution, but PFCU has created nothing but headaches for me.
In detail: The difficulties began with PFCU from the moment I enrolled for an account. I wasn’t given the account I originally requested but sorted that out. I was mailed a member number but eventually had to call for my account number when I realized it wasn’t within my paperwork or available online. Then, my checks didn’t show and had to be re-​ordered. Once I got that figured out, the other problems became apparent.
Your ATM withdrawal limit is initially heavily restricted until your account has been established for a certain amount of time. Also, they don’t reimburse fees from non-​credit union ATMS — at least not on my type of checking account — yet the ATM at the branch closest to my work was out of service 6 out of 10 times that I went to use it. I once attempted to use the ATM at the Fishtown location after hours, but it was behind locked doors with a broken card reader used to access the lobby. Your choices are either to find a shady ATM at 7-​Eleven (where for some reason they don’t charge a fee to PFCU members) or another credit union which are few and far between.
There are numerous other confusing fees, including overdraft fees without the option of enrolling in overdraft protection. These seem to be non-​negotiable, where in the case of an honest mistake they’re completely unwilling to work with you — even if it means losing you as a member. I get that plenty of people are irresponsible and negligent with their accounts, but it’s apparent that their policy is to not lift fees even if there was a miscommunication on their end. Their solution (with regard to overdraft fees) is to open a line of credit with them from which they’ll draw funds. They’d rather you take a hit on your credit score than draw from your other accounts.
Their website and bill payment systems are outdated, clunky, and contain further fees. Communicating with bank reps online or through email is frustrating, slow, and not easily accessible. Their mobile check deposit app is separate from their banking app and requires a special authorization from a bank rep to activate. I get that they’re a small institution, but they have to make banking with them more convenient and transparent to compete with the big banks
The list goes on. Maybe I’d go with PFCU for a car loan or mortgage, but everyday banking is a huge hassle.

I absolutely love this credit union! The branch in 50^th and Baltimore Ave is much closer to where I live. I love the atmosphere, they are very friendly and helpful staff.

I have always had a credit union over a bank account. When I moved here in 2014, PFCU was my first choice for local banking. Fantastic account services, loan rates and customer assistance – this credit union is very customer-​centered.

Please take the other reviews seriously. This is honestly the worst bank I have ever had to deal with. The customer service reps on the phone are AWFUL. People think credit unions are better than big banks but they’ve never experienced how frustrating it is to get simple issues resolved when the staff have no basic training in customer service.

Online login is always down, ATMS rarely work, bad customer service. I’m upset I switched banks to be with PFCU. I plan to change banks again this week, they are too much of a hassle! I feel like I can never have access to my own money.

I had an erroneous credit charge on my account, and though I had to press them a bit, they did finally remove the charge.

So after almost 2 years in Philly, I finally decided to open an account at a local bank. Clearly, I prefer a Credit Union, and Ed C recommended PFCU, so here I am.
I rarely even go to the bank because I can do everything, even deposits, from their website or the app. That said, the one time I did go to the bank, I didn’t wait long and everyone was very friendly and helpful.
Deposits go through immediately (not sure what Joseph K was referring to in his review) – in fact, my direct deposit appears on Thursday instead of Friday, which is very exciting.
Highly recommend!

They have good loan rates, but in many ways they operate as if it’s the 1950’s. It can take a week or more for a deposited check to clear. There are fees everywhere. Transferring money with another financial institution costs money, and is very slow. If you go into the branches nobody wants to go out of their way to help — it’s almost like they work for the city government.

Good banking! Location usually has short lines and plenty of lanes open!

I was DONE with big banks. I’ve had several friends recommend credit unions in general, and when I moved to Philly, I had a friend recommend the PFCU.
I went in today at opening and was helped immediately. My banker, Megan, was the perfect blend of professional efficiency and friendliness. I was out the door in 15 minutes with a new checking and savings, debit card, and several checks deposited.
I do have to wait 7 days before I can use it, and I wasn’t able to do cash back, but that’s fine with me. I also wish they were open on Saturdays a bit because their hours overlap with my work hours. Part of the credit union deal, I suppose.
In sum, I just started with them, was thoroughly satisfied with my experience, and am excited to continue using them for my banking needs.
UPDATE: as of ¹²⁄₇ I am still completely satisfied. I called the 24 hour customer service 7 days later because my card still wasn’t activated, but realized that it was 7 BUSINESS days.
With my other bank, site-​employed tellers were really good but phone customer service was lacking. But this after-​hour customer service was excellent!