Checking Accounts
We know life can get busy, and your Checking Account should make it easier, not harder. Our accounts give you simple access to your money, helpful tools, and the support of a credit union that puts members first. Because when you succeed, we succeed.
Regular Checking
Our Regular Checking Account saves you money because there are no minimum balance requirements or monthly service charges.
Your GCEFCU free Checking Account comes with many great features, including:
Free Visa® Debit Card
Up to $250 Courtesy Pay
No minimum balance requirement
No monthly service fee
Advantage Checking
The Advantage Checking account offers the peace of mind of knowing you are covered in the event you need it through courtesy pay.
In addition to all of the free perks that our Regular Checking has, our Advantage Checking has a few more added benefits.
Free Visa® Debit Card
Up to $750 Courtesy Pay
Two free boxes of basic credit union checks per year
Free cashier checks & money orders
$5 monthly service fee
Student Checking
Our Student Checking Account is just for members 6 – 17 years old. With your own Checking Account and debit card, you can start spending your money, your way.
GCEFCU Checking Account Perks
Debit CardDebit Card
Visa® Debit Card
Use the Visa® Debit Card instead of writing checks, charging, or paying cash at over 24 million locations worldwide. Use it at your favorite restaurant, department store, grocery store, gas station, or any other place that accepts Visa®. As with a credit card transaction, you keep a signed receipt of every transaction, but unlike a credit card, the amount of the purchase is deducted automatically from your Checking Account.
Account ProtectionTypes of Protection
Overdraft Protection
Overdraft Protection is available to all members at no cost. In the event that you overdraw your checking account, we will automatically transfer available funds from your savings account to your checking to cover your purchase amount and keep your account from going negative. Think of it as your own personal safety net.
Courtesy Pay
If you overdraw your checking account and do not have any funds to overdraft from your savings, Courtesy Pay kicks in. Courtesy Pay will automatically approve any bill payments, checks, or ACH transactions up to $250 for regular checking accounts, and up to $750 for advantage checking accounts. This will help you avoid any declined bill payments or return check fees. To have your every day debit card transactions covered as well, you will need to opt in by logging into online banking and submitting our Courtesy Pay Opt In form.
Remember – For every overdraft occurrence, you are charged an Overdraft/NSF fee.*
Dollar Up SavingsDollar Up Savings
Saving money can be hard, but we are here to help!
By linking your Gulf Coast Educators debit card to your Dollar Up Savings account, you can automatically save a little bit of money every day.
Here’s how it works: Every time you make a purchase using your Gulf Coast Educators debit card, your transaction amount will be rounded up to the next dollar, and the difference will be put into your new Dollar Up Savings account. That savings grows without any effort on your part at all, and at 2.99% APY*! Then at the end of the quarter, we’ll deposit the money into your primary savings to spend or save however you’d like. Think of it as your virtual change jar!
Example: If you spend $3.50 on coffee, $8.13 on lunch, and $56.26 on gas during one day, at the end of the day $2.11 will be transferred from your checking account to your dollar up account.
If you spent that same amount every day, you could grow your savings to more than $60 in one month, and almost $200 in one quarter! Grow your pennies into dollars, and then into hundreds of dollars. All while earning 2.99% APY* on your savings.
Get started today and open your Dollar Up Savings account by clicking the button below.
It’s Your Money, So Get It Faster With Direct Deposit
Getting paid has never been easier or faster with direct deposit. Our members that have Direct Deposit set up with us report getting their paycheck 1-2 days sooner than their co-workers.
Checking Account FAQs
How do I open a checking account?
You can open your GCEFCU checking account online by clicking here, or in person at any GCEFCU branch.
Are there any monthly fees?
Regular Checking and Student Checking account are free with no monthly fees. Advantage Checking Account has a $5 monthly service fee.
How do I order checks?
You can order checks within online banking by clicking here. After logging in, click Tools > Secure Forms > Check Order Form.
Still Have Questions?
Disclosures & Fees+ Show All | - Hide All
Savings & Checking Account Dividend Rates
| ACCOUNT TYPE | DIVIDEND RATE | ANNUAL PERCENTAGE YIELD | MINIMUM OPENING BALANCE | MINIMUM BALANCE TO EARN DIVIDENDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share Account | 0.05% | 0.05% | $1 | $500 |
| Regular Checking | - | - | $0 | - |
| Advantage Checking Account | 0.05% | 0.05% | $0 | $2,500 |
| Christmas Club Account | 0.05% | 0.05% | $25 | $500 |
| Dollar Up Savings | 2.99% | 3.02% | $0 | $5 |
| Sandy Saver | 0.05% | 0.05% | $1 | $500 |
| Student Checking | - | - | $0 | - |
Dividends compounded monthly | Dividends credited monthly | Dividend Period is monthly | Balance Method is daily
Basic Checking & Student Checking accounts do not earn dividends. No minimum balance to open.
Christmas Club accounts can be opened with a $25 minimum deposit. Minimum monthly deposits of $20.00. No withdrawals may be made from this account until the first Thursday of November.
Fees assessed to Regular Share-Draft account holders
Overdraft Fee, NSF fee for check or ACH item – $20 per occurrence
Occurrence – An occurrence is defined as anytime your account is taken negative to pay an item or an item is returned due to insufficient funds in your account.
Courtesy Pay Disclosures
What You Need to Know about Overdrafts and Overdraft Fees
An overdraft occurs when you do not have enough money in your account to cover a transaction, but we pay it anyway. We can cover your overdrafts in two different ways:
We have standard overdraft protection practices called Courtesy Pay that come with your account.
We offer overdraft protection plans, such as a link to a savings account or additional credit union accounts. These plans are less expensive than our “Courtesy Pay” program. To learn more, contact our Member Services Department.
What are the standard overdraft practices (Courtesy Pay) that come with my account?
We DO authorize and pay overdrafts for the following types of transactions:
Checks and other transactions made using your checking account number
Automatic bill payments
We DO NOT authorize and pay overdrafts for the following types of transactions unless you ask us to (see below):
ATM transactions
Everyday debit card transactions
We pay overdrafts at our discretion, which means we do not guarantee that we will always authorize and pay any type of transaction.
If we do not authorize and pay an overdraft, your transaction will be declined.
What fees will I be charged if Gulf Coast Educators Federal Credit Union pays my overdraft?
Under our Standard overdraft practices (Courtesy Pay Program): We will charge you a flat $20 fee per overdraft occurrence.
Available Balance = Current Balance – pending withdrawals/debits
Your available balance is the balance in your account after deducting debit card or other transactions that are on hold/pending and that GCEFCU is legally obligated to pay as well as any other holds on your account and any deposits that are not yet available for withdrawal under the Funds Availability Act.
Your available balance is the amount of funds in your account that you can withdraw or access. GCEFCU uses the available balance when deciding to pay items that may overdraw your account. (The available balance can be negative if you overdraw your account).
There is a limit of $300 per day on the total fees we can charge you for overdrawing your account.
*Overdraft balance must be paid within 30 days.
What if I want Gulf Coast Educators FCU to authorize and pay overdrafts on my ATM and everyday debit card transactions?
If you want us to authorize and pay overdrafts on ATM and everyday debit card transactions, you may opt in by visiting www.gcefcu.org, logging into your online banking account and completing the OPT-IN FORM or by calling us at 281.487-9333 or toll free at 1.800.683.3863. You can revoke your authorization for Gulf Coast Educators FCU to pay these overdrafts at any time by any of the above methods. Your revocation must include both your name and your account number so that we can properly identify your account.
Student Checking Account Disclosure
Must be between ages 6 – 17 to qualify for a Student Checking Account. Parent or guardian must be listed as a joint owner on the account. Velocity limits: $250 cash, $500 debit, $500 credit. Once the member turns 18 they may request that their account be changed to a regular checking account with regular velocity limits. In order to apply for a GCEFCU credit card once the member turns 18, they must submit a credit card application and meet minimum credit check standards and/or have a parental co-signer.