General
Q: Who is eligible for a Freedom 12 e-Checking account?
A: Golden Plains Credit Union Members and Kansas Residents ONLY. Specifically, anyone who resides in Central, Western or Southeast (Anderson, Allen, Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Linn, Montgomery, Neosho and Wilson counties) Kansas are eligible for a Freedom 12 e-Checking account.
Q: What is the minimum opening deposit for a Golden Rewards Checking account?
A: There is no minimum deposit for opening this account.
Q: Is there a limit on how many Freedom 12 e-Checking accounts I can have?
A: Yes. There is a limit of one Freedom 12 e-Checking account per member; a limit of two Freedom 12 e-Checking accounts per household, unless there are "students" living in the household. These students would be eligible for Freedom 12 e-Checking accounts in addition to the 2 adults (parents) within the same household.
Q: Is there a monthly service charge for a Freedom 12 e-Checking account?
A: A Freedom 12 e-Checking account is a FREE account and there is never a monthly service charge for this account.
Q: What are the rewards for the Freedom 12 e-Checking account?
A: Receive 2% cash back on debit card purchases. Earn up to $12 cash back per month (up to $144 per year). Cash back is earned on up to $600 in net monthly purchases. And, ATM refunds nationwide up to $12 per month.
Q: Is there a minimum balance requirement in order to receive my cash back rewards or ATM refunds?
A: There is no minimum balance requirement in order to receive rewards.
Q: Is there a limit on the amount of money I can keep in my Freedom 12 e-Checking account?
A: No, you can keep as much as you want in the account.
Q: Can multiple people use the same Freedom 12 e-Checking account?
A: Anyone who is listed on the account may use the Freedom 12 e-Checking account.
Q: Is there a limit on the number or kind of transactions you can do on a Freedom 12 e-Checking account?
A: There is no limit on the number or kind of transactions you can do.
Q: If I meet the requirements, when will I receive my rewards?
A: On the last day of the calendar month in which they were earned.
ATMs
Q: I met the monthly requirements and ATM charges still appeared on my statement. Why?
A: You will be charged ATM fees on all ATM transactions. But, if you meet the monthly requirements, the ATM charges will be refunded up to $12 at the end of your statement cycle. ATM fees are refunded, not waived.
Q: Do I have to do anything in order to get my ATM refunds?
A: All you need to do is meet the requirements for the Freedom 12 e-Checking account and the refund will automatically be credited to your Freedom 12 e-Checking account on the last day of the month. There is no need to submit any receipts.
Q: Are ATM fees refunded outside of the United States?
A: No. Fees are not refunded internationally. Fees are refunded nationwide throughout the United States.
Requirements
Q: What monthly requirements must I meet to qualify for 2% cash back and ATM fee refunds?
A: 1) Log-on to Golden Plains Online at least once. 2) Complete 12 debit card transactions that post and clear per qualification cycle. 3) Receive e-Statements.
Q: During what time period must I meet the requirements?
A: Between the first day of the calendar month and the last day of the calendar month. On that last day, all transactions must be posted and cleared from your account by 5 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST) in order to count towards your monthly requirements.
Example start date: October 1st
Example end date: October 31st (by 5 p.m. CST)
Q: How often must I meet the requirements to qualify?
A: On a monthly basis.
Q: What happens if I fail to meet the requirements?
A: You will not receive cash back and your ATM fees will not be refunded for that month. You will have the chance to start over and meet the requirements the next month and you will not be charged a maintenance fee.
Q: What if I open my account late in the month and I don’t have time to meet the requirements?
A: New Freedom 12 e-Checking accounts will automatically receive rewards during the first month the account is open.
Q: How will I know if I qualified for 2% cash back and ATM fee refunds?
A: You will receive an email that lets you know whether or not you qualified for the rewards and why.
Q: If my account goes negative, will I still be able to qualify?
A: Yes, as long as the requirements are met, you will receive your rewards.
Q: If I make debit card or ACH transactions through my savings account, will those count towards my requirements?
A: No. The transactions must occur on your Freedom 12 e-Checking account to fulfill the requirements.
e-Statements Requirement
Q: Do I need to have an email address to receive e-Statements?
A: Yes. You will be asked to provide a valid email address when you sign-up for Freedom 12 e-Checking. You can use an existing email account or set-up a FREE email account via Outlook, Yahoo or another email provider.
Golden Plains Online Requirement
Q: Do I need to make any transactions within Golden Plains Online in order to meet the requirements?
A: No. You just need to make sure you log-on to Golden Plains Online (under your Freedom 12 e-Checking account number) at least once per calendar month.
Debit Card Requirements
Q: If I use my debit card at an ATM, will that transaction count towards my requirements?
A: No. The 12 debit card transactions must be accumulated by making purchases directly through merchants. Both pin-based (debit) and signature-based (credit) transactions count towards the requirement.
Q: Can I "carry forward" debit card transactions in excess of 12 to the next month?
A: No, at the start of each qualification cycle (calendar month), your debit card transactions will start over.
Q: What if I make a debit card purchase and it posts to my Freedom 12 e-Checking account three days after I made the transaction? Which date will count towards meeting the requirements: the purchase date or the posting date?
A: The posting date is the only date our system can recognize when counting debit card transactions. In order to qualify, transactions must be posted and cleared from your account between the first day of the calendar month and by 5 p.m. Central Standard Time on the last day of the calendar month. To ensure your transactions qualify, make sure to use your debit card early and often.
Members Converting to a Freedom 12 e-Checking Account
Q: How do I convert my old checking account to a Freedom 12 e-Checking account?
A: Come in and visit with one of our Member Service Representatives. They will convert everything over from your old checking account to your new Freedom 12 e-Checking account.
Q: Will I be able to use my existing debit card, checks and member number with my Freedom 12 e-Checking Account?
A: Yes. As long as your member number doesn’t change, there is no need to order new checks or a new debit card.
Q: Will the transactions on my old checking account count towards meeting the requirements for my new Freedom 12 e-Checking account?
A: No. You must meet the requirements with your Freedom 12 e-Checking account.
Q: I have officially converted to a Freedom 12 e-Checking account. Do I need to update my recurring bill payments and transfers within Golden Plains Online?
A: Yes. You will need to manually update those payments and transfers with your new Freedom 12 e-Checking account information.