From January 2025, Solaris (who operate the Engage Card) the will no longer be providing electronic money services in the UK. This means that Engage cards will no longer be available.
If you have an Engage Card you should already have received an email informing you that Engage will no longer be providing services and that they will be passing your data on to Suits Me to create a new account.
You will receive new account details and a new card from Suits Me. It is important that if you have your money paid in to Community First, not to change your bank details with your employer or the DWP etc., instead you should provide Community First with your new account details to arrange transfers to your Suits Me account; doing otherwise could lead to key payments not being made, especially where you have a Community First Budgeting Account, loan or make use of any of our specialised savings accounts.
The decision to pass your data to Suits Me was made by Solaris, without consultation with credit unions. Community First currently has no relationship with Suits Me. As such, we will be unable to help you manage your Suits Me account, be unable to easily move money to and from your Suits Me account on your behalf etc. To move money to your Suits Me account from your preferred Community First account you can do so just as you would move money to a high street bank account, for instance, by either setting up a standing order, making a transfer request in branch or at a service point, or using our free online access or mobile app. You can also get in touch with your Community First Contact Centre (telephone:03030 300010, email: info@communityfirstcu.co.uk), if you would like to discuss options to transfer your money in further detail.
Note that electronic money products, such as Engage and Suits Me, are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). This means that, although Suits Me state your money is held in a separate account to protect it in the event Suits Me become insolvent, your money* is not protected in the way it is when it is in an account with a provider authorised by the FCA (Bank of England), such as your account with Community First is.
*The FSCS currently protects up to £85,000 total savings.
Find out more about card servicesYour Engage Card will stop working in January 2025.
If you do not cancel your Engage account, a Suits Me account will be opened for you automatically.
You will receive details of your Suits Me account and a card in December 2024 directly from Suits Me.
Community First was not involved in the decision to move your account to Suits Me.
Community First will not be able to move money to and from your Suits Me card as we could with your Engage account.
Community First can transfer your money to your Suits Me account in the same way we transfer money to a high street bank account.
To request funds be moved to your Suits Me account you will need Online Banking/Mobile App access to your Community First account, or you can visit a local branch/service outreach to request the transfer. You can also set up a standing order to regularly transfer funds to your Suits Me account.
Electronic Money products, such as Suits Me and Engage, are NOT covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), and so your money is not as protected as it is in an account like your Community First one or major high street banks.
If you decide to continue and use Suits Me services, we suggest you contact Engage to ensure your address and contact information is up to date. Remember, Community First cannot assist you with your account after it has been passed to Suits Me.
A great service for those who like to have a fixed amount available to help with budgeting.
Find out moreOur online banking services allow you to access many of our services without having to visit one of our branches.
Find out moreBank transfers may be requested from your credit union account from any of our branches.
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