How to Join a Credit Union (Step by Step)

1. Check your eligibility

Every credit union serves a defined “field of membership” — people connected by where they live or work, an employer, military service, a school, a place of worship, or an association.

You almost certainly qualify for a community credit union where you live, and often for several others through your job, family, or a partner association. Our free matcher checks your location and background and shows the credit unions you're most likely eligible to join.

2. Gather what you'll need

Opening a membership is a lot like opening a bank account. You'll typically need a government photo ID, your Social Security number, and proof of address.

Most credit unions ask for a small opening deposit — often $5 to $25 — into a “share” savings account. That deposit is your ownership stake in the cooperative.

3. Apply online or in a branch

Many credit unions let you join and open your first account entirely online in under 15 minutes. Others welcome you in a branch.

If eligibility is based on an association, you'll usually join that group as part of the same signup flow — the credit union walks you through it.

4. Fund your account and start using it

Once your share account is funded, you're a member. You can open checking, apply for loans at typically lower rates, and access the same digital banking, debit cards, and often a shared-branch and surcharge-free ATM network you'd expect from any bank — frequently with fewer fees.

Frequently asked questions

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