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Available now – free online bank statements and check images
Now United Prairie Bank checking customers can get their monthly bank statement and check images online with a new free service.
Online statements are easy to use. Prairie Free Checking Plus customers will be especially keen on this service because it gives them access to their check images for free. It’s also great for customers who winter down south.
Here’s how it works: Each month you would get an email message about the eStatement’s availability. Users click on the link in the message and log onto your eBanking portal.
Once in eBanking, you access the online statement by clicking on the tab titled “eStatements.” You get access to the current statement, plus the previous two statements.
The statement can be saved to your home computer and / or printed out.
Along with the statement, you can see individual images of you checks by clicking on a particular check number, or you can view or print pages of your check images. The system even allows you to adjust the number of check images per page and gives you the option of viewing the backs of the checks.
Best of all the service is completely free. The system uses state of the art encryption for security. Subscribers must enroll in person at their bank as an additional protective measure.
Interested? You can give eStatements a test drive. If you find you don’t like it, you can discontinue the subscription at any time and resume getting a mailed paper statement.
How do you enroll? Simply call or stop by your local United Prairie Bank.
UPDATED 2/5/2008
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Bill Pay now available for United Prairie customers
Online Bill Pay is now available for all United Prairie Bank customers.
What is Bill Pay? Bill Pay allows you to pay anyone – an individual, business or even a utility – from within your online banking program.
It’s simple, fast and convenient. Once you’ve enrolled in Bill Pay (just sign up at your local United Prairie Bank). You will be able to open the Bill Pay program from within your eBanking service. So there is still just one log in procedure.
Once in the program, you can set up payees by entering a few bits of information. In the case of business payees, you usually enter your billing account number so your payment can be identified upon receipt.
You decide the amount and when the bill will be paid. The program tells you how much lead time you need. The payment amount is drawn out of the United Prairie bank account you specify.
Once that payee is set up, the information can be used for subsequent payments. And, you can set up automatic, recurring payments or one-time payments.
“It’s incredible how convenient Bill Pay is,” said one United Prairie Bank customer. “I can pay my bills in just a few minutes a month without stamps or trips to the post office.”
United Prairie Bank Bill Pay is free to all Prairie LifeSTYLE customers. But all customers can try the service for free for three months. Once the free period has expired, personal checking customers pay a charge of just $4.95 a month for up to 25 payments a month. After that, each payment is an additional 40 cents.
UPDATED 2/5/2008
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United Prairie Gift Cards perfect for the holiday season
With the holiday season coming up fast, you have the chance to give the next best thing to cash – a United Prairie Gift Card.
United Prairie Gift Cards are one of the few gifts sure to please. They're accepted anywhere Visa® debit cards can be used. You choose the amount to load on the card and in seconds the cards are ready for you to use or give as a gift.
To order Gift Cards -- or to learn more -- choose one of these easy options:
1. Visit your nearest United Prairie Bank and talk to us. We'll give you all the facts and can outfit you with gift cards on the spot.
2. Order online. Just click the "Gift Card" link on our website. You'll find more information and an easy-to-follow order procedure.
Gift cards can be loaded with as little as $25 or as much as $1,000 (there is a $500 limitation for the cards ordered online).
UPDATED 11/12/2007
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Get a check for $500 or $1,000 for holiday spending
How would you like to get a check for $500, $1,000 or more for your holiday spending?
You can! Avoid running up credit card balances or cutting into your household budget next year by simply opening a United Prairie Christmas Club account now.
Here’s how it works – you open the account and designate an amount of money to flow from your checking account weekly or once or twice a month. You decide on the amount and how often. That money is automatically shifted from your checking account to your Christmas Club account. On November 1 of every year, the bank sends you a check containing the entire balance you’ve set aside.
If you set aside just $10 a week for a year, you’ll have $520 dollars to buy gifts and other holiday items. Many people spend more than that on snacks.
“Once a customer gets that first Christmas Club check, they never want to be without this account,” said one UPB Personal Banker. “I’ve had this account for several years. I get this great feeling every year when that check arrives. I know I’ve planned ahead and can face the holiday season with cash in hand.”
Visit your local United Prairie Bank to ask about opening a Christmas Club account.
UPDATED 11/2/2007
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United Prairie Bank Travels to Ireland!
In September 13 energetic United Prairie Bank KEEN-AGERs traveled to the Emerald Isle—land of soft greens, warm people, stately castles, quaint villages and great scenery! This trip was the first international venture by the KEEN-AGER group. A number of the 15 United Prairie Banks have very active KEEN-AGER programs and maintain a vibrant activity schedule.
Travelers were seeking Ireland’s best as they visited Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, maintained by the Guinness family, and the palatial Muckross House and its stately grounds. The group enjoyed a jaunting horse-drawn carriage ride back to town through the forested national park, and toured the Waterford Crystal Factory where gifted craftsmen formed delicate treasures of glass.
Of course, visits to Irish castles were a highlight. The bank group ate at Bunratty Castle where food and entertainment came courtesy of the Middle Ages. They also enjoyed a “must see” visit to Blarney Castle where most climbed the ruins to kiss the fabled “Blarney Stone” earning the gift of eloquence and a breathtaking view of the Irish countryside.
The group’s Ireland travels ended in a luxurious limousine ride as the travelers shared their Irish memories.
UPDATED 10/5/2007
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ATTENTION: Important Bill Pay Upgrade Information
Bill Pay users have received an exciting upgrade to their service. This upgrade includes some exciting new features and makes your online Bill Pay experience better. Click here for Bill Pay Upgrade Quick Reference Guide
If you are a LifeSTYLE customer and are receiving Bill Pay free, this upgrade will not change your "no charge" status. This upgrade will not cause current fees to change for non-LifeSTYLE customers.
Improved Bill Pay features include:
• the ability to pay all of your bills from one screen
• payee setup wizard
• pop-up calendars for scheduling bill payment dates
• email alerts
Frequently Asked Questions:
1) What has changed?
To improve your online Bill Pay experience, we've added a few new features which include:
• My Bills Home -- this page acts as your personal Bill Pay dashboard. From this screen, you have one-click access to messages from the bank, your bills and payees, upcoming and past payments as well as payment reminders. It makes navigating through Bill Pay easier than ever.
• Payee Setup Wizard -- this wizard will give you a list of commonly used payees in your area (your mortgage company, insurance company, credit card company, etc.). Through the Payee Setup Wizard, you will be able to select most payees and eliminate the need to type in their billing address or phone number. This information will automatically appear for you. While you are setting up your payees, you will be able to specify payment methods, add email reminders and setup recurring payments, if desired.
• Change of Address / Move Service -- this new feature lets you create letters notifying payees of your new or updated address. Payee information will automatically populate, saving you lots of time and hassles. You then can mail the custom letters whenever it is convenient for you.
2)Will my screen look different? -- Yes. There are a few features that enhance the usuability of Bill Pay, but nothing that will have you searching for the features you are used to accessing. And if you do have questions, each screen will include a Question Mark icon for each access to help for that particular screen.
3) Will I need a new User ID or password? -- No. Both remain the same.
4) Will I need to set up all of my payees again? -- No. Your payees, recurring payments and alerts will all be converted over to the new version of Bill Pay.
5) Will bills that I normally have paid via check now be paid electronically? -- Maybe. We now have more than 3,500 payees in our system, virtually eliminating mailed checks to businesses. Individuals can still be paid by check, electronically or via direct deposit.
UPDATED 10/1/2007
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Remote Deposit services now available to commercial customers
Imagine scanning your incoming checks and sending the images to your bank over the internet INSTEAD of making the deposit trip to the bank. Prairie Remote Deposit does just that.
Remote Deposit, also known as Merchant Check Capture, is a turn-key deposit solution that saves you time and money.
We provide scanners, software and training. Customer site set-up is fast and easy -- we help you install the software, hook up your new scanner and run a "test deposit" and you're ready to go.
With this system, you can scan your checks, front and back, and transmit them securely to the bank via an encrypted file.
Remote Deposit slashes banking time, makes check research a snap, allows you to consolidate multiple accounts into one. You can even designate multiple accounts to receive your deposits.
With Remote Deposit, you can eliminate the need to photocopy, record, total, prepare deposit tickets and drive to the bank.
UPDATED 9/2/2007
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Bill Pay now available for United Prairie customers
Online Bill Pay is now available for all United Prairie Bank customers.
What is Bill Pay? Bill Pay allows you to pay anyone – an individual, business or even a utility – from within your online banking program.
It’s simple, fast and convenient. Once you’ve enrolled in Bill Pay (just sign up at your local United Prairie Bank), you will be able to open the Bill Pay program from within your eBanking service. So there is still just one log in procedure.
Once in the program, you can set up payees by entering a few bits of information. In the case of business payees, you usually enter your billing account number so your payment can be identified upon receipt.
You decide the amount and when the bill will be paid. The program tells you how much lead time you need. The payment amount is drawn out of the United Prairie bank account you specify.
Once that payee is set up, the information can be used for subsequent payments. And, you can set up automatic, recurring payments or one-time payments.
“It’s incredible how convenient Bill Pay is,” said one United Prairie Bank customer. “I can pay my bills in just a few minutes a month without stamps or trips to the post office.”
United Prairie Bank Bill Pay is free to all Prairie LifeSTYLE customers. But all customers can try the service for free for three months. Once the free period has expired, there is a charge of $4.95 a month for up to 25 payments a month. After that, each payment is an additional 40 cents.
UPDATED 4/9/2007
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Waseca's United Prairie Bank wins company's top customer service award
Waseca's United Prairie Bank team won the company's coveted "Top Customer Service" trophy for the second time in three years.
The award was announced on May 8, following a statistical analysis of the performance of all 16 United Prairie Bank locations during a six-week period in March and April 2007.
Although many locations made goal and acheived high results, the Waseca team went farther over goal than any other location.
"We're extremely pleased at the dedication and performance of Chuck Brenner's bank team," said Stuart J. Sneer, owner and company president. "The Waseca staff is a cut above our high standards."
The award was based on customer contacts and responses, as well as the bank team's performance in communicating United Prairie's new Bill Pay service.
"I'm really proud of my team," said Brenner, market president in Waseca. "They worked hard for this award, and more importantly, they work hard for the bank's customers."
This is the second time the Waseca team has won the award since the program was launched in 2001. And, they are one of only two bank teams to win the award more than once. The Windom team has also won the award twice.
The 4-foot traveling trophy was presented to Brenner and the bank staff on May 8. Marcy Buchele, personal banker on the team, also won the first place individual champion title for the best customer service statistics in the entire company during the six-week trial period.
The award-winning team also includes: Dawn Briggs, personal banker; Mike Budach, ag/commercial lender; Pat Forshee, customer service representative; Rachel Splett, customer service representative; and Linda Hein, customer service representative.
"This is an award we take very seriously," said Sneer. "Our hallmark is superior service."
UPDATED 5/21/2007
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United Prairie ranked in nation's Top 20 for ag lending
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Perry Aasness, state executive director, has announced that United Prairie Bank has been granted Preferred Lender status for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) guaranteed farm loan programs.
Aasness congratulated United Prairie Bank for the lender's performance in making and servicing farm ownership and operating loans.
"As a Preferred Lender, United Prairie Bank will have less paperwork to deal with and more time for providing credit to Minnesota farmers," said Aasness.
The Preferred Lender Program (PLP) is a program for elite agricultural lenders that have experience with FSA guaranteed loans. Under the 5-year PLP, lenders process loans and request guarantees with reduced paperwork and supervision requirements. FSA reviews and approves a lender's Credit Management System and then the lender originates and services guaranteed loans based on those procedures.
FSA guaranteed loans allow lenders to serve, or continue serving, farmers who cannot be served on a conventional basis. FSA's guarantee program reimburses a lender for up to 95% of a loan loss, should a farmer be unable to repay the loan. For some guaranteed loans FSA pays 4% of the interest for the farmers. PLP lenders submit only a two-page application and a narrative describing the loan applicant's credit factors. Loan approval with an 80% guarantee is automatic if FSA does not respond within 14 days getting a complete application.
To qualify for the PLP designation, a lender must have made at least 20 FSA guaranteed loans in the past 5 years and have a low historical loss rate. The lender must have a proven record of submitting sound loan proposals and a demonstrated ability to service guaranteed loans.
Contact your local FSA office or your local United Prairie Bank for more information.
UPDATED 5/21/2007
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