The National Small Credit Union Association (NSCUA) has just announced a partnership with CUTexting, led by founder and president Mark Johnson, to make digital communication and payment tools cheaper and easier to get for small credit unions across the country.
Why the price tag keeps small shops on the sidelines
Think of buying groceries for a family of four versus a stadium concession stand. The stand gets bulk pricing, and the family pays shelf price for the same items. Technology works much the same way. Large institutions spread costs across big budgets and big memberships. Smaller ones face the same member expectations with far less to spend, and as vendor prices climb, even basic communication and payment services get hard to justify.
What members get
- Exclusive pricing opportunities and arrangements on CUTexting’s solutions
- Access to text-based payment reminders, secure payment options, and other communication channels members already use daily
- Educational programming and demonstrations to help credit unions evaluate what’s worth buying
- Direct engagement with CUTexting, so questions get answered by the people who know the product
The pricing is built so smaller institutions can explore modern tools without being held to the purchasing expectations of larger competitors. It also gives them room to decide which technologies make financial and operational sense for them.
What the leaders are saying
NSCUA President and CEO Joshua C. Urbick put the imbalance plainly. “Small credit unions are expected to provide the same level of service and technological convenience as institutions many times their size, but they are not operating with the same financial resources,” he said. He described the goal as leveling the playing field by bringing practical, affordable options within reach of institutions that might otherwise be priced out.
Johnson echoed that. “Small credit unions should not be priced out of technology that can make a meaningful difference for their members and employees,” he said. Limited budgets, he noted, don’t change the need for reliable communication and payment tools. The aim is to make them more affordable and accessible while helping each credit union find options that genuinely fit.
Urbick also pushed back on the idea that this is just a discount. “Affordability is not just about finding a lower price,” he said. It’s about letting small credit unions invest in their future without straining their budgets. Pooling institutions together, he added, creates opportunities that go well beyond what any of them could manage alone.
The bigger picture
The deal fits NSCUA’s broader strategy of using the collective strength of the small credit union movement to improve purchasing power and open up services that individual institutions struggle to land on their own. The association says it will keep expanding its network of strategic partners, with a focus on relationships that deliver measurable value, cut operating expenses, and support long-term sustainability.
For now, details are still to come. NSCUA says more information on CUTexting’s solutions, the exclusive member opportunities, and upcoming educational programming will be released through the association. Small credit union leaders should keep an eye out for the first demos and the actual pricing terms, since those will show how much of the promised savings reaches members’ budgets.