OK, so you’ve got an iPhone and have signed up for our smartphone banking product, Mobile Money. It’s a great, easy to use service, but, dang it, you sure have to touch the screen a lot to get there! Here’s how to add a link right on your phone’s home screen:

1. Open the iPhone’s browser and navigate to the page you want. In this case it will be your unique URL for Mobile Money.

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2. Touch the Add icon on the bottom middle of the Safari screen. Depending on your phone’s iOS, it will either be a “+” sign like this   or a rectangle with an arrow coming out of it like this .

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3. Select “Add to Home Screen”.

5. Voila! There’s a new icon on your home screen that looks like this . Going forward all you have to do is touch it to go directly to Mobile Money.

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That was pretty painless, right? “But John, I don’t have Mobile Money!” Why not? It’s free and super-handy. Go here to learn more!

Any questions about the above – leave a comment or email me at jcollins@linnareacu.org. I’ll be happy to help.

On Wednesday you read Amber’s story of how Mobile Money got her out of a bind while grocery shopping, which hopefully has inspired you to take advantage of this FREE service provided by Linn Area Credit Union. But, if you’re anything like me, you like to have step-by-step instructions on how to get signed up! Well, friends, here you go: 

• Log on to your account via E-Branch

• Click on the “Options” tab

• Go to the “Additional Services” tab and select “Mobile Money”

• Click “Sign Up”

• Check the box that says “Accept terms and conditions” and then click “Continue”

• Choose the central time zone in the drop down box

• Choose the accounts that you would like to be able to access on Mobile Money from the list

• Choose a texting nickname (ex: savings could be “sav” or “save” or “1”  or whatever you want!)

• Click “Continue”

• Enter your mobile number

• Click “Next”

• Choose text messaging and mobile browser if you have smart phone; choose just text if your phone only has texting capabilities (go here for more clarification)

• You will immediately receive a text with your activation code

• Enter activation code into the specified box on your computer and click “Activate”

• It will then tell you that activation has been successful and will text you instructions on how to use it

• If you have a Smartphone, save the unique URL to your browser’s favorites so you can quickly and easily access your account information (My handy-dandy tip: Instead of the normal bookmark, I actually saved my link to my iPhone’s home screen, which created a handy little icon for me!)

Now, remember, the above step-by-step guide is meant to be a Cliff Notes version! Be sure that you are reading everything on the screens, as there will be additional information throughout the sign up process. If you get stuck, know that you can always call us at 319.378.0101 or connect with us using Live Chat and we’ll help you walk through it!

A big thanks to Stacey Carter, one of our Member Services Representatives, for creating the step-by-step guide to getting Mobile Money!

I LOVE my phone!  I use it to Tweet a little. I also update my status on Facebook while on-the-go (probably a little too often).  Heck, if I am not careful about what I say, my mom will call me about my Facebook status. But, even more importantly than staying connected socially, I am now able to check my account balance and transaction history all through my phone using Mobile Money! 

I’d like to share with you guys how Mobile Money actually got me out of a bind when I was at the checkout just a couple of weeks ago! 

I am a busy mom of two little ones and was in a hurry one evening at a local “super center.”  While checking out, I used my Linn Area debit card as a credit (then I get my 12 signature based transactions in to qualify for my High Yield checking account!), but the sales associate said it wasn’t going though.  Now, it wasn’t declined, but their system wasn’t reading my card. 

After scanning my card twice, I decided to take matters into my own hands and pulled out my little pink Smartphone.  While waiting for a manager to check out the register and investigate the issue, I pulled up my Mobile Money link (a unique URL that was sent to me when I signed up for Mobile Money) and clicked to view my “pending transactions.” It showed that the “supercenter” was pending for the exact amount shown on the register. The sales clerk and the manager were a little surprised, but they allowed me to leave with my purchases as they continued to puzzle over their machine. 

Before I left I said, “I will check my account again later – through Mobile Banking of course – and let you know if the transaction does not come out. I will come back and pay for the items if that happens.”  

They seemed very thankful, although still confused over what was going on with their register. I left feeling fabulous because I have a credit union that has what I call trendy technology that fits my lifestyle.  

You don’t have to have a Smartphone to take advantage of Mobile Money! Any phone with texting capabilities can participate. It’s super easy and FREE! Check back on Friday, when we’ll give you detailed instructions on how to get Mobile Money! (Or if you want to try it on your own, go here!)

We are lucky enough to have Amber join us today as a guest blogger. You might know her from her everyday work in our Member Services Department – although it would be her friendly voice that you would most recognize. She also helps people through our handy Live Chat feature. If you ever need help with Mobile Money, Amber is your go-to girl! Thanks for the blog post, Amber!