What Gesa Credit Union does

Gesa Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative founded in 1953 (per firmographics; an alternate source dates founding to 1957) and headquartered in Richland, Washington. The institution provides a full-stack consumer and business banking platform across Washington, Idaho, and Oregon, operating 40+ physical branches, an in-store (ISB) branch format, mobile banking app, online banking, and access to 77,000+ surcharge-free ATMs through the CO-OP shared branching network. Its core product portfolio spans multiple checking tiers (EarnSmart Perks, EarnSmart, Everyday Smart, Student Checking), savings accounts including a 5.00% APY SmartPlus product, credit cards, vehicle loans, personal loans, home equity products, and certificates of deposit. Commercial offerings include SBA 7(a), SBA 504, and USDA government-guaranteed loans, treasury management services, and merchant services delivered through dedicated relationship managers.

Gesa's revenue model is built on net interest income from its loan portfolio (auto, personal, home equity, commercial, credit card) and fee income from account services, with deposit-rate spreads on CDs and savings funding the asset side. Distribution is omnichannel, combining community-based relationship banking with digital channels and a Gesa to Go mobile branch for underbanked geographies. Strategic differentiation is anchored in the Affinity Debit Card Program, which directs transaction-linked donations to local schools and community organizations and generated $1.25 million in community contributions in 2025, positioning community giveback as a flywheel for member acquisition and retention. The credit union also offers investment services through a referral partnership with LPL Financial and insurance through Travelers.

The credit union is in an active expansion phase: it announced the acquisition of Security State Bank (12 branches) on 2024-05-23 with expected 2025 close, launched the ValorFI Heroes digital sub-brand serving first responders, educators, and healthcare workers across 31 states, and earned Newsweek recognition as one of America's Best Regional Banks and Credit Unions for both 2024 and 2025. Technology stack is conventional community-bank infrastructure with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, relying instead on integrations with Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Plaid, Adobe Acrobat Sign, and major digital wallet providers.

Name

Gesa Credit Union

Legal name

Gesa Credit Union

Website

https://www.gesa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Gesa Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative headquartered in Richland, Washington, serving consumers, small businesses, and commercial borrowers across Washington, Idaho, and Oregon through 40+ branches, digital banking channels, and a 77,000+ ATM network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Banking

NAICS

Credit Unions (522130), Commercial Banking (52211)

SIC

Savings Institutions, Not Federally Chartered (6036), State Commercial Banks (6022)

akta.pro primary industry

Bank & Credit Union Personal Loans (Unsecured Installment) (FSAKAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

SME Deposits & Business Accounts (Operating, Savings, CDs) (FSABABAC)

Keywords

• Consumer banking services
• Commercial lending products
• Community credit union
• Deposit account products
• Small business banking

Headquarters

HQ city

Richland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices29 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Interest Income: Gesa generates revenue primarily through interest earned on loans including auto loans, home loans, personal loans, credit cards, and commercial loans. Interest rates vary by product type and creditworthiness.
2. Fee Income: Various fees including monthly service fees on accounts (waived with qualifying conditions), overdraft fees, ATM fees, wire transfer fees, and payment processing fees.
3. Certificate of Deposit Interest: Interest paid to depositors on CD products; credit union earns spread between loan rates and deposit rates.
4. Investment Services Revenue Share: Revenue sharing arrangement with LPL Financial for investment and advisory services referrals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Gesa Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative offering consumer deposit accounts (checking, savings, money market, HSA, IRA, CDs), consumer lending (auto, marine/RV, motorcycle, personal, home equity, student loans), credit cards, and digital banking. It also provides commercial banking products including business checking, money market, business CDs, SBA and USDA government-guaranteed loans, treasury management, and wealth management through LPL Financial, plus insurance through Travelers.

Product overview

Gesa Credit Union offers a comprehensive suite of consumer and business banking products organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core consumer offering spans multiple checking accounts (EarnSmart Perks, EarnSmart, Everyday Smart, Student Checking), savings accounts (SmartPlus Savings, Smart Savings, High-Yield Savings, Explorer Savings, Money Market, IRA, HSA), credit cards (Cash Rewards, Wise, Wise Secured), vehicle loans (auto, marine/RV, motorcycle), personal loans, home equity products, and certificates of deposit. Business banking includes various checking accounts, money market, certificates, SBA/USDA government loans, and treasury management services. The portfolio also includes investment services through LPL Financial, insurance through Travelers, and affinity debit cards that donate to community causes. Recent additions include the digital sub-brand ValorFI Heroes targeting first responders, educators, and healthcare workers, and the Silvur retirement planning tool.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EarnSmart Perks Checking

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.25 million in community giveback through Affinity Card program in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LPL FinancialcoreTechnology or IntegrationInvestment services partnership through which Gesa offers securities and advisory services to members. LPL Financial provides the technology platform and licensed representatives while Gesa provides member referrals. Revenue sharing arrangement exists between the parties.
• Travelers InsurancecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance partnership offering auto, home, condo, and renters insurance to Gesa members at discounted rates. Gesa members receive exclusive affinity discounts on Travelers insurance products.
• InsuraMatchminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTravelers-owned insurance comparison agency offering members ability to compare quotes from up to 50 national and regional carriers.
• CO-OP Financial ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationShared branching network partnership providing Gesa members access to nearly 200 shared branch locations in Washington State and over 77,000 surcharge-free ATMs nationwide.
• Salesforce Marketing CloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationMarketing technology platform used for email marketing campaigns, member communications, and marketing automation.
• Washington State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership with on-campus Gesa branch locations at WSU The Spark and Compton Union Building. Includes affinity debit card program with WSU branding.
• Tri-City Dust DevilsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMinor league baseball team sponsorship providing exclusive ticket discounts and promotional events for Gesa members.
• Local Schools and Community OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffinity debit card partnerships directing donations to schools and community causes when members use their cards. Includes high school credit union programs and scholarship initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed): Large nationally chartered credit union with a digital-first model that competes for affinity segments (military, then broader) across many states — analogous to Gesa's national ValorFI Heroes digital push.
• Alliant Credit Union: Online-friendly national credit union competing on high-yield deposits and consumer lending — a relevant peer for Gesa's national digital ambitions via ValorFI Heroes.

Direct peers

• BECU (Boeing Employees Credit Union): Washington-based member-owned credit union offering a similar full suite of consumer and business banking products across the Pacific Northwest. Comparable scale, cooperative structure, and regional footprint make it the closest like-for-like peer.
• WSECU (Washington State Employees Credit Union): Olympia-headquartered credit union operating statewide in Washington, offering consumer and business banking products under the same cooperative structure as Gesa.
• Numerica Credit Union: Spokane-based credit union serving Washington and Idaho with consumer and commercial banking, mirroring Gesa's geographic footprint and member-owned cooperative model.
• Sound Credit Union: Washington-based member-owned credit union with comparable consumer and SMB banking products, overlapping in Pacific Northwest territory with similar mid-sized asset base.
• Fibre Federal Credit Union: Oregon and Washington-based cooperative credit union serving similar consumer and small business segments with comparable deposit and loan products.

Broad incumbents

• Wells Fargo: Major national bank with significant Washington and Pacific Northwest retail and commercial presence, providing broad competition across deposits, mortgages, and SMB lending.
• U.S. Bancorp (U.S. Bank): Large national bank holding company with deep Pacific Northwest presence, competing directly for deposits, consumer loans, and commercial banking relationships across Gesa's footprint.
• JPMorgan Chase: National bank with growing presence in Pacific Northwest metros, competing for consumer deposits, credit cards, and digital banking customers through scale and technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GesaCU
• YouTubevimeo.com/gesacu
• Facebookfacebook.com/GesaCU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gesa-credit-union
• Instagraminstagram.com/gesacu

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gesa Credit Union