Unity Credit Union

What Unity Credit Union does

Unity Credit Union is a member-owned cooperative financial institution founded in 1941 and headquartered in Unity, Saskatchewan, Canada. It provides a full-service retail and small-business banking suite to personal members, agricultural producers, and commercial members in its regional catchment, encompassing chequing and savings accounts, term deposits, TFSAs, RRSPs, RESPs, mortgages (conventional, CMHC, All-in-One), consumer and commercial lending (term loans, lines of credit, Quick Loan, CALA and Canada Small Business Financing Programs), credit cards issued through Collabria Financial Services, equipment leasing through Calidon, and wealth management and insurance distributed through Aviso Wealth. Distribution combines a physical branch in Unity with phone banking, an ATM network spanning ACCULINK and CIRRUS, and digital channels (online banking and a native iOS/Android mobile app built on Celero Solutions core technology). Revenue is generated primarily through net interest income on lending and deposit products, fee-based services (transactions, wire transfers, ATM usage), credit card interchange and interest via Collabria, Member Rewards redemption economics (annual payouts to members of $500,000+ in 2023), and affiliate referrals to Aviso Wealth.

The product and technology architecture is conventional for a Canadian credit union: a shared core banking platform from Celero with a web front end and a unified mobile app supporting mobile deposit capture, Interac e-Transfer, Autodeposit, Apple Pay and Google Pay, biometric authentication, 2FA via SMS/email, and security alerting. The MEMBER REWARDS loyalty program creates relationship-tied switching costs via Personal (4+ products, $250-$1,000 volume tiers) and Business (3+ products, $300-$1,200 volume tiers) structures. Regulatory positioning relies on full deposit guarantee through the Credit Union Deposit Guarantee Corporation (CUDGC) and adoption of multiple provincial and federal compliance frameworks (Credit Union Code for the Protection of Personal Information, Market Code, OBSI, Code of Conduct for the Credit and Debit Card Industry, PCMLTFA).

Go-to-market is community-led and digital-first: local decision-making and in-house loan approvals target a Saskatchewan member base, supported by a multi-channel marketing stack (website, social media, quarterly newsletter, financial calculators, seasonal promotional campaigns, community events and sponsorships). The institution is governed by a Board of Directors (President Colette Lewin, Vice President Ward Snell, plus Directors and Junior Board Members) under CEO Kelly Longley, with a senior management team of four covering digital experience, marketing, member experience, and lending services.

Name

Unity Credit Union

Legal name

Unity Credit Union

Website

https://unitycu.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1941

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Unity Credit Union is a Saskatchewan-based cooperative credit union founded in 1941, serving personal, agricultural, and small-business members with deposit products, mortgages, consumer and commercial lending, Collabria-issued credit cards, and Aviso Wealth investment and insurance services through a branch plus digital banking platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Banking

NAICS

Credit Unions (52213), Credit Unions (522130), Commercial Banking (52211)

SIC

Savings Institutions, Not Federally Chartered (6036), Personal Credit Institutions (6141)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Credit Unions (Retail/Consumer Focus) (FSABAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cooperative Banks (Member-Owned Commercial/Retail) (FSABAEAF), Bank & Credit Union Personal Loans (Unsecured Installment) (FSAKAAAL)

Keywords

• Retail banking services
• Commercial lending
• Mortgage products
• Community banking
• Investment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Unity

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Interest Income - Lending: Interest earned on personal and commercial loans including mortgages, consumer loans, agriculture loans, and lines of credit. Competitive fixed and variable rate products.
2. Deposit Products: Interest-bearing accounts, term deposits, and savings products. Member deposits fund lending operations.
3. Fee-Based Services: Transaction fees, account service charges, ATM usage fees, wire transfer fees, and other banking service charges.
4. Credit Card Revenue: Revenue from Collabria credit card program including interchange fees and interest charges.
5. Member Rewards Redemption: Annual payouts to members based on product relationships, account volumes, and tenure. Taxable T-5 distributions.
6. Wealth Management Referrals: Referrals to Aviso Wealth for investment products, financial planning, and insurance services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Unity Credit Union is a member-owned cooperative financial institution headquartered in Unity, Saskatchewan that provides a full range of personal and business banking services. Its offering includes chequing and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, personal and commercial loans, lines of credit, agriculture financing, term deposits, and investment and insurance products distributed through a branch plus digital banking platform (online banking and iOS/Android mobile app).

Product overview

Unity Credit Union operates as a Saskatchewan-based credit union offering a comprehensive suite of financial products through a platform-plus-branch distribution model. The core digital banking experience consists of Online Banking (desktop web), Mobile App (iOS/Android native), and Small Business Online Banking. The product portfolio spans personal and business banking with chequing/savings accounts, credit cards (via Collabria), diverse lending products including conventional and CMHC mortgages, agricultural loans, and various business credit facilities. Investment services include RESPs, RRSPs, TFSAs, term deposits, and self-directed investing through Qtrade Direct Investing, all offered through the Aviso Wealth partnership. Insurance products are distributed through Aviso Insurance Inc. The MEMBER REWARDS program incentivizes product adoption through relationship-based, volume-based, and loyalty-based tiered rewards. All services integrate with Interac e-Transfer for payments and Apple Pay/Google Pay for mobile transactions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MEMBER REWARDS: A loyalty rewards program for members with eligible products and services, offering relationship rewards, volume bonuses, and loyalty bonuses.

Quantifiable outcome

• $500,000+ returned to members through Member Rewards program in 2023
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aviso Wealth / Aviso Insurance Inc.coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAviso Wealth provides wealth management services including mutual funds, financial planning, and insurance products to Unity Credit Union members. The partnership provides local access to investment advisors and comprehensive financial planning services through the credit union branches. Credential Securities and Credential Asset Management rebranded to Aviso Wealth effective April 1, 2024.
• Qtrade Direct InvestingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerQtrade Direct Investing is a self-directed investing platform offered through Unity Credit Union. Joint promotional campaigns offer cash back incentives (up to 10%) for new account openings. Qtrade is part of the Aviso Wealth network.
• Collabria Financial Services Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationCollabria issues Mastercard and Visa credit cards to Unity Credit Union members. The partnership provides credit card products with promotional balance transfer offers. Members access credit cards through Collabria portal.
• Calidon Equipment LeasingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCalidon Equipment Leasing provides equipment leasing solutions for agriculture and commercial members who prefer leasing over purchasing. Unity Credit Union refers members to Calidon while maintaining the relationship through the member's credit union account manager.
• Credit Union Deposit Guarantee Corporation (CUDGC)coreOthersCUDGC is a regulatory corporation that fully guarantees deposits held in Saskatchewan Credit Unions. All member deposits at Unity Credit Union are protected regardless of amount, providing bank-level security assurance.
• Celero SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationCelero Solutions provides technology infrastructure and digital banking services. Unity Credit Union mobile app is developed by Celero (package ID: com.celero.unityxpress). Celero provides core banking technology services to credit unions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Vancity: British Columbia's largest credit union, member-owned cooperative with full banking, lending, and wealth services. Comparable as a values-driven community CU but at materially larger scale and in a different geography.
• Conexus Credit Union: Large Saskatchewan credit union serving individuals and businesses across the province with full banking, lending, wealth and insurance products. Operates in the same Saskatchewan community CU system under CUDGC and is the most natural regional incumbent peer to Unity.
• Affinity Credit Union: Saskatchewan-based credit union formed through merger of multiple smaller credit unions, providing personal, business and agricultural banking across the province. Comparable in Saskatchewan CU system membership, deposit guarantee, and product breadth, but at materially larger scale.
• Desjardins Group: Largest cooperative financial group in Canada, operating credit unions across Quebec and Ontario with full banking, wealth, and insurance. Comparable as a member-owned cooperative, but vastly larger and geographically separate.

Direct peers

• Innovation Federal Credit Union: Federally chartered Saskatchewan credit union offering full-service personal and business banking to members. Comparable as a Saskatchewan CU peer in regulatory framework, member-owned structure, and digital/branch distribution model.
• Cornerstone Credit Union: Small-to-mid Saskatchewan credit union serving rural communities with personal, business and agricultural lending. Closely comparable in scale, Saskatchewan geography, community CU mission, and CUDGC membership.
• Prairie Centre Credit Union: Rural Saskatchewan community credit union offering personal and agricultural banking. Comparable in scale, target market, and reliance on community engagement and CUDGC guarantee.
• Diamond North Credit Union: Saskatchewan community credit union serving rural and small-town members with full banking services. Comparable in geography, member-owned structure, agricultural lending focus, and digital banking offering.
• Synergy Credit Union: Saskatchewan community credit union providing personal, business and agricultural banking products. Comparable as a Saskatchewan CU peer operating under the same CUDGC deposit guarantee framework.

Regional players

• Servus Credit Union: Alberta-headquartered credit union and one of Canada's largest, offering full banking, wealth, and insurance. Comparable business model and credit union governance but does not operate in Saskatchewan; relevant as a regional benchmark for digital and product capabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unityskcu
• Facebookfacebook.com/UnityCU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unitycu
• Instagraminstagram.com/unitycu/?hl=en

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Unity Credit Union