Check out some of our handy how to videos, helpful links and tips packed full of useful information about how to get the most from your account with us.
I’m Andy Elper, I'm here to help you get the most out of your membership, click the links below for more details.
To keep your account with us secure, we require you to set up a password to access your account details over the phone. This is to protect your data and safeguard your account from unauthorised access.
Click this link to see Andy Elper's video guide - How to set up a telephone password
At Commsave, we want to help you manage your money effectively. One way we do this is through our dedicated online portal – CURight. (www.curight.co.uk).
The site contains more than 50 helpful articles across a range of subjects, from saving and borrowing, to dealing with debt and life events. CURight also includes a Money Motivations Test, designed to help you better understand how you think about money.
All members of Commsave can register for free access to CURight by clicking here.
One of the best ways of staying on top of your money is to put together a personal budget, that sets out the money you have coming in and what you have going out. This enables you to see your ‘disposable income’ – what you have left over after you have met all of your financial commitments.
The Money Advice Service has a useful budget planner, which you can use to put together your own budget. Click here for more information.
Once you are a member of Commsave, and you have your membership number, you can register for online access to your account by clicking the ‘Log In’ button in the top right of the screen. From the next screen, select the ‘sign up for an online account’ option and submit the details requested. Once we’ve confirmed these details match the information on your account, you’ll receive an email from us containing a link to activate your online account.
Click this link to see Andy Elper's video guide - How to register for an online account
One way of ensuring you have a strong password for your online account is to combine three random words to form your password. You can also add special characters for even more security. As you are setting up the password for your online account, our system will provide guidance on how strong your password is and how it can be improved.
Forgotten your online password? You can easily reset it. Simply click here and select the ‘forgotten your password’ option. Fill in the form, hit the green button to submit your request.
We'll confirm the details match your account, and send a link to reset your password.
Enter your new password, and choose the ‘change your password’ option. You'll then be able to login to your account.
You might find it useful to look at the information on the following websites, for more details about online security.
National Cyber Security Centre – https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/information-for/individuals-families
Get Safe Online – https://www.getsafeonline.org/
You can sign up to be a member by clicking the ‘Join Us’ link above. Alternatively, you can call 0303 0402 660 to get an application form sent out via post.
We recommend you first check your eligibility on the ‘who can join’ page.
Did you know immediate family members living at the same address as you can be members as well, even if they’re not in our common bond list?
Also, don’t forget anyone under 18 in your household can have a junior savers account with us – this is a great way to get them into the savings habit for the future, helping them to plan for their first car or things like the costs of going to university. Call us on 0303 0403 660 to request a junior application pack.
Each member must open a Regular Savings Account, and is required to save a minimum of £2 a week or £10 a month.
The easiest way to save is by regular deduction from your payroll (if you work for one of our participating employers). If you're not working for one of these companies you can save by standing order from your bank or building society account, or by setting up a regular card payment. If you have any queries about these payment methods, give us a call on 0303 0402 660.
We offer several different savings accounts, including dedicated accounts for Christmas and holidays, as well as a PrizeSaver Account, where you have the chance to win monthly prizes through your savings balance. Click here for more information
If you want to make a one-off transfer or additional payment to your account, please log into your account and under the 'Accounts' heading select the account you wish to pay into. Select the deposit button, where you will be given the information you need to make a bank transfer or debit card payment.
Based on our financial performance, you'll earn an annual dividend, calculated on your average balance throughout the financial year (October to September).
This is paid into accounts each January. (2023 1.75%, 2022 1.50%, 2021, 2.25%, 2020 2.25%, 2019 2.25%, 2018 2.50%)
You can get your balance at any time either online or through the Commsave mobile app. You can also call us on 0303 0402 660.
On the app and website, you will see both your full account balance and the amount available to withdraw – called the ‘available balance’.
The majority of withdrawals from your regular savings reach your nominated bank account within minutes.
We send other types of payments three times a day, at 10:00am, 1.00pm, and 5.00pm. Payments will usually show in the receiving account immediately, but on rare occasions it can take up to two hours for the funds to reach your account.
There are a few reasons why your savings may not show as being available.
Please give us a call on 0303 0402 660 or log in to your online account and send us a secure message if you’d like more information.
You can apply as soon as you receive your membership number, either via text, email or post. Simply set up your online account to apply through our secure member area, or give us a call on 0303 0402 660, and one of our friendly team will take you through the application.
We offer a range of loan products to suit your needs, with the amount you can apply for at any one time being determined by things like your savings balance and how long you’ve been a member.
New members who've not yet built up savings are eligible to apply for up to £10,000 as an Introductory Loan.
Homeowners are eligible to apply for up to £25,000 as a Homeowner Loan.
If you are looking to consolidate your borrowing into one manageable repayment, our consolidation loans are available to new and existing members up to £25,000.
Our Personal Loans enable you to apply for up to five times the value of your savings (to a maximum of £25,000).
Our interest rates vary from 9.4% to 26.8%, depending on your personal circumstances and how much you are looking to borrow. Click here for more information.
You can also call us on 0303 0402 660 to check your eligibility or simply login to your online account and select the ‘loans and services’ tab – this will show you the application forms for any loans you are eligible to apply for.
We don’t need you to provide anything at the point you apply. Our team will have an initial look through your application and, if we need anything else from you, we’ll send you details by e-mail and text.
Sometimes we need to see documents like recent bank statements or payslips to help us understand that the loan you have asked for is affordable for you. We’ll provide you with a secure link to send the information to us.
We aim to get your decision as quickly as we can, with over a third of our applications receiving an instant decision it is often the same day, however it can take 2 to 3 days during our busiest periods, like Christmas, or if we’ve asked you to provide some additional information.
You'll receive texts and emails keeping you up to date with the progress of your loan, including if we need you to do anything, like send documents to us.
Make sure your contact details are up to date by checking the details in your online account – go to the ‘update personal information’ form under the ‘loans and services’ heading.
We can’t give you an exact timeframe for a decision, but take a look at our service status page for our current estimate of how long it is taking to process applications.
By adjusting your payroll deduction, card payment or standing order to include the loan repayment.
Absolutely – we want to make it as easy as possible for you to manage your borrowing with us.
You can make extra payments, or pay off your loan in full at any time, with no early settlement penalties or other charges. Just give us a call on 0303 0402 660 and we can confirm the amount owing, which you can pay by bank transfer or debit card payment.
We are a responsible lender and need to make sure you can afford the repayments on any money we lend to you.
We carry out various checks when you apply for credit, including looking at your income and expenditure, your account history with us, as well as your credit report. We may also ask you to provide additional information like recent payslips and bank statements.
The money we lend, is the savings of other members, and we have a responsibility to make sure you can afford to pay it back.
Our loans team will always consider what is in your best interests, which may include offering you a lower amount than you have applied for. If this happens, or if we feel we cannot lend to you at the moment, we’ll always explain why, and let you know what you might be able to do to improve your chance of being accepted in the future.
We understand that your finances can change as a result of unforeseen circumstances.
It might be that you’ve lost your job, or you’ve received some unexpected bills, and your finances are under more stress than normal. This can mean you start to struggle with making the regular repayments on money you owe.
Often these problems can be short-term, and we understand that you might need some time to get back on your feet. By keeping us informed we can work with you to find a suitable solution for you.
Please contact us if you’re struggling – we want to help you! You don’t need to feel embarrassed. We'll do everything we can to help, which could include giving you a short period to sort out your finances, or reducing your loan repayments temporarily, to ease your financial stress.
If your problems are likely to be more long-lasting, we can look at whether rescheduling the loan over a longer period might be best for you. Our member solutions team will work with you to help understand your options, and we may ask you to complete a budget planner to fully understand your circumstances.
Remember that not repaying your debts will affect your credit rating and may affect you in years to come when applying for credit, finance or mortgages.
Help us to help you, and keep in touch if your circumstances change.
Give us a call on 0303 0402 660 or log in to your online account here and send us a secure message.
There are many organisations out there that can help you if you’re struggling to keep up with your commitments. We’ve provided links for several of these below.
You might also find it useful to check out the ‘advice finder’ tool on our CURight website. If you’re not yet signed up for CURight, it takes just a few minutes to register and then you’ll have access to helpful articles, and various tools to help you manage your money.
Depending on where you work there are other organisations that may be able to support you:
Maximising your income - Are you claiming for any benefits that you might be entitled to?
The following sites contain useful information to help you manage your money effectively.
There are many organisations out there that can help you if you’re struggling to keep up with your commitments.
If you're finding that your mental health is suffering because of money worries, you may find it useful to look at the resources on these sites.
From time to time, we are contacted by members who are experiencing problems with gambling addiction. If you are concerned either about your own situation, or if you know someone who you think might be struggling with gambling, you may find the following sites helpful.
This site has a list of tips for gambling safely, including information on self-exclusion, time outs and gambling block software, as well as a number of confidential help and support lines. Give them a call on 0808 8020 133.
GamCare offers several methods of support, including chatrooms, live chats, forums and even details of how to find local treatment.
If you'd like to sign up for an account, simply fill in our application form and we'll get back to you.