We are a nation on the go, especially during the holidays. In fact, the Automobile Club of America estimates that approximately 98 million Americans traveled more than 50 miles from home during the 2014 holiday season. According to the U.S. Travel Association, direct spending by resident and international travelers in the U.S. averaged $2.5 billion a day in 2014, a figure that is expected to rise this year.

“As a credit union, member travel can present challenges, especially when travel notifications arrive at the last minute – or are not submitted at all,” said Amanda Atcheson, product marketing manager for CO-OP Financial Services. “Without timely access to this information, determining whether or not to authorize member card payments in remote locations can be difficult.”

According to Kevin Alsup, vice president, information and administration for San Jose-based Tech CU (Technology Credit Union), “What makes managing travel notifications so complicated is that the information has to integrate directly into highly secure fraud detection systems at a credit union’s processor. So there can be a fair amount of software customization involved in automating the process. That is why many credit unions approach the task manually, even though maintaining these records can be very time and labor intensive.”

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