Case Study: Associated Bank boosts debit card activation with Entrust CardWizard software

Associated Bank - Customer Case Study

Associated Bank, the largest Wisconsin-based bank with more than 200 branches across seven Midwest states, wanted to offset pressure from the Durbin Amendment’s debit interchange limits. To improve debit card activation and customer experience, the bank looked for a way to get cards into customers’ hands faster and provide more personal service at account opening. It evaluated instant issuance options and selected Entrust’s CardWizard® issuance software and related instant issuance hardware.

Entrust implemented a branch-wide instant issuance program using CardWizard software and printers to produce personalized debit cards on the spot, with integration to the bank’s debit processor. The rollout expanded to 145 branches, and the results were strong: instantly issued cards achieved a 71% average activation rate versus 58% for centrally issued cards, a 22% lift. The case study also estimates that, over four years, the higher activation and related transaction volume could generate more than 26 million additional debit transactions, over $6.3 million in incremental interchange income, and about $4.6 million in additional net income after expenses.

Associated Bank

Brian Strigel

Director of Payments Delivery