VACU Reviews

This is honestly one of the worst apps I have ever used. We have a car loan, do not wish to enroll in automatic payments bc we like to pay early. When we went to submit it said if we pay now, a second payment would STILL be deducted on the pay date. What? Why can’t I just make a one time payment early? We could not figure out how to unenroll and my husband had to go to the bank to do it.
We then wanted to make a one time payment on our loan and the only option we could find was to enroll back into the automatic payments. Why can’t we just make a one time payment through VACU without enrolling in auto draft?? My husband has had to physically go to the bank the last two months to make a payment. If there is a way, it’s not at ALL user friendly or easy to find.
I can’t think of a single app that operates in this way. It’s highly inefficient and extremely time consuming to have to go to the physical location to pay every month. Please make it better!

Was excited about the update until I was in VACU .

Why don’t y’all ask the members what they would like to see within VACU before y’all do updates? Or what features to include? Y’all took away the features that I use, but included other stuff that does not apply to me or what I used VACU for.

How is it possible that I can’t even make a transfer to pay down my LOC? I went in to select an account to transfer to, and the only option I have for the transfer is to my savings account? This makes no sense. I have had a credit card and an LOC with this app since 1998. You all were one of the nicest most people centric places I have ever banked, but I will close everything if you can’t get this transfer issue sorted out. If the money is in my checking, I should be able to move it to any other this app account I have, unless it’s a CD. If I could give VACU a zero, I would!’

Feels like the wells banking app, but far less streamlined, and very underdeveloped. The old app was not only easier to use but easier to see, read, and navigate. It was optimized for mobile use, as it should be. Now the menus are too small, the buttons far less readable, and i cant even manage a transfer or check my banking information as easily. This is a downgrade, and i want the unique, easy to use, easy to see, and easy to navigate application to come back.

If I could give VACU less than one star I would. It’s ugly, out dated, slow, and stupid. The old app was so much better. It was already a pain to have to use a different app JUST to manage my one debit card, but now we’re being forced to use this horrible buggy app that looks like it was created by a second grader. I’m considering switching banks for this reason and the fact that I’ve had to switch debit cards multiple times in a short period of time due to fraudulent activity. this app is a joke at this point.

The new app is worse than the old one making you have to work harder to make payments to loan accounts and cards. It used to be as easy as clicking the account and make payment. Now you have to go to the menu then payments and transactions select loan and credit payments then make your payment. Improvements are supposed to make VACU easier to use not add more steps than before and make it harder.

I was less than thrilled when I tried to log in to the old app and was greeted with a wonderful “ VACU is no longer supported” message.

Okay fine, I’ll download the new app, it must be better right?

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

NOPE, it’s so much worse it’s insulting. Clunky, half the features don’t work, the interface is frustrating at best. Poorly designed, poorly executed and frustrating is probably the best way to describe the experience of using this.

Not sure what the leadership at this app is thinking with this…but they could have done so much better as the older app showed us.

Hopefully it gets better because otherwise I’ll have to switch banks yet again, a barely functioning mobile app is a non-starter for my banking needs in 2024.

The old app was much more streamlined and simple to use. This new app looks worse, and is not user friendly. You can’t just transfer funds from one account to another anymore. Now you have to open the menu to select transfer funds in order to do so. Why did you create an app that is harder to use? Your customer service center is going to get a ton of calls now to try to figure out how to use this silly thing.

Never had an issue with Apple Pay Instant Transfer until this new update. It won’t update my current balance after transferring my to my account. What’s up with that??

The new app/web design took us back to the early 2000s. Go back to the old app or get a modern design asap. Please add the Current Balance button back to VACU start page for convenience so we don’t have to log in every time.

The original mobile app was so easy to use and work through and even visually appealing. This one is a pain to work with, I can’t pay my credit cards, I have to have multiple apps, it looks like a paper statement and it’s too busy and “old” looking. Frankly I get irritated every time I use VACU and absolutely wish I could switch back to the old one.

I could be way off base here but it seems like there is more going on with the Home Screen and making a transfer is more annoying. I either didn’t finalize the transfer or input it incorrectly because format change. Cost me $20 because I didn’t have the right amount moved over when the bill came out.

I’d love to know how much money was wasted on this “improvement” to the this app mobile app. It’s so much worse in every way than the old app (which was clearly not designed in-house; it looked just like my other credit union app). I have been banking with Virginia Credit Union as my primary bank and sole checking account for over 30 years. Now I am moving my accounts elsewhere so I don’t have to deal with this horrible user experience. My suggestion to product design, management, et al: cut your losses and bring back the previous app design, it’s going to save you a lot of customers in the near- and long-term. if you can’t bring yourselves to do that, then you need to hire a whole new team to redesign and fix everything. VACU is a HOT MESS.

Is this what you’ve been working on for the last year? Do you even listen to your customers? Every time you roll out a “new experience” it’s total garbage. How come the new app can’t hold multiple user IDs? I have to type a new user ID every time I switch between different accounts. The old app had a drop down with all of my IDs. What happened to FICO scores? I can’t find it in the new app. I’ve been with this app for 20 years and I’m seriously considering switching to a different bank now. Make 1 single app that can do everything, instead of 2 apps that are totally useless. Hire a different developer this time.

Edit: Response from developer - The new this app app can only hold one user ID.

Exactly! You made VACU worse by reducing its functionality.

The new app is ridiculously frustrating. Multiple pages leading to different sites. They outsource customer support and from what I assume from talking to them handle several other credit unions so they go through a script of troubleshooting (which can easily be found online) instead of actually helping to resolve the problem. Mobile deposit used to work great until the new app, always an error when depositing when everything is followed as instructed. Save your time and transfer to another bank

I have been attempting to go online to view my accounts this change was made without any forewarning and now my stored information is no longer stored. A heads up would’ve been nice because now I can’t even log into this stupid new app that doesn’t seem to be worth the trouble already, the last thing you should do is roll out something new to people without warning to add to their frustration. It does not make us feel very receptive to this new thing.

I thought folks were over exaggerating when they were making reviews when I needed to download VACU due to the upgrade. However,I found out today when trying to make a simple loan payment that was much easier to do using the older app, that functionality has now been removed (aggravated). I am now forced to being inconvenienced to call member services in the morning to set up bill pay. This should already be offered in VACU .. whereas other apps like Wells Fargo don’t have issues like this…

Everything about VACU change has made banking with this app worse. It’s harder to find information, harder to move money between accounts, and by far the worst - essentially impossible to see what’s going on with your account. The available balance and current balance almost NEVER match the actual transactions displayed in the accounts, and things come out in a different order (sometimes by days) than they are displayed to the user in VACU . This situation caused me to accidentally overdraft and I had to argue with a manager for an hour and threaten to file a complaint with screen shots proving my point before the charges were reversed “as a courtesy”. I have been a customer of this app for something on the order of twenty years and for the first time I am STRONGLY considering taking my business elsewhere.

I have tried 4 times to verify external accounts so I can pay down my loan. Every single time there’s an issue. First my external accounts simply wouldn’t show up. Now that I finally have it showing up after numerous calls, my internal accounts won’t show up in the transfer options. This is intentional so they make more money on your interest by not allowing you to pay down your loan. Worst institution I’ve ever dealt with. Will never use again. I can’t wait to pay off my loan and leave them forever.

The new this app app isn’t great. It has the aesthetic and functionality of a website from the early 90s, not an app created in 2024. VACU is clunky and awkward. I’m tired of having to close the green pop up, at the top, every time I log in. The mobile deposit feature is subpar compared to the previous version of this app app. Just pick one place to have the main tabs instead of having it at the bottom or to swipe left for a side bar menu as well as a ‘more’ button in the top right hand corner…

The previous version was better in every way. The most striking negative change on this new version is how difficult it is to pay on my line of credit. The feature seems to be hidden. I figured it out a few times, but it takes me about five to ten minutes each time to go through the menus and figure out how to do it again. I’m a young digital native user who spends too much time online, and this is one of the worst designed apps I’ve ever seen.

Absolutely incredible how they can make an app that is literally just their mobile website and think thats a good thing. The developers of VACU must be reaching 100 years old. Unbelievable that you have two apps and it takes 5 days for the credit card app to recognize my checking account thats on the other app. Almost like hmmmm idk it would be better if you put everything on one app and made a user friendly interface instead of two weird portable websites. Not this app though they will continue to amaze you with their leaps and bounds forward in the field of “not really sure why we keep messing with VACU but I'm sure we could make it harder to use”.

This is the most difficult and poorly designed banking app I’ve ever used. Not only is VACU slow and more difficult to navigate, but you can’t even manage your this app credit cards in their banking app, you have to download a completely separate one even just to pay the credit card bill. Then, when you do, you still have to key in all the cards numbers and banking info, all for the same bank! Seriously questioning these constant “upgrades” and if staying a member with this app is worth it.

This new this app app is so bad that, in conjunction with the this app Manage Cards app, I am here to write my first app review, ever. I can’t imagine they did any significant user testing. Half the features don’t work, the ones that do are clunky as heck or just take you to a webpage that doesn’t work, the graphics are bizarre. It’s cluttered, it’s crammed. The More button is useless and redundant.

Users often initially react negatively to app changes/upgrades because change takes adjustment. I hope this app realizes the feedback they are getting is not because of change hate, but because VACU truly blows.

I wish we could bring back the old app when you still had the feature to redeem cash back in it. It was simple but it worked and had all I needed in a banking app.

They updated VACU , supposed to be a whole new experience. It’s absolutely terrible! It no longer recognizes my username, can’t change my password, can’t get in period!!!!!! The last app was perfectly fine! Why?

Does not display the additional memo information typed up.

You’d think a bank could hire a competent programmer but no. I was happy to see that you were able to backspace while entering your login credentials unlike the last garbage app. However the following page after the verification code immediately prompted me to change my password. Under said button was “back” so only wanting to quickly check my balance I assumed it was optional and selected back which led me back to login. Okay so I try to log back in..AND IM LOCKED OUT. So what should of been 3 seconds is now requiring me to stop my day and wait on hold because the request unlocking of account didn’t work either. I cannot wait to close my account this level of design incompetency should NOT be acceptable for an financial institution

New app does not work and locked me out. Customer service keeps hanging up when you try to call.

They required all users to switch to a new app that somehow looks LESS modern. Janky 2008 looking screens with what look like Jpeg images of their logo. More Janky Jpeg advertisements for various loans plague several of the tabs and still they require use of another half developed app to “manage” your cards.

A definite step BACKWARDS.

Please go back to old app this new one for Mar 19 isn’t it that other app was just right

I’ve been a satisfied customer of this app for a long time now, but the new, “upgraded” this app app is a downgrade in every single conceivable way. I have no idea what on earth would possess them to roll out this new app.

First, appearance: the new app looks like a website from 2008. The text is way too small, and everything feels very… angular, for lack of a better word.

APPS AREN’T MEANT TO BE WEBSITES! If I wanted to use the website, I’d just log on in my browser!

Second, functionality: this is where the new app sincerely disappoints. On the old app, I could see my credit card balance and transfer the appropriate funds in like 2 clicks. It took me FOREVER to figure out how to pay my balance in the new app, and I only finally figured it out because one of their “hints” popped up at the top of the screen that detailed the ridiculously unintuitive way to make the transfer.

(Now you have to hit menu > transfers and payments > credit card and loan payments > then enter the information > submit. That may not seem like a lot, but it’s not intuitive and I probably would have never figured it out if not for the “hint” that appeared.)

I sincerely HATE the new app. I am sorry to whomever designed it, because I’m sure it took some time, but I just cannot understand why they would create an objectively worse user experience when the previous one was fine.

Won’t allow anyone to log in

Should have just stayed with the old app, now everything glitches out and can’t even get past the login screen.

this app has tried to join the 21st century with their new app, and while I appreciate the added security features, it’s a frustrating hassle to use. I can no longer just transfer funds from my checking or savings to pay my this app credit card. I assume I have to use the “Manage Cards” feature, but it times out before anything happens. I remember they had/have an app specifically for cards, but that was an even worse disaster. This is not convenient, it’s a headache. I expect an app used to manage my money to work right from the start. You’re better off just using the desktop site.

What a colossal cluster mess!!
App doesn’t recognize my ID and repeatedly shuts me out!
What a fricking screw-up!

The new app that I’m being forced to use (due to the old app not being supported anymore) is an absolute nightmare. It’s so slow and buggy, poor user interface, constantly getting stuck in an “enter code” loop. The old app was simple, modern, responsive, and easy to use. Hopefully they make major changes to this version.

Crashes all the time. Why did you make a new app when the old one was so much better.

Crashes regularly, can’t even log in without some error occurring.

VACU is worse than the previous version in every way possible. It is amazingly slow, ugly UI, and doesn’t even work correctly such as when editing your groups. Bring the old app back please!!!

Love the additional features. Love the layout. Hate how awful mobile deposit has become. It shouldn't be so difficult. Proper lighting with plain background and clean signature and it takes no less than a dozen times to get it done. Get better AI or whatever is needed to make it flawless like the old app. Will change rating once that's fixed.

The USER-INTERFACE is very choppy and doesn’t flow as seamlessly and smooth. Other app was better.

I feel like the older version of VACU was more user friendly in a way. The new app looks cluttered and overwhelming to see also, I feel as though I gave less control over VACU and what I want vs what it was before. I don’t particularly mind being able to see all of the service VACU can offer but the layout of the previous version was much better in my opinion.

Every time this app tries to implement a new app, it’s been a train wreck. While this new iteration is functional, it is not refined like the old one which is no longer in service. Slow, ugly, and difficult to navigate. It feels like it’s just a portal to their website. I appreciate that they’re trying to implement features other banks have given customers for a long time but this isn’t how you do it.

this app tries but falls short. VACU constantly crashes & mobile deposits is a hassle. Frequent errors when trying to deposit checks forcing me to visit a branch and waste my time.

I find the new app difficult to read and now my accounts are in a different order. Also, the site keeps crashing. Just bring the old app back

I’m thoroughly impressed by how lacklustre an experience this app is able to deliver to its customer-base with an app that is, in every way, a strict downgrade from VACU they supported prior to the change. It runs slower, it looks worse, and it barely functions. Clearly some people do not understand the philosophy of not fixing something if it isn’t broken.

I was hopeful that the new launch of this app’s web and app offerings would bring the credit union up to par with other banks. Unfortunately this appears to be two steps back, one step forward in more features but a worse UX and having to generate new login credentials on a new app.

Dark mode would be nice. VACU isn't very useful or legible with an ipad mini 6. Not bad for a credit union app.

Savings and checking interest rates are terrible. this app currently offers 0.5% on Savings. It's not a good place to keep an emergency fund or reserve. Other financial services offer nearly 10 times that rate or more, e.g., ally, discover, amex, fidelity, schwab, and several others. Like most credit unions these days, this app is essentially just a lending service.

this app requires VACU for use with business accounts and while it’s mostly functional, there are numerous obtuse and specific things that don’t work and make it annoying to use. The signup process to even begin using it, took almost an entire morning to figure out. Extremely specific information was required resulting in dozens of incorrect signup attempts…despite it all being information they had already.

Numerous other quirks abound: It will not for example allow mobile deposit of official checks like those normally printed by the government or large institutions. It throws an error saying that you must write ‘For mobile deposit at this app’ but does not recognize it when you do so. Overall, a functional in most regards but poorly designed experience.

I have been with this app for 25+ years. They have always provided excellent service. This recent update is starting slowly but I have no doubt that it will be just as seamless as we are all accustomed to. We all just need to be patient…..
Keep up the good work this app

Easy to do everything on VACU and makes logging into the desktop unnecessary!

This mobile app works really well!

No one likes change, but give VACU a chance. You can do so much more from VACU then the last one. I know this app is still working out some issues, but so far I am impressed!