Account Nicknames: Overview

Helpful Resources

How to Add, Change, or Delete an Account Nickname

How to View Account Nicknames

My member is in BizLink 247 and is getting the following message when creating a username or a security question answer: "Please select a different word or phrase for your answer. Your current choice may be offensive to some." What can I do to assist the member?

Overview

With Account Nicknames, your members can name their own accounts. Instead of a generic description such as “SUB SHARES” or “IRA CERTIFICATE” the account could be called “COLLEGE FUND” or “ROTH IRA CD.”

In order to fit into the locations where these descriptions will be used, nicknames can be a maximum of 15 characters long. Both open and closed accounts can be nicknamed.

Updating Nicknames

Nicknames can be changed in two places:

• By a CU*BASE employee using Update Account Nicknames.

• By a member in online banking using an “Account Nicknames” link on the Account Summary page.

• NOTE: This feature is optional and can be activated for your members using Online Banking VMS Configuration.

Controlling Nicknames

There are two different features in place to allow you to control the nicknames your members can use:

• First, you can control which accounts can be nicknamed, using Share Dividend Application configuration, Certificate Application Type configuration, and Loan Category configuration features. For example, you might want to prevent members from assigning nicknames to your IRA savings and certificate accounts.

• Second, you can use the Restricted Nicknames database to restrict certain words from being used that might generally be considered offensive.

Where Nicknames Will Be Used

• When using Inquiry, Phone, and Teller software, use Nicknames (F21) to view the nickname in place of the standard account description.

• In online banking, the nickname will be used in place of the regular account description everywhere that description normally appears. (This is true even if you do not allow your members to update nicknames in online banking.)

• On member statements, the nickname automatically will be displayed in addition to the account description.

Automatically Display Account Nicknames in Teller/Inquiry/Phone Operator

Check "Automatically toggle to account nicknames (Teller/Inquiry/ Phone)" on the "Teller/Inquiry/Shared Controls" section on the Teller/Member Service Workflow Controls (Tool #1005) to choose that the member’s chosen account nickname appears as the default when you first view the Inquiry, Phone, and Teller screens. (Otherwise it is necessary to use a toggle function to view the nickname instead of the account description.)

Monitoring Your Member Nicknames

Any changes to nicknames, whether via CU*BASE or online banking, will cause a record to be written to the CUFMNT File Maintenance file (program name UACCTN).

SEE ALSO: File Maintenance Inquiry

You can also create a custom inquiry using the CU*BASE Report Builder to view all assigned nicknames. Nicknames are stored in the ACCTNM file.

SEE ALSO: CU*BASE Report Builder (Query) Overview

Additional Video Resources

View more member-facing online banking videos.

Visit the CU*BASE video library.