What's the Dilly-o with branch & teller: a buyer's guide for credit unions

The Dilly-o

We'd put this year's effort into cash controls and a clear ITM plan, and make core fit the first question for any vendor. We haven't yet reviewed core fit for any vendor in this category.^C So ask every vendor to name live credit unions on your core before you sign anything.

How we'd size up a vendor

1. Cash controls: does the system enforce drawer limits, dual control and an audit trail your auditor can follow? We'd weigh this first, because the teller line is where your staff handle the most cash.
2. Reporting: can it total each member's cash transactions for the day to support your currency transaction reports (CTRs)? Ask whether you can change the thresholds yourself if the rules move.
3. Core fit: ask the vendor which cores it connects to, and which credit unions on your core you can call.
4. Channel reach: does one platform serve the counter, the ITM and in-branch account opening? Each extra system is another seam where a bad check or a missed control can slip through.

What changed this year

On April 24, 2026, America's Credit Unions asked the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to raise the CTR threshold to at least $30,000.³ Bills H.R. 1799 and S. 3017 would also raise it to $30,000, but neither has passed.⁴ On November 9, 2026, FinCEN and the Federal Reserve Board withdrew a 2020 proposal to cut the recordkeeping threshold for certain funds transfers from $3,000 to $250.⁵⁶ Meanwhile, Alogent's 2026 Check Fraud Benchmark found 48% of surveyed banks and credit unions seeing a surge in mobile deposit fraud attempts.⁷ Thresholds may shift and check fraud keeps moving between channels, so you want teller software you can reconfigure without a vendor project.

Will it work with your systems?

Data Center Inc. offers FrontLine, specialized teller software for community bank branches.^C Ask your core provider which teller and kiosk products it supports today. Then ask what happens to them during any core upgrade.

What other credit unions did

Hawaii State FCU swapped every ATM at its Oahu and Maui branches for full-service ITMs.¹ A credit union with 12 branches and more than 80,000 members announced in December 2025 that it would convert its drive-through ATMs to ITMs.⁸⁹ Its newest units are in Detroit and West Bloomfield.⁸ CODE Credit Union is replacing the ATM at its Monument branch with an ITM.¹⁰ On the core side, UW Credit Union will fully move to Fiserv DNA in 2028.¹¹

What your examiner will ask

The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) requires a security program that protects each office from robberies, burglaries, larcenies and embezzlement.¹² In one case, a person who joined a credit union as a teller in 2016 admitted embezzling or misapplying about $281,098.¹³ In another, a former employee removed cash without authorization, causing $14,500 in losses.¹⁴ FinCEN treats several cash transactions as one if you know they are by or for one person and top $10,000 in a business day.¹⁵

What it costs

NextBranch says a new teller cash recycler typically sells for $30,000 to $35,000.¹⁶¹⁷ It puts integration at a platform module fee of $25,000 to $50,000, or per-device licensing of about $1,000 to $5,000 a year.¹⁷ For timing, Yolo's core conversion ran on a 12-month project plan.¹⁸ Watch the contract: core deals often need non-renewal notice at least 180 days ahead, and early termination fees sometimes reach seven figures.¹⁹²⁰ Lawyers say caps on annual fee increases and the vendor's liability limits are both open to negotiation.²¹²²

Food for thought

We'd plan for your tellers and your self-service machines to share more of the work in your branches. Before your next renewal, ask whether one teller platform can serve the counter and the screen, with the same controls on both.