Join Us

A Common Bond exists for individuals who live and/or work in Torfaen and Monmouthshire.

We are pleased to extend our account services to members in certain adjacent areas, such as the Forest of Dean or countries that border Gateway Credit Union's current operations.

If you are uncertain about your eligibility to join us, please utilise the following link for further information.

Find Your Credit Union

Organisations based in Torfaen or Monmouthshire can also join Gateway Credit Union as Corporate members by opening a Community Account.

Download our app

Online: by clicking 'Join Now' at the top of this page and completing our online membership form or for a quicker way to join you can download our app from your app store.  We'll check your ID online and send you confirmation and an activation code in the post. Don't forget to tell us who told you about Gateway.

You are welcome to apply for a loan at the same time as joining, click here to apply for a loan as a new member.

By Post: Download, print and sign the Membership form, or ask us to send you a membership pack and freepost envelope. Don't forget to complete the beneficiary details. Send us a cheque, postal order or completed standing order or payroll payment form with your membership form. We will check your ID online and write to you with an activation code.

In Person: Call in or call to one of our offices. Please bring at least £5 in cash to open your account. We will help you with the forms, and help you find the best way to save. Please bring proof of identity and address with you when you come.

Please be advised that there is an annual membership fee of £2, which is charged upon joining and every September thereafter. This fee is utilised to cover transaction costs.

To comply with current Money Laundering Regulations we must obtain proof of your identity and proof of your address before we can open your account or offer you a loan. This is to ensure that the Credit Union is not used to hide the proceeds of crime.

Joining online or by post:

We may be able to verify your identity online, using the electoral register and other records, including verification with credit reference agencies. If we can't do this, we will ask you for further proof.

Joining in person:

We ask you to bring in proof of your identity, by providing at least one form of ID from List A, and proof of your address by providing at least one document from List B.

LIST A – proof of who you are

• Current signed UK passport
• Current UK photo-card driving licence (Full or Provisional)
• Current Full UK driving licence (old style, paper based)
• Current Full EU photo-card drivers licence
• HM Revenue & Customs Tax Notification
• Evidence of entitlement to state benefit, pension, tax credit, etc
• Armed Forces/Police ID Card
• EU Member State ID Card
• Signed Firearms Certificate
• UK Residence Permit.

LIST B – proof of where you live

• Utility bill (we cannot accept mobile phone bills)
• Council tax bill for the current year
• Current UK photo-card driving licence (Full or Provisional)
• Current Full UK driving licence (old style, paper based)
• Bank or building society statement showing address
• Recent mortgage statement
• Evidence of entitlement to state benefit, pension, tax credit etc.
• Official letter from a government agency (e.g. DVLA, HMRC, Job Centre Plus, NHS)
• Care Home letter signed by an appropriate authority
• Proof of mail redirection (on Royal Mail letterhead, not internet printout)
• Council Tenancy Agreement
• Court appointment instruction (e.g. Probate or Court registered Power of Attorney).

Even if you do not have this kind of identification, we still want you as a member. Please bring in whatever documents you have, and we will help you to obtain further proof if we need it.

We will also need your National Insurance (NI) number to open your account.

Loan applications

If you are applying for a loan, we need proof of your identity and address, as above, and proof of your income, for instance payslips, benefits and tax credit letters, and 3 months bank statements, if you have a bank account. If you live with a partner and share your financial responsibilities, we will need proof of their income and identity as well. We normally obtain this via open banking, as which is quick and easy.

Young Saver Account applications

If you are opening a Young Saver Account, we need to see ID as above (or check identity online) for the adult signatory on the account, and we need to take copies of the child's birth certificate or passport. If you are not the parent or guardian the child lives with, we would also like confirmation that they are happy for you to open the account.

For a full guide to how we use your details click here.

We know that our members employed by partner organisations are responsible people who work hard for the local community. Our payroll members include teachers and teaching assistants, nurses, doctors, office staff, chefs, maintenance workers and everyone from midwives to gravediggers. Borrowing and saving direct from pay is an easy and convenient option for busy people. Having deductions taken automatically from your wages is the most convenient way to save. We have hundreds of members who save this way and we are always looking to extend this service to organisations who do not currently offer it as a staff benefit.

It's simple, you sign an instruction to your company's payroll department to deduct the sum you choose from your weekly or monthly pay, and they forward it to your Gateway Credit Union account. Then you tell us how you want us to allocate it, for instance, between your loan and savings accounts, to save for Christmas, or to pay some into your children's accounts.
You can change the amount you save, or cancel the arrangement, at any time. You can also make extra payments using any of our other payment methods, if you wish.

The current list of organisations offering payroll deduction is:

• Torfaen County Borough Council
• Monmouthshire County Council
• Melin Homes
• Monmouthshire Housing Association
• Ty Bron Afon
• Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
• Pobl Housing Group
• Cartrefi Cymru
• Celtic Manor Resort
• Torfaen Leisure
• Robert Price Builders Merchants
• Monmouthshire Mind
• H and H Engineering
• Welsh Ambulance Service
• Public Health Wales
• PIA
• Citizens Advice Torfaen

If you are a member and work for any of the above organisations and would like to begin payroll deductions from your wages please complete this payroll deduction form.
If you would like your employer to offer this service please contact us.

Borrowing.

Staff of these organisations are also eligible for a discounted interest rate.

Benefits to employers.

A number of local employers have chosen to encourage their staff to join Gateway Credit Union and to save direct from their pay. As well as keeping money in the local economy, they recognise that Gateway membership has benefits for their employees. Quite simply, employees with fewer money worries at home are happier and more productive at work.

• Gateway Credit Union members of working age benefit from FREE Life Insurance on their loans and credit union membership helps to foster a spirit of community amongst the workforce it serves. We also offer discounted loans to staff of partner organisations repaying by payroll, our Partner Loan product, and the Fast Track Payroll Loan, ideal for staff who might otherwise approach payday lenders.
• Gateway Credit Union membership can be offered as an employee benefit that helps employers to recruit and retain staff.
• Gateway Credit Union can help employees to save regularly and borrow sensibly within their means.
• Absenteeism through ill health or stress is reduced, when employees are on top of their finances.
• Partnership with Gateway Credit Union can improve the corporate image of your company, both politically and socially, as it indicates your commitment to the well-being of your employees and to the local community at large.

The Cost?

Minimal to the employer - all the administration of members accounts is done by the staff of Gateway Credit Union. All the employer need do is to provide the link to their payroll department and access to internal distribution networks for promotion of the scheme.
If you are a local organisation interested in these benefits to you and your workforce and can offer a Payroll Deduction facility, or you would like further information please contact us.

Organisations can now join Gateway Credit Union as Corporate Members, when you open a Community Account.

Our Community Account is an easy way for organisations to make their money work hard in their local area. Community Accounts attract the same rate of dividend as other savings and are very similar to our Share Account for individuals. You get a passbook and easy access to your money. As with individuals, the maximum you can have in the account is £30,000. We accept deposits by cash, cheque, e-banking or standing order.

The account is suitable for:

Community groups and charities. You can have up to three registered signatories. We can't offer you a chequebook, but we can issue cheques or make payments for you. Unlike many banks, we don't credit check signatories to the account, and although we do require ID, we are more flexible as to what it is.

Small Businesses and sole traders looking for an account for reserves or to save for tax bills.

Local Companies and organisations looking for a way to invest in their local community, at no cost to themselves.

Contact us for more information. We would be happy to pay you a visit to give a brief presentation on the work of Gateway Credit Union and/or to open the account.

Please note that we do not yet offer loans to corporate members.

If you would like to open a Community Account, download the Application form here.