How do CUs collect members' e-mail addresses?

Credit unions collect members' e-mail addresses primarily through teller incentives, according to a recent survey.

About 17% of respondents said they used teller incentives to collect e-mail addresses, compared with account opening practices at 13% and through the credit union's website at 13%.

"The optimal time to gather the e-mail address is right at the beginning of the relationship," said Rick Blaisdell, co-founder of MailMethods, the company that conducted the survey. "A best practice is to capture the e-mail address as early as possible in the relationship, even if the credit union does not have any current plans to use it."

Credit unions also obtain the addresses through signage in the credit union, direct mail and telemarketing, the survey said.