Service is always quick, staff are kind. Kaylyn in particular is very helpful! Also very convenient that this location is in the heart of Downtown Berkeley. read more

Recently joined this credit union and was so pleased with the customer service. Thought changing from a big bank would be much harder, but the staff really put me at ease. Can't recommend Patelco enough! read more

They great! Soooooo consistently helpful. I had a weird sus transaction debacle and they felt with it immediately.

Coming here is always easy, the staff is great there is never a long wait. I have been coming to this location for awhile now and will be a returning guest. read more

In January I alerted the bank, through the App, that I would be traveling to Japan. I then called the bank to confirm that I would be able to withdraw money in Yen from ATMs in Japan. I traveled to Japan in April and the ATM card would not work. When I returned to the bank today to ask what happened, it was explained to me that the "ticket" which says to make the card work in Japan only has a life of 60 days so it was "closed" after 60 days, which was before I set my foot in Japan. Why would the app allow a customer to set up a travel alert more than 60 days out if such alerts are closed? Why would they close a "ticket" without notifying the customer that their card won't work abroad? Poor product design and a terrible customer experience. read more

They are fast, efficient, and attentive, with a strong focus on customer service. They offer a wide range of services to their members and come highly recommended. read more

I had a pleasure meeting with Sunita Rai. She was late the the virtual meeting, refused to take my form of ID before starting the meeting. Kept over talking me, mad the process just frustrating. She asked for another person to join, Kayla Denny which was not helpful at all. I informed her that I provided my ID and was told that the flag could not be removed without the ID. If her member took my ID before hand. She would have that to remove this flag. She was helpful with explaining what the flag is which I did not care about at the time. My concern is about me showing my ID and moving forwards with my account. Which no one was able to resolve today due to the lack of active listening this team does not have. read more

I love this location because it is near BART and is quite accessible. I like coming here for that reason. Previously, I went to the Pinole branch, which they closed - without a word to me. And the Oakland branches which were accessible when I lived and worked in Oakland. I still go to my original branch on occasion, but I'm rarely out there. It's a decent branch and a decent location and I appreciate them being there. But the corporate location is different. They have some funky rules and regulations and have moved from the Bay to the South something -or-another, and that's been hard. When they were more local I appreciated their service, but now they can't be bothered because instead of walking down to my local branch and chatting with a branch manager. The good times have passed me by. I'm thinking of going to a place such as Mechanics Bank. It's a bank, but they seem to care for their customers in a way that Patelco used to. And that's what I'm looking for. If I wanted to call a center in Fresno for "service" I would be at B of A, Wells, or Citi. Their local style service is no longer a thing and that saddens me. I liked the way they were when I started with them. But those days probably won't come back. My husband left and I'm looking to bail too. read more

I still cannot access my account due to a ransomware attack after about 2 weeks of wordy apologies from an upper level administrator. The last letter cheerfully indicated that we would be able to find out what plans are being made to get us back on line -soon! The impact is that I cannot pay my credit card bill from another bank, I have reached my credit limit there. I cannot pay my vet bill from the credit union (debit) account, so I cannot keep the upcoming vet appointment for my dog. We are promised a "letter" for delayed payments, but how will that help? Will my credit rating company accept a letter?! In short, the communication from this credit union is not specific, and I am told the workers don't have access to my account either. They are all (feverishly?) at work but cannot look at our accounts. I don't blame anyone but this is going to harm me, my dog, and all the less fortunate customers who will suffer even more. Explain things in detail. This is not an election. Explain how the Letters will work. How will we access them? Explain how my credit will be fixed. I worked in a large medical center for 25 years-where the front line workers weren't given info, things moved too slowly and patients suffered. It is so clear that your company is not being transparent and that are not telling us anything. I don't know what to do. I need to take care of my dog. This system is all about looking good vs being good. read more

I had a couple bad experiences with branch tellers but the branch manager, Martin, followed up and is very friendly and capable and restored my confidence in the branch. There are folks who care working here! read more

The is no way to call a local branch (Berkeley, CA in my case) directly. I had a quick question but was unable to find a local contact number. When I contacted the virtual assistant I was told I had to call the 800 number and ask to be transferred to a local branch. That's the only way to get to a local branch. I called the 800 number, navigated the menu items, and then waited over 20 minutes to get to a representative. At first the wait was estimated to be 14 minutes. Then 5 minutes later, the estimated wait time was 13 minutes. Patelco made the experience worse by repeatedly playing advertisements about their services -- over and over again. Then they gave me the option to receive a call back from them by pressing 1. I pressed 1. Nothing happened. I pressed 1 again. Nothing happened. Pressed 1 again. Nope. read more

Unfortunately this branch is going to have to take my hit because of a general problem with the Credit union itself. 1. it does not permit emails through the message center only chats with a robot during business hours so I guess I have to call somebody 2. there's a problem with the website trying to PDF check images for 2024 it will not work. 3. I am told the problem has been escalated check images from 2023 download perfectly for my tax records. Your Tech Support team for the entire institution makes your Credit union look bad. I was thinking of using the account more and now because of these problems I don't think I can and it would not be a good idea read more

What I like about Patelco is that they are not a large bank like some other banks out there that are just trying to get you to sign up for every credit card they offer. I recently opened an account with them through a referral and everyone was really helpful. They weren't pushy at all and the banker was really knowledgeable about her stuff. Thank you! read more

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY IF YOU VALUE UOUR CREDIT RATING! These dum dums dropped credit score 50 points because they can't read their screens! No have to spend time getting it corrected and wait for it to correct on my credit report!! Our car lot that we purchase all of our cars from, 5 within the last two years, will be dropping them!! Will get away from these dummies !! If you have the better stay on them like a fly cause they do a shitty job! read more

Took good care of my accounts let me know there was fraud while it was happening. Thanks

I've been a member of Patelco Credit Union for years. (Since they took over Cal State 9). I've always been treated nicely and enjoyed the benefits of being a member. Since they have few offices I take advantage of the free ATM use at any 7-11. read more

Jerry Morales (Berkeley branch) was patient, knowledgable and extremely helpful to us when we needed to make a number of changes to our accounts. He spent a lot of time guiding us through the process and was very responsive when we contacted him with questions. This is why we don't use the big banks (not to mention their high fees). Highly recommended! read more

Unbelievable how badly this institution is managed. I have been a Provident Credit Union member for over 25 years. Patelco Credit Union is part of a shared branch network, meaning (as a Provident member) I can make deposits inside the branches of other area credit unions, including Patelco. However, when I tried to deposit a large sum of cash on November 14, 2017 at the Downtown Berkeley Patelco, I was told that they would not take my deposit inside the branch and that I would have to use their ATM. I protested to the teller but it didn't do any good. As it was close to 5pm and couldn't make it to an Oakland branch before they closed, I decided to use the Patelco ATM. Worst mistake ever! Little did I know of the nightmare experience I was about to endure! Patelco has 2 ATMs at their Downtown Berkeley branch. I initially deposited $2,000 in cash into the ATM on the right hand side and pressed the button asking for a receipt. The ATM spit out my card...no receipt! I was annoyed about this and decided to use the ATM on the left to deposit another $3,650 in cash and a $1,000 check. Again, I pressed the button for a receipt which this time I got. Before leaving Patelco, I logged on to my Provident account through my phone and didn't see any deposits. I spoke to the teller to explain what had happened and was informed that I would need to make an ATM dispute with Provident, which I did. I called Provident and they assured me that it would all be straightened out within a couple of days. Of the $6,650 that I deposited, $3,020 showed up in my Provident account within a few days. I have been calling and emailing Provident about this issue for over 2 months now. I have sent them copies of the receipt that I got from the second ATM (see photo) which showed the $3,020 in cash along with another $630 in cash and the $1,000 check. I even sent them a copy of the $1,000 check, which I obtained from the payor, after it had cleared. Still, those funds hadn't been credited to me. After several angry phone calls to supervisors at my credit union, in January I received credit for the $1,000 check and the additional $630 for which I had a receipt. However, Patelco now claims the they cannot find the initial $2,000 which I deposited into the first ATM. I can't express how frustrating this is. My credit union tells me that they have many many members that are going through this same experience with Patelco ATMs. Patelco apparently has a third party company service and balance their ATMs, so they seem to be passing the buck! Where's the accountability? I would highly recommend that you NOT use Patelco for anything, but most importantly, NEVER trust their ATMs with your money. Shame on you, Patelco! It's incredible to me that a credit union is allowed to operate so recklessly with people's money and they seem to have no accountability for losing cash deposits! Sadly, there seems to be little recourse for victims like me. More than two months after making these deposits, I'm still waiting for the $2,000 to be credited to my account. I keep calling my credit union asking for updates and I hear the same story again and again how I'm not the only one going through this with Patelco ATMs...That they are still looking for my deposit...Come on, man!! read more

Patelco Credit Union Berkeley - As you can see, the receipt shows $1,000 check and $630 in cash which did not get credited to me. I had to wait weeks for these credits. - Banks & Credit Unions Near Me - Berkeley, California

My experience with Patelco Credit Union has been great so far. Alex Quebec of the Milpitas branch has been helpful and greets you with a smile with an accommodating and assuring demeanor. read more

My review is about this location and the bank as a whole and not saying everyone I have encountered at Patelco is bad but in general way too many incompetent employees here. Tried setting up a Minors Account for our son. I think I got 3-4 different responses and ended up having to go in to see the manager because they were all dysfunctional. I would say if you wanted a super basic kind of bank account with little to no personal interactions this bank might be ok, but if you need to work directly with people or any extras stay away. read more

Patelco has been extremely easy to work with and set up me and my husband's accounts, both individual and joint, with no problem whatsoever! They even helped us with all this and name changes all in the same morning an hour before closing. Especially Tatiana, she helped set up all our accounts on multiple occasions and was so helpful and kind the entire time! Couldn't be more grateful for her and Patelco as a whole!!! Heavily recommended! read more

Cannot reach anyone!!! Was hung up on twice after waiting for 30 mins each time!! very very disappointing.

For some reason Patelco never wants to cash a check I write on my HELOC. It's always something. They told me I'm not the primary, so they need approval from the primary. I suppose they made me secondary because I earn less than my husband. We certainly applied jointly as we co-own our home. As I said, always something. This week we gave our painter a check. I signed it. My husband called and preauthorized it (obnoxious, no?) yet Patelco in Berkeley claimed some nonsense about the signature not matching. THEY DID NOT HONOR THE CHECK EVEN WITH PREAUTH FROM PRIMARY. They were given the check number, the payee and the amount!!!! I suspect they're better if you're male. Without a wife who makes less money. You may want to look elsewhere. Very unhappy. read more

Very friendly staff. I came in recently to open an account. The branch manager helped me. It was a quick and seamless process.

I come here every once in a while to deposit checks. I do not have an account at Patelco, but rather at another CU. The staff have always been professional and capable to perform this simple task with no problems. My experience with other CU has been very good. Customer service is generally so much better than with larger banks, so hopefully that is also the case for Patelco. read more

First off, I don't bank here. My tenant does. Tenant pays by check. Takes up to 2 weeks to get paid if I deposit it so I come down. Usually 1 or 2 tellers that take avg 10 minutes per transaction. Plus they have to call the member to ok a check. Hard for me and anyone else. Today....15 people in line...2 tellers. You do the math. Shoulda paid for 2 hours at the meter I parked at 1/4 mile away. Not the kinda of Bank or Branch I'd do business with on a regular basis. Certainly wouldn't open an account here. Zero stars. read more

This review is for Patelco at large, not any particular branch. I'm a fan. They're not knocking my socks off but I will say most of the customer service is above average and for me, that makes a big difference. I'm SO GLAD I'm not with a corrupt big bank anymore. I did join SF Fire Credit Union because I heard rave reviews and thought I might like it better but the few times I've called, people were pretty uptight there so it made me value Patelco more. Anyone from Patelco reading this, please note, I'm not a big fan of the "new website". I like simple layout and functionality. I dont know if it does this just on iPads, but it's VERY sensitive and has been really annoying to use, every time. I dont see it being an upgrade from what they had previously. Boo. read more

Really appreciated the service and friendly support from the team at this branch. The vibe was much different than at a private commercial bank - much more laid back with a real sense that this was actually a financial institution that wanted to help me get the best deal possible. read more

I applied for a car loan this morning and it was a fantastic experience! Weird, right? But it really was. Tasha Williamson is great; I highly recommend working with her. She genuinely wants her customers to be successful. I think she may have even been more excited than me when my loan was approved. Experiences like that make me glad to be a Patelco customer. I've been banking with Patelco for many years now and I've always been really happy with them -- customer service, fraud prevention, interest rates, all of it much better than I've experienced anywhere else. read more

Jenn is always such a pleasure to bank with. Being in the industry myself raises my expectations high, whether that is receiving exceptional customer service, clarity on loans/banking information, and other miscellaneous things. In each case, Jenn has correctly navigated to solutions for my problems and done so with the utmost professionalism. Thank you. read more

My husband and I came in today to open a bank account and I can't tell you how nice it was to be greeting with such hospitality. Martin in particular was awesome. He was very informative and upfront. Provided great advice on how to get started. He was truly great. He gets a 1000 stars from me. I highly recommend this branch and go see Martin he will get you straight. read more

First off, every single credit union in the world is better than every single bank inthe world. Just as a premise, someone playing with your money and taking a cut of it is going to be worse than someone playing with your money and not. Patelco, decent. It's no SF Fire Credit Union, but it does everything that you need, and it is not trying to make money off of you. It's bottom line is not to make money off of you. It's policies are not instituted with the idea of making money off of you. That's actually important. read more

I'm not a member of Patelco, but I did spend twenty minutes of a recent lunch break waiting in line to see a teller here. Someone had dropped a check on the floor in the building I work in, and because there was no phone number of the person who wrote the check, I decided the safest thing to do would be to return it to the bank. I did, and the teller was nice enough, but they need to have more people working at lunchtime. That's when people do their banking. And their misplaced-check returning. read more

Tasha Williamson did an incredible job going to bat for me while I applied for my first credit card. She listened to my story, helped me make decisions and successfully advocated for a raise in my limit. Throughout the process she kept my in the loop and cheered me on. I've been with Patelco for over ten years and I am always impressed with the level of kindness, clarity, and respect I'm shown. Thank you Tasha and Patelco for the best banking experience I could imagine! read more

When I signed up for checking account I was not sent a debit card. After waiting six weeks for my card I called to find out what was up. They told me I have to specifically request one or one would not be sent. So I requested one. Another six weeks went by, no card. I called again. Someone had made a typo on my address when copying the information I provided from one system to another, so that card went to the wrong address. They canceled that card and said they would send another. Another six weeks went by. No card. I called again. This time I was told no replacement card had been ordered for me. At this point I closed my account. If they can't even handle getting a debit card to me in the mail I shudder to think what would happen if I ever needed to dispute a transaction or get a car loan. When I requested to cancel my account they did not ask for any information to verify my identity. This means any joe off the street could call up on any given day and cancel my account without my authorization. Also of note: When I called to cancel my account, I could hear clearly the representative next to mine discussing someone else's private account details. I heard account numbers, loan status and credit information during my conversation with my representative. Even if I had not been ready to cancel my account, hearing this would have made me want to cancel. read more

I love this credit union and they do everything they can to help when I have a problem but recently I have fallen on hard times and the overdraft fees are taking all of the little money that I make. The credit union is starting to feel like wells Fargo. This credit union is great if you have money. read more

Many moons ago, I chose Cal State 9 because it seemed like a nice alternative to big banks ...now they have been bought out by Patelco. Was not happy about the timing of the switch-over (think changing all your automatic payments etc right at the holiday season...) but overall, they helped make things seamless. I have had a good experience with their customer service--they've been responsive and helpful. Not so keen on their 24 hour banking system...but I can be a little resistant to change. read more

Branch management has taken a turn for the worse since my last review (when they were Cal State 9 - oh, CS9, why did you have to make too many bad loans at the height of the real estate bubble?). I don't know if Patelco is under financial stress, but it took me two meetings with manager to reverse a charge that arose from a bank error. I've been a customer of this branch for a decade, always in good standing, and yet the manager treated me like I was trying to rip the place off. The tellers are still friendly, courteous, and professional, but the management has really gone downhill. I do hope things improve. For now, I would feel bad recommending this branch. read more

I guess it really depends on what you are coming for. We have had an awesome experience with a woman named Dawn who helped us set up the accounts and since we liked her so much we set up a meeting with this location again to discuss getting pre-approved for a home loan. First of all, the Manager who we made the appointment with, NINA, was 30 MINUTES LATE for our appt. Her excuse was "something came up," and did NOT give us a genuine apology. THEN insisted on giving us an attitude and not answering one of our questions without talking over us. She wouldn't let us complete a full sentence without giving us an incorrect answer, over and over again. After 20 minutes of feeling disrespected by her and realizing she had NO IDEA what she was talking about we gave up and left. It was a terrible experience and it's too bad because DAWN in new accounts is so personable, friendly, genuinely caring and understands customer service and should actually give some tips to the manager. If you need to discuss home loans with someone at Patelco, DO NOT go to this location if your only option is to meet with NINA. It will be a complete waste of your time. read more

There were 2 of us in line when i came in today. There were 2 tellers - We were acknowledged by Gemma who was at that time helPing a member. How come the other teller (i am not writing her nAme here but yoUr camera wilL disclose her identity) just wAlked away, leaving her co -worker alone and did not even acknowledge us - customers in line whom she should be thankful for! (Note : We are the reason why she still has job. We made an effort to come drive all the way to Berkeley, used our gas, our car mileage even pay for our parking ticket - and there we are in line not being acknowledged gives us a signal that we are not worth our business). BTW, her CLOSE sign is very useful to her because her window is always closed to customers' business but her business. (i saw her texting not only once). Does the management see these, or at least correct this behavior? read more