Of all new applications now come through the online channel
Auto-approval rate on applications — no manual staff review required
To open an account and receive a digitally issued debit card at an in-person event
50% of all applications now come in through the online channel — a significant jump from before Glide
70% of applications are auto-approved without manual staff review
Business development teams replaced paper applications at SEG visits with QR codes — members open accounts and receive digitally issued debit cards in under 3 minutes
Financial institution
Credit Union
Asset size
$1.1B AUM
Employees
185
Headquarters
Sparks, MD
About First Financial Federal Credit Union
Founded in 1953 as TABCO Federal Credit Union — started with $5 at the home of its first president — First Financial has grown into a $1.33 billion institution headquartered in Sparks, Maryland, serving 77,000+ members across 9 branches. Originally built to serve Baltimore County Public School employees, it now covers four school systems and more than 90 select employer groups across the state. That SEG-heavy membership model made finding the right digital account opening platform especially important: the ability to reach members where they work, not just where they bank, was non-negotiable.
The search
Arturo Leon, AVP of Member Experience, ran the evaluation. The criteria were clear: the platform had to reduce friction for members, and the vendor had to behave like a partner — not just a software provider.
"We wanted to find a partner that was willing to listen to our needs to build a product that was specific to us and our member base — and was really as engaged as we were in making a frictionless product for our members."
AVP of Member Experience
"We wanted to find a partner that was willing to listen to our needs to build a product that was specific to us and our member base — and was really as engaged as we were in making a frictionless product for our members."
That standard narrowed the field fast. First Financial went live with Glide, and 18 months later, the results are in the data.
The numbers after 18 months
Amanda Martinez, Digital Banking Product Manager, tracks the platform's performance closely. Two metrics stand out.
First, the shift to digital. Half of all new applications at First Financial now come through the online channel.
Second, the automation rate. Seventy percent of those applications are approved without any manual review by staff.
"We're now seeing about a 70% auto-approval rating of our applications — a huge increase over what we had before."
That automation has a compounding effect. Staff who used to process manual reviews are now free for the kind of deeper member conversations that actually drive financial wellness — which was the point from the start.
"Our staff are able to open new accounts with less friction on their side, which has allowed them to have deeper conversations with our members."
QR codes in the field
One of the more unexpected wins has been how First Financial's business development team uses Glide's Journeys feature. Before Glide, reps visited SEG employers and came back with stacks of paper applications. Now they send a QR code to the employer's HR contact before they even arrive.
Members at the visit scan the code, open their account in under three minutes, get a digitally issued debit card, and have a promotional deposit hit their account the same afternoon.
"After a long day of being onboarded with their new employer, they can go get themselves a cup of coffee — because they've already got their card."
Paper applications from on-site visits have nearly disappeared entirely.
Shaping what comes next
Arturo and Amanda were among the founding members of Glide's Customer Council — a group of 15 innovative credit unions that convened in New York to help shape the direction of the platform. For Arturo, the council reflects something he values about the credit union industry at large.
"One of the best parts about the credit union industry is how collaborative we are — and when you get credit unions together in one space with a partner like Glide, there's great ideas, great innovation, but also we help each other serve our members."
Looking ahead, First Financial is expanding into digital lending with Glide — moving toward a unified experience where the platform recognizes returning members and personalizes what's offered to them from the first screen.
Want to see what Glide can do for your credit union?
First Financial went from paper-heavy, manual workflows to 70% auto-approvals and half their applications online — in 18 months. Schedule a demo with Glide to see what's possible for your institution.
