Case Study: How Bank of Prairie Village Nearly Tripled Their Interchange Income with DCI

I. Introduction: 100% Interchange Income on a System that Just…Works

One thing has always been true in community banking: customer experience and engagement is paramount. But when Bank of Prairie Village first came to DCI from a large “Big Three” core processor, their inferior debit card system and lack of provider support meant the bank’s operational efficiency wasn’t the only thing taking a hit–their customers were carrying the burden, too.

“We used to receive 30-40 frustrated customer calls per day just about the debit cards and processing issues. Now, we don’t talk about debit cards at all.”

- David Chinnery, EVP, COO & Vice-Chairman

The choice to switch to DCI’s core was initially driven by the culture of personalized service resulting from private ownership. Bank of Prairie Village knew the power of seamless software and a hands-on provider would benefit their employees and customers alike. But there was one unexpected hero they wouldn’t discover until months later: earning 100% interchange income on a card system that just…works.

This is the story of how Bank of Prairie Village nearly tripled their interchange income, dramatically improving both customer satisfaction and revenue through DCI’s iCore360 and InstaKEY debit card platform.

II. The Problem/Solution: Before/After Switching to DCI

Bank of Prairie Village’s Debit Card System Before DCI:

“Least user-friendly system”
Processing was NOT done in real-time
Set, strict debit card limits for customers
Still mailing debit cards instead of same-day printing on-site
Customers missing out on features like Apple Pay and instant transactions
Minimal interchange income

Bank of Prairie Village’s Debit Card System After DCI:

“Totally user-friendly”
Real-time processing dependable for customers
Features like Apple Pay, instant in-app transactions and handling
No more set debit card limits, individualized
Seamless issuing process instantly prints cards, PIN-sets, etc.
Near-tripled interchange income revenue thanks to 100% interchange earnings

“We’re no longer picking up the phone like, ‘Oh no, it’s Mary’s debit card again.’ It’s just one of the ways we’ve seen the payoff in solidifying our customer relationships. There’s a standard of features and access we’re finally meeting. Where previously we couldn’t scale to the needs of our biggest commercial prospect, now they’re our customer who chooses our bank, chooses the DCI experience and service, over opportunities for more money. DCI worked with us, actually flew out to work with our customer, to make that possible.”

- David Chinnery, EVP, COO & Vice-Chairman

III. The Data Speaks for Itself: Increased Revenue and ROI

Bank of Prairie Village, since switching to DCI’s core platform, has…
- Nearly tripled their interchange income
Yearly net interchange volume went from $31,469 to $84,414 in just two years
Saved over $6,800 per month in other costs
Greatly increased the overall profitability of the bank thanks to core efficiencies
Reduced efficiency ratio from 68.09% to 57.09%

“Cost is important, but private ownership and doing business with people you like is the biggest differentiator. We had to ask ourselves, do we want a provider with a multi-millionaire CEO we’ve never spoken to, or do we want DCI and Sarah, whose phone number we have on hand? The core is great, but that’s not what makes it–it’s the people, the experience.”

- David Chinnery, EVP, COO & Vice-Chairman

IV. Conclusion: Profit and Experience, Why Compromise on Either?

Today, if you ask David what makes DCI really stand out from the competition, he’ll start talking about Disney. And favorite restaurants. Why? Because of the importance of experience.

He notes that today, whenever issues inevitably arise from time to time, the difference is that they aren’t recurring issues. He uses the “tragic to magic” analogy to describe DCI’s approach to solving for problems, with team members going out of their way to improve the experience of DCI customers, and subsequently, their customers’ customers.

“We’ve literally had DCI customer support jump in the car, unprompted, to ensure we get the best support on-site. They train our new internal employees on the core system for us. They go through on the back-end and verify all the addresses on our accounts, so now we’re sending Christmas cards and important information to the right places. They have completely changed the way we bank for the better.”

- David Chinnery, EVP, COO & Vice-Chairman

It goes without saying: when you work with a provider that champions community banks, the community banking customer experience benefits. With less time spent interacting with customers over pain points or frustrations, ample time is freed to strengthen your bank’s customer relationships through positive interactions instead.

And since increased revenue is a natural consequence of increased customer satisfaction, it’s no wonder Bank of Prairie Village has seen the results they have. Nearly tripled interchange income, thousands in cost savings on monthly fees, greatly improved overall bank efficiency–these can only just begin to tell the story of the DCI experience. To truly understand, well…start by giving us a call.