Empower FCU taps MANTL to speed omnichannel onboarding

Empower Federal Credit Union has selected MANTL's Onboarding & Account Opening Suite following Alkami's acquisition of the onboarding specialist. The move supports the credit union's plans to refresh how retail and business customers open accounts across digital and branch channels.

The Syracuse-based credit union already uses the Alkami Digital Banking Platform. The next phase adds MANTL's onboarding and account opening tools as an integrated component of the Alkami environment, covering both consumer and business onboarding.

Account opening is a high-friction part of the customer journey for many financial institutions. Processes often span multiple systems, rely on manual checks, and require repeated data entry across channels. Banks and credit unions have been working to streamline these workflows as consumers demand faster set-up and institutions compete for new relationships.

The implementation will allow members to open accounts online, in-branch, via a mobile app, or in the field. Empower FCU framed the move as part of an omnichannel strategy designed to deliver a consistent experience regardless of where a member starts the application.

Speed targets

Empower FCU expects the new set-up to reduce online account opening to under five minutes and in-branch openings to under 10 minutes. It positioned the targets as a way to reduce drop-off during sign-up and shorten waiting times for staff and members.

MANTL's suite includes retail and business account opening. The credit union said the business component will support a broader expansion of its business banking offerings, helping both acquisition and deeper engagement with existing business members.

The system also supports existing members who want to add new products. Empower FCU said members will be able to open additional accounts "in just a few clicks," aiming to shorten the gap between initial log-in and product fulfilment-an area many institutions link to cross-sell performance.

Credit unions have invested heavily in digital banking front ends over the past decade, but origination and onboarding have often remained separate. That split can leave account opening dependent on manual intervention, printed documents, or disconnected workflows even as digital access improves.

Alkami has increasingly positioned onboarding as a core part of digital sales and service rather than a stand-alone point solution. In this deployment, MANTL's tools will be integrated directly into the Alkami Digital Banking Platform used by Empower FCU, rather than running as a separate third-party process.

Channel consistency

For credit unions with a branch footprint, balancing self-service and staff-led processes remains an operational challenge. Branch staff still play a key role in product selection, identity checks, and relationship building, but members increasingly expect to start and finish processes on their own devices.

Empower FCU said it wants a consistent onboarding journey across digital and physical channels. That includes the option to open accounts online or in person, with staff able to step in when needed.

"We selected MANTL because it delivers a modern, seamless account opening experience across both online and in-branch channels," said Lori Verzillo, Senior Vice President, Chief Retail Officer, at Empower Federal Credit Union. "Fully integrated with our Alkami Digital Banking Platform, this partnership creates a true omnichannel journey, simplifies onboarding, and accelerates growth - allowing us to support our members and deliver a smooth experience across every channel, meeting them where they are from the start and throughout the relationship," said Verzillo.

The implementation covers both retail and business onboarding, which can be more complex due to additional documentation and ownership structures. Alkami framed the combined consumer and business workflows as a way to provide a single entry point for different member segments.

"Empower Federal Credit Union is taking a thoughtful, member-first approach to omnichannel origination, and Alkami is proud to support that vision," said Taylor Adkins, Vice President of Product Management at Alkami. "By delivering a unified retail and business account opening experience within the Alkami Digital Banking Platform, Empower FCU is removing friction, strengthening its business banking capabilities, and creating a foundation for long-term member and business growth," said Adkins.

Empower FCU serves 300,000 members across Central and Western New York, with branch locations across the region. The credit union was founded in 1939 and operates as a member-owned cooperative.

Alkami provides digital banking, onboarding, and related data and marketing tools for banks and credit unions in the US. The company describes its approach as a unified platform where products can be deployed individually or together.

The rollout adds another example of a financial institution linking the account opening journey more closely with the digital banking experience that follows. It also signals continued investment in origination workflows as institutions focus on reducing time to open, lowering abandonment, and standardising processes across channels.