A better card, a bigger network, and a $5,000 reason to start using it.

In July, we wrapped up one of the largest technology projects StellerVista has taken on in quite some time: replacing every member debit card with a new Visa Debit card. Cards went out in the mail over the summer, and we are pleased to say they are working exactly the way we hoped they would.

Projects like this one rarely go quietly. Card conversions touch every account, every point of sale terminal, every ATM, and every member who taps their card for a coffee. Our local IT and project teams (small but mighty), spent a full year planning, testing, and troubleshooting so that the change would land with as little disruption as possible. It did, and we could not be prouder of the work behind it.

Why the new card is better

These new cards are a vast improvement, with increased reliability and function, including:

• Shop online and over the phone. Your Visa Debit card works anywhere Visa Debit is accepted for online purchases, subscriptions, and bookings, using the money in your account rather than credit.
• Add it to your phone or watch. The card can be loaded into Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay, so you can tap with the device already in your hand.
• Travel with it. The Visa network is accepted in more than 200 countries and territories, which makes the card far more useful the moment you leave the Kootenays.
• Same account, same money. This is still a debit card. Purchases come straight out of your chequing account, with no interest and no balance to pay off later.

Contest Alert!! Use your card for a chance to win $5,000

To mark the launch, every time you use your StellerVista Visa Debit card between September 1 and December 31, 2026, you are automatically entered into a draw for $5,000 cash*. No forms, no sign up, no extra step. Groceries, gas, the hockey registration, a tap at the farmers market: every purchase is another entry.

*Open to BC residents 19+ who are StellerVista members. Full rules at StellerVista.com/livesteller

No Visa Debit yet?

Every StellerVista member with a debit card should have received their new Visa Debit card in the mail over the summer. If you are reading this as a subscriber rather than a member, a card would not have been mailed to you, and we would be glad to talk about becoming a member.

If you are a member and your card has not arrived, or it is sitting in a drawer waiting to be activated, give us a call or stop by any branch and we will get you set up in a few minutes. And if you have never had a debit card with us at all, this is a good moment to start! You can learn more @ StellerVista.com/debit