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Service Credit Union Share Certificates Review
Our take: A top 12 month certificate rate from a federal credit union anyone can join. Longer terms pay far less, and you need to become a member first.
Pros
- 4.10% APY on the 12 month certificate
- Anyone can join for free through a partner association
- Highly rated mobile app
Cons
- Membership step before you can open
- Terms beyond 18 months pay much less
- Early withdrawal penalty terms are not published online
Key facts
- Terms
- 3 to 60 months
- Early withdrawal penalty
- Applies; schedule not published online
- Compounding
- Monthly
- Membership
- Military, DoD, partner employers, or free via the American Consumer Council
- Minimum to open
- $500
- Monthly fee
- No monthly fee
- Insurance
- NCUA insured up to $250,000 per member, per ownership category
- NCUA charter
- 24921 (Service Federal Credit Union, Portsmouth, NH)
- Who can open
- Credit union members; anyone can join through a free partner association
- Mobile app
- Service CU Mobile Banking: 4.8 on the App Store, 4.8 on Google Play (Sep 28, 2026)
- Customer service
- 800.936.7730
Source: Service Credit Union website, checked Oct 28, 2026. Insurance details from the NCUA database.
Service Credit Union’s best certificate rate is 4.10% APY on its 12 month term. Its 6 and 9 month certificates pay 4.00%, but rates fall to 3.00% or less from 18 months on. Most terms need $500 and the 6 month needs $250. You must join the credit union first, and anyone can qualify through a free partner association. Rates as of Sep 8, 2026, checked on Oct 28, 2026.
Service Credit Union certificate rates today
| Term | APY | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| 3 months | 3.25% | $500 |
| 6 months | 4.00% | $250 |
| 9 months | 4.00% | $500 |
| 11 months | 3.20% | $500 |
| 12 months | 4.10% | $500 |
| 15 months | 3.10% | $500 |
| 18 months | 3.00% | $500 |
| 24 months | 3.00% | $500 |
| 36 months | 2.35% | $500 |
| 48 months | 2.45% | $500 |
| 60 months | 2.50% | $500 |
Rates accurate as of September 8, 2026, from Service Credit Union’s rates page, checked October 16, 2026. Dividends compound and are credited monthly. Certificates are called share certificates at a credit union; they work like CDs.
Our verdict
Service Credit Union, a federal credit union based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is a pick for a 12 month certificate. Its 12 month rate is one of the stronger ones we track, and the 6 month certificate opens with just $250. Past 15 months its rates trail the online banks by a wide margin, and it does not publish its early withdrawal penalty schedule online.
Which term is best?
- 12 months pays the most, 4.10%.
- 6 and 9 months pay 4.00%, a good short option, and the 6 month needs only $250.
- Skip the long terms. 3 to 5 year certificates pay 2.35% to 2.50%, far below the leaders. See the best 5 year CD rates.
For comparison, the best 12 month rate across the CDs we track is 4.65% APY at CFG Bank CDs. Every CD is on our best CD rates page.
How to join
You open a Primary Savings account with a $5 deposit, plus your SSN and a government ID. Membership is open to military families and Department of Defense workers, and anyone else can qualify through a free membership in the American Consumer Council or the Financial Fitness Association.
Is it safe?
Share certificates are insured by the NCUA, the federal agency that insures credit unions, up to $250,000 per member, per ownership category. Service Credit Union’s NCUA charter number is 24921.
How we rated it
It earns high marks for its 12 month rate and app ratings. It loses points on long term rates and because the early withdrawal penalty schedule is not published online. It scores 4.3 out of 5 on our scorecard for this category. See how we score on the comparison page and our methodology.
How Service Credit Union compares
| Account | Rating | Best APY | 12 month APY |
|---|---|---|---|
| E*TRADE CDs (Morgan Stanley Private Bank) | 4.7 | 4.80% | 4.55% |
| Barclays Online CD | 4.7 | 4.75% | 4.50% |
| Synchrony Bank CDs | 4.7 | 4.75% | 4.30% |
| Capital One 360 CDs | 4.7 | 4.50% | 4.00% |
| Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield CD | 4.6 | 4.40% | 4.40% |
| Bread Savings CD | 4.4 | 4.85% | 4.45% |
| CFG Bank CDs | 4.4 | 4.82% | 4.65% |
| Happen Bank CD | 4.4 | 4.76% | 3.50% |
| American Express CDs | 4.4 | 4.40% | 3.65% |
| Always.bank CDs | 4.3 | 4.15% | 4.15% |
| Service Credit Union Share Certificates | 4.3 | 4.10% | 4.10% |
| Sallie Mae Bank CDs | 4.2 | 5.00% | 4.50% |
| Ivy Bank CDs | 4.2 | 4.25% | 4.05% |
| Popular Direct CDs | 4.0 | 5.00% | 4.60% |
| Peak Bank CDs | 4.0 | 3.69% | 3.69% |
Service Credit Union CD FAQ
What are Service Credit Union's certificate rates?
4.10% APY for 12 months, 4.00% for 6 and 9 months, 3.00% for 18 and 24 months and 2.35% to 2.50% for 3 to 5 years, as of Sep 8, 2026.
What is the minimum deposit for a Service Credit Union certificate?
$500 for most terms and $250 for the 6 month certificate.
Can anyone join Service Credit Union?
Yes. Military families and Department of Defense workers qualify directly, and anyone else can join through a free partner association such as the American Consumer Council.
Are Service Credit Union certificates insured?
Yes, by the NCUA, up to $250,000 per member, per ownership category.
Ready to open Service Credit Union Share Certificates?
Rates as of Sep 8, 2026. Confirm the current rate and terms on the provider’s site before you apply.