You can become a member by setting up an account and purchasing qualifying products or services from United Cooperative. Members enjoy all the privileges of doing business with a cooperative and participate in the earnings and savings of United Cooperative; however, only members whose livelihood is dependent on farming have full voting rights. (See voting memberships and eligibility listed below). The membership of United Cooperative is its foundation. It is the loyal member participation that keeps the market competitive. United Cooperative offers two types of memberships: voting and non-voting.

To gain voting membership, producers must purchase at least $25,000 of ag-based products (ex: feed, agronomy, seed, propane for corn dryers, etc.) in a fiscal year. Voting members/producers shall mean and include people (natural or corporate) actually engaged (at risk) in the production of any one or more agricultural products, including tenants of land used for the production of any such product, and lessors of such land who received as rent, therefore part of any such product of such land, and cooperative associations (corporate or otherwise) of such producers. United Cooperative’s Board of Directors approves all voting memberships.

All members who purchase qualifying non ag-based products or services on an annual basis from United Cooperative have a non-voting membership and are classified as a non-producer. Non-voting memberships shall be an owner of equity credits to the same extent that any person is entitled to own equities in United Cooperative according to its bylaws, but a non-voting member shall not possess any voting rights in the affairs of the cooperative.

To be considered an active member, all non-voting members must purchase at least $1,000 worth of products (ex: feed, agronomy, seed, propane, convenience store purchases, etc.) in the previous calendar year. Non-active membership is considered any purchases totaling less than $1,000 in the previous calendar year.

Yes, we offer web account access 24/7. You can review, pay or print your statement, invoices, grain sales, and more by visiting our website at www.unitedcooperative.com and clicking "Login" at the top of the page. If you need assistance, please contact us at creditdepartment@unitedcooperative.com, and we would be happy to assist you or view the directions here.

Interested in receiving your statement and/or invoices from United Cooperative by email? Simply call 800-924-2991 with your name or account number to set it up.  You will get invoices quicker and pay online to take advantage of additional discounts available.

United Cooperative needs your SS# or FedID due to internal revenue service (IRS) regulations for cooperative paying patronage dividends (see more patronage dividend information below). 

1. If you will be doing business with United Cooperative because of a merger, not at this time. 
2. If you want to become a new customer/member of United Cooperative, yes. 

United Cooperative will send you a billing statement shortly after the first of each month for the previous month's purchases. 

A total amount due on your monthly statement is due in full before the last day of the month in which you received the statement. Past-due accounts are subject to a finance charge of 1.5 percent per month (annual percentage rate of 18 percent on accounts applied to any balance resulting from purchases made during a calendar month, not paid before the last day of the following month, plus any previous balance that remained unpaid). A past-due balance may prohibit further charges on the account.

There will be an envelope included with your statement for mailing your payment. Payments can also be dropped off at any United Cooperative location. In case you need it, our “remit payment to” address:

United Cooperative

N7160 Raceway Road

Beaver Dam, WI 53916

Payments can be made by ACH, cash, or check. Note: You may save money by doing ACH payments. No discounts are allowed when paying by credit card. Contact your United Cooperative feed, grain, agronomy, or energy location if you have billing questions. For inquiries about payments made or payment arrangements, please call the United Cooperative credit department at 1-800-924-2991.

Established credit limits are based upon purchases, credit history, and the limit requested by the patron. It’s your responsibility to ensure your account balance does not exceed your credit limit.

If you want to increase or decrease your credit limit, simply fill out a new credit application requesting the change. For questions contact the credit department at 1-800-924-2991.

Your member account statement provides information about your “regular” and “prepay” account activity for the most recent month. Use this two-sided guide to better understand each portion of your statement(s). Please note: If you’re a “regular” customer and “prepay” customer, you will have two statements, each beginning with a blue page.

A patronage refund is a return of the savings (profit) of a cooperative to its patrons.

We keep track of your purchases from the cooperative during the course of the year. At the end of the year (in our case, Dec. 31), any savings (profit) obtained through operations is returned to the patrons based upon the refund rate.
 

The refund rate is the distributable savings (profit) divided by the applicable sales. This rate is then multiplied by your purchases to obtain your refund. Patronage is also paid on grain-bushel purchases from customers, grain drying, and grain storage.
 

Patronage refunds are paid in two ways. You receive a check for approximately 40 percent of the refund. The other 60 percent is paid in the form of equity credits. This portion finances the cooperative’s operations. They also may be paid out through our estate program, equity revolvement program, or according to a specific age of 77 or older.
 

The estate of any deceased United Cooperative member must submit an application by the appointed estate’s personal representative and provide United Cooperative with that member’s death certificate in order to have their remaining equity credits paid out. Immediately upon board approval, their estate could be paid out in the form of cash. 

United Cooperative members reaching the age of 77-years-old must submit an application and provide United Cooperative with at least one form of proof of age (i.e. driver license, birth certificate) in order to have their equity credits paid back to them in the form of cash. All qualifying members wishing to cash in their equity credits must complete an application sometime after turning 77 years of age. Immediately upon board approval, their equity credits could be paid out in the form of cash.