How It Works
First Defence Finance offers a lifetime membership giving you access to savings accounts, loans and a range of member benefits all for just £10.00 per year!
Save and Borrow Straight From Your Pay
At First Defence Finance, we make saving simple and loans affordable for serving Armed Forces personnel, veterans, their families, and employees of certain partner organisations. Here’s how you can get started and make the most of your membership.
Join in 4 Simple Steps
1- Complete the form
Simply click 'Become a member' at the top of the page and complete the form.
2 - Confirm your identity
Click the mobile phone link and upload your identity documents.
3 - Pay your membership fee
You will receive a secure payment link to complete your membership payment.
4 - Start saving!
That's it! You will then have access to our range of savings, loans and benefits.
First Defence Finance is part of Plane Saver Credit Union.
When you apply to join, you will receive application updates by email and SMS from Plane Saver.
Who are we?
We are a UK based Credit Union which was originally established in 1993 by a group of engineers. First Defence Finance was created by Plane Saver Credit Union in 2015, when they were selected by the Ministry of Defence to provide serving Armed Forces personnel, veterans, and their families with simple savings and affordable loans.
Although we are still part of Plane Saver, we are here to support those who serve, those who have served and their family members. We also provide our services to the likes of British Airways, AirTanker and Avios to name a few.
How much does it cost?
Membership of First Defence Finance costs £10.00 per year (or 83p per month) and it gives you access to:
- Life Savings Cover up to £10,000
- Loan Protection up to £10,000
- Member discounts and savings codes
- Savings and loans
- Financial well-being tips and updates
Annual membership fees are taken in January of each year. The £10.00 fee is automatically deducted from your account.
When you join, you will only pay for the number of months left in the year. So, the month you join will determine how much you will need to pay.
Payments for new members are as follows:
- Jan: £10.00
- Feb: £9.17
- Mar: £8.33
- Apr: £7.50
- May: £6.67
- Jun: £5.83
- Jul: £5.00
- Aug: £4.17
- Sep: £3.33
- Oct: £2.50
- Nov: £1.67
- Dec: £0.83
How long does it take to sign up?
The form takes around 5 minutes to complete. We recommend having your identity documents ready to upload a picture of them.
If you want to save from your Armed Forces or MOD pay, it's a good idea to have your payroll or service number ready too.
We will also invite you to connect your bank account using open banking. This is a secure way to prove you are who you say you are. No money will be taken from your account.
How do I apply for a loan?
To apply for a loan you will need to become a member first. If you want to discuss a quote before applying, contact us first.
Once you are a member, you can apply for a loan by logging into the 'Online Banking' area or by downloading the mobile app.
What if I change jobs or leave the forces?
Life changes all the time but with us, your membership lasts a lifetime!
If you decide to move on from Military life you can save or repay loans by Direct Debit.
If you change roles, you can update us with your new service number by emailing or calling us.
How do I download the app?
Download the AppOur mobile app is twinned with Plane Saver.
Click the button below or simply visit your Google Play or App Store and search for 'Plane Saver Credit Union'.
Do you work in Armed Forces welfare?
Get in touch and see how we can support your personnel with financial resilience and easy access to savings and loans
