Two New Debit Cards, One Big Idea: Belonging

By Anne Norman, Chief Marketing Officer

Madison, WI (September 11, 2026) – Between stretched budgets and the constant pull of daily demands, the appeal of something simple, free, and restorative has never felt more real. For a lot of us in Wisconsin, that something is easy to name: it's outside. It's a trailhead, a lakeshore, a quiet hour with no notifications.

That's the instinct behind two new debit card designs from UW Credit Union, created in partnership with Wisconsin State Parks and the Ice Age Trail Alliance.

Why this, and why now

A lot of what makes Wisconsin feel like home is right outside the door — the lakes, the trails, the parks that are part of daily life here as much as any tradition. UW Credit Union wanted our newest debit cards to reflect that, not just as a design choice, but as a real investment in the places people already love.

A state park pass isn't something that expires in usefulness once it's used. It's ongoing access to some of the best things about living in Wisconsin — an invitation into something people already care about.

The cards

Starting this summer, UW Credit Union members can choose from two new debit card designs: one featuring Big Bay State Park, the sandstone-bluffed gem on Madeline Island in Lake Superior, and one featuring a segment of the Ice Age Trail, the glacially carved, 1,200-mile footpath that runs across the state. Both are available now to any member who wants to freshen up their card and carry a piece of Wisconsin's outdoors with them.

More than a design

The partnership goes further than the artwork on a card. Beginning in September, members who open a new checking account and choose one of these designs will receive a free 12-month Vehicle Admission Pass, a $28 value, good from the month of activation. And for new members, we're offering a limited-time perk: free download of the Ice Age Trail map, available for the first 700 members. 

This partnership works in both directions: UW Credit Union is directly purchasing park passes from the state and trail-map access from the Ice Age Trail Alliance, which means it puts real dollars into park and trail stewardship, not just perks into members' wallets.

Where the idea came from

The idea actually started small. A few years ago, looking for a meaningful end-of-year gift for my kids' teachers, I landed on Wisconsin State Park passes — useful, affordable, and something that felt genuinely thoughtful rather than generic. The response from the teachers stuck with me: a park pass doesn't feel like a gift card. It feels like someone paid attention to what you'd actually enjoy.

That idea — that access to nature is one of the most personal, high-value things you can offer someone — is what eventually grew into a conversation between UW Credit Union and the state's parks and trail partners about what a financial institution could meaningfully contribute to that experience. What came out of it is this: two cards, a pass giveaway, and a trail map offer, all pointed at the same idea. Wisconsin's outdoors are one of the best things about banking here, living here, being from here. We wanted our cards to say so.