Michigan State University Federal Credit Union’s integration of Constant AI’s new agentic tool for Skip-a-Pay requests is poised to bear fruit. 

The Skip-a-Pay agent, which launched March 23, is a boon for the $8.3 billion credit union due to the frequency and amount of time to fulfill such requests, Benjamin Maxim, chief technology officer at MSUFCU, told FinAi News. The tool, called Nia, allows call center employees to focus on “higher-value interactions.” 

“Having a human deal with something like [Skip-a-Pays] is a high-cost interaction, where we’re actually foregoing some revenue. So, being able to automate that helps make the ROI on that process a little better, and I think it’s a better experience.” 

— Benjamin Maxim, CTO, MSU Federal Credit Union

Additionally, some credit union members may prefer to speak with an AI agent because the request could require a customer to reveal sensitive information, Maxim said. 

The tool  

Fintech Constant AI developed the tool to streamline how credit unions handle Skip-a-Pay requests, Constant AI’s Chief Executive Catherine York Powers told FinAi News. It is one of the industry’s most popular programs, she said.  

“Most credit unions offer it in a manual way, meaning members can fill out a form online,” she said. 

“It gets fulfilled through a queue by the servicing team, and sometimes that can cause a delay in response. So, a person who was eligible on Friday may not be eligible on Monday because they went past due.” 

— Catherine York Powers, CEO, Constant AI

Slashing delinquencies 

Along with removing friction in the Skip-a-Pay process, the tool can also reduce delinquencies, Powers said, adding that many credit unions have high exposure to indirect members, particularly auto loan customers. 

The average delinquency rate at federally insured credit unions reached 1.03% in the fourth quarter of 2025, its highest point in over a decade, according to the National Credit Union Administration.  

“Indirect members have a higher likelihood of going delinquent than a member that is engaging with all the products because they don’t know that these [options] are available,” Powers said. 

Nia’s ability to operate 24/7 can also help prevent delinquencies, MSUFCU’s Maxim said. 

“Say you’re panicked at night like, ‘I need to pay this loan that’s due tomorrow,’ you now have a real option and someone to talk to,” he said. 

Maxim said he’s optimistic that Nia will better inform members of their options when struggling to pay a loan.  

To this end, Constant AI plans to teach Nia to handle other requests such as due-date changes and deferments, Powers said. 

“We want to make it so when a member calls in and says, ‘I can’t pay my loan,’ we’re then running their eligibility for what they can have,” she said. 

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