Capital Credits
Giving back to our members
For 75 years, Red River Communications has been owned by the members we serve. That cooperative structure makes us different from a traditional telecommunications company—and capital credits are one of the benefits of cooperative membership.
When Red River Communications earns operating margins, those margins are allocated back to our members based on their patronage with the cooperative. These allocations are called capital credits.
Capital credits are allocated to members in their names and, as the cooperative’s financial condition allows, the Red River Communications Board of Directors approves the retirement—or payment—of previously allocated capital credits.
It’s one more way being part of a cooperative is different.
Capital Credit Update
(August 2026)
As of September 1st, Red River Communications has completed this year’s capital credit allocation and retirement process.
If your mailing address has changed, please contact us as soon as possible at 701-553-8309, [email protected], or through the chat feature.
Capital Credit Allocation
Capital credit allocations for 2025 operations have been calculated based on each member’s patronage with Red River Communications during the year.
Look for your capital credit information on Page 2 of your September bill.
Capital Credit Retirements
In 2026, Red River Communications is returning $1,000,000 in capital credit retirements to current and former cooperative members.
How members receive retirement depends on the amount:
- Retirements less than $300 will be applied as a credit to the September bill.
- Retirements of $300 or more will receive a check by mail in September. Checks are mailed to the address currently on file with Red River Communications.
Unclaimed Capital Credit Checks
We need your help!
Over 75 years, thousands of people have been part of the Red River Communications cooperative. Sometimes former members move, addresses change, and we’re unable to locate someone when their capital credits are ready to be paid.
Check our Unclaimed Capital Credits list to see if you recognize someone. If you know how we can reach a person on the list—or their family—please contact Red River Communications. If you have information about anybody on this list, please call our office at 701-553-8309 or email [email protected].
Download or View List of Unclaimed Capital Credits (PDF)
Updated August 2026
Capital Credits—What Are They?
As a member, you are a part-owner of the Cooperative, which means you are entitled to receive money back through Capital Credit Retirements. To help clarify the capital credit process, our team has created an infographic that explains the five steps. As you read and learn, remember one thing: the more Red River Communications services you subscribe to, the larger the allocation of capital credits will be!
How do Capital Credits work?
Capital credits for cooperative members are generated from the surplus of funds remaining after the cooperative conducts its business. As a service subscriber within our cooperative area, you are a member/owner of Red River Communications. Each time you pay your bill, you’re helping build, sustain, and grow a company you actually own.
Step 1
Sign up for Red River Communications’ internet, telephone, cellular, and TV services to become a member/owner of the Cooperative. Customers must reside within our cooperative area.
Check the map Service Areas to find out if you are located in our Cooperative area, or if you reside in one of our new expansion areas.
Step 2
Throughout the year, your co-op analyzes whether it should use “margins” or profits to pay down debt, invest in network improvement projects, and purchase new equipment necessary to best serve the membership.
Step 3
Following our finalized financial audit, your Cooperative allocates the margins to members as capital credits based on the patronage of services you purchase.
Step 4
If financially feasible, your Board of Directors votes to retire or pay the capital credits. The payout reduces a portion of the member’s capital credit balance based on the years of service being retired.
Step 5
All active members receive an annual patronage allocation statement – on your September bill.
Members with qualifying capital credits receive their capital credits check via the mail or as a bill credit.
Words to Know
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business owned by its members, who use its services and meet the membership requirements.
Capital Credits
After expenses are deducted from revenues, margins are allocated back to our member-owners as capital credits.
Retirement
At the discretion of the Board of Directors, capital credits are refunded (or paid out) to members. This is called retirement.
Patronage
Patronage is the money you pay the cooperative for the services it provides you.
Allocation
Instead of keeping the surplus as profits, as a traditional business would, cooperatives allocate it to their members based on their use of the cooperative’s services during the year. This allocation is recorded as capital credits in the member’s account.
capital credit faq
The questions and answers below will help you understand our membership and what capital credits mean to you.
The terms can sound similar, but they represent two different steps in the capital credit process.
Allocation: After the close of a financial year, Red River Communications determines its operating margins. A portion of those margins is allocated to cooperative members based on their patronage during that year. That amount is recorded in the member’s name as capital credits.
Retirement: Capital credits are not necessarily paid in the same year they are allocated. As financial conditions allow, the Board of Directors authorizes Red River Communications to retire—or pay—previously allocated capital credits to current and former members.
This process allows Red River Communications to responsibly invest in the cooperative while ultimately returning eligible margins to the members who helped generate them.
Please contact our office at 701-553-8309 for more information.
As soon as practicable after a member dies, a relative or legal representative should notify us of the member’s death (or, in the case of a corporation or other legal entity, upon dissolution). If the member held the account solely and it has been closed, we will refund the member’s capital credits to their estate. Please provide a copy of the death certificate and a letter certifying legal representation of the estate.
Please contact our office at 701-553-8309 for more information.
If you discontinue service or move out of Red River’s service area, please provide us with an updated mailing address so we can send future statements and refunds to you.
We do not issue lump sum refund checks when customers discontinue service. We will retire (return) your capital credits allocations as they are approved for distribution, just as we do for active members.
Give us a call at 701-553-8309. Our team is happy to talk with you about any questions you may have.
All customers living within our Cooperative territory are members of the Cooperative.
Red River Communications’ Cooperative Area includes the following communities:
Abercrombie, Barnesville (Rural), Barney, Colfax, Fairmount, Galchutt, Geneseo, Great Bend, Hankinson, Hawley (Rural), Kent, Lidgerwood, Mantador, McCauleyville, McLeod, Mooreton, Rollag, and Wyndmere.
If you are still unsure of your membership status, please call our office at 701-553-8309.
Customer support
If you’re having trouble with your services, our customer experience team is always happy to assist you. Also, we have created helpful online resources and step-by-step user guides that you can access here at any time.
