Frequently Asked
Questions

Fidelity BancShares (N.C.), Inc. the holding company for Fidelity Bank and Affinity Bancshares, Inc. announced a merger agreement that brings together two community-focused organizations that share a commitment to relationship-driven banking and putting people first. As part of the agreement, Affinity Bank, Newton Federal, and Fitness Bank are expected to become part of Fidelity Bank, subject to regulatory approvals and closing conditions.

The most important thing to know is that you can continue banking as you always have.

There are no immediate changes to your accounts, services, online banking, mobile banking, debit cards, checks, or loans as a result of this announcement.

Not today. You can continue using the same banking services, debit card, checks, and digital banking tools you use today. In the 4^th quarter, you’ll gain access to expanded products and services, access to a broader network of branches, and enhanced digital banking capabilities. We’ll keep you informed every step of the way and make any future changes as simple and seamless as possible.

This agreement brings together organizations with shared values and a common commitment to community banking. Fidelity Bank, Affinity Bank, Newton Federal, and Fitness Bank believe in building long-term relationships, providing exceptional customer service, supporting the communities we serve, and doing what’s best for our customers.

As this transition moves forward, customers will benefit from expanded products and services, a broader branch network, enhanced digital banking capabilities, and more robust tools designed to support their financial needs and goals.

We’re pleased to share that we received all necessary approvals to move forward with the merger and acquisition. Affinity Bank, Newton Federal, and Fitness Bank will officially become part of Fidelity Bank on August 1, 2026. Following the legal close, we’ll prepare for the system integration, which is scheduled to begin on October 16, 2026. We’ll provide updates and helpful information throughout the transition to ensure a seamless experience.

Over time, customers will gain access to a broader range of products and services, enhanced treasury and wealth management solutions, expanded lending capabilities, and improved digital banking technology designed to make banking more convenient and secure. You will also have access to a network of 58 locations across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia, giving you greater flexibility and convenience wherever you live, work, or travel. Most importantly, the personalized service and trusted relationships you value today will remain at the heart of your banking experience

We understand how important clear communication is, especially when it relates to your banking. We’ll provide detailed updates and helpful information in advance of any changes that may affect you. Communications may be shared through mail, email, social media, and the Fidelity Bank, Affinity Bank, Newton Federal, and Fitness Bank websites, so you know what’s happening and when.

Please continue contacting your local banker or your Affinity Bank, Newton Federal, or Fitness Bank customer service center.

Not yet. Until the system integration is complete, the banks will continue operating independently. For now, please continue using your current branches, accounts, online banking, debit cards, checks, and customer service contacts.

A thoughtful transition process is underway to align systems, processes, and resources to ensure a seamless experience for our customers. Customers should continue their usual banking activities. Any changes will be communicated well in advance.

Most changes will occur at the time of the system integration, which we expect to begin on October 16, 2026. You do not need to do anything now. We will provide clear, detailed information well in advance, so you know what to expect.

After the system integration, some of the following may change:

• Account names and account features
• Online and mobile banking access
• Mobile banking app
• Debit cards

Any changes will be communicated in advance and detailed instructions will be provided if actions are needed. Our goal is to make this transition as seamless as possible.

Our intent is to offer you comparable, and in many cases enhanced, accounts, products, and services as part of Fidelity Bank. If any of your current products change, we will provide you with advance notice outlining:

• The product that you have today
• What it will transition to
• Key differences in features and pricing
• Any actions you may need to take

Yes. Fidelity Bank is a strong and sound community bank. Your deposits will continue to be protected in the same way they are today, subject to applicable FDIC insurance limits.

Yes. Protecting your confidential personal and financial information is our top priority.

As a reminder, Fidelity Bank, Affinity Bank, Newton Federal, and Fitness Bank will never text, email, send a link, or call you to request security codes, account numbers, online banking credentials, or other sensitive personal information. If you ever have concerns about a message you receive, please contact your local branch or your banker.

Your accounts will transition to Fidelity Bank systems between 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, October 16, and 9:00 a.m. ET on Monday, October 19.

No. You should not move your accounts in advance. We are working closely with Affinity Bank, Newton Federal, and FitnessBank to make the transition to Fidelity Bank as smooth as possible. Your accounts will transition automatically starting at 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, October 16.

Before your accounts are transferred, please carefully review all communication that is sent to you and the Fidelity Bank Welcome Center at fidelitybanknc.com/welcome. These communications include important information related to your account transition, key dates, and recommended steps to take prior to Friday, October 16 at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Yes. You’ll continue to work with the same great team that you know and trust.

Beginning October 19, 2026, you will also have access to Fidelity Bank’s larger branch network, giving you more convenient banking options. View all Fidelity Bank locations at fidelitybanknc.com/locations.

Beginning Monday, October 19, the Covington and Atlanta locations will have the following operating hours:

• Lobby Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET
• Covington Drive Thru Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET; Saturday, 8:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET
• Call Center Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. ET; Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET
• Credit and Debit Card Support: Available 24/7 by calling the number on the back of your card

Yes. Fidelity Bank offers telephone banking. You may continue using the telephone banking phone number you use today.

Yes. You will be prompted to reset your PIN the first time you use telephone banking after October 19.

Your account numbers will stay the same. Your routing number will change to 053103585. Transactions using your old routing number will be forwarded and processed as usual. For new vendors and billers, please use your new routing number.

Account service charges/monthly service charges will be waived for the first two months on all accounts. After that, fees will apply according to Fidelity Bank’s current Disclosure & Fee Schedule.

Your current rates, terms, and maturity dates will remain unchanged until renewal. When your CD or IRA reaches its maturity date after October 16, 2026, it will renew into the applicable Fidelity Bank product described in the Disclosure and Fee Schedule for CDs and IRAs. If you have an 84-month CD or IRA, it will renew as a 60-month CD or IRA when it reaches maturity.

Personal deposit statements are generated on the 19th day of every month. Business deposit statements are generated on the last day of every month. Please note, paper statement fees for personal deposit accounts will be waived for the first three months. There are no paper statement fees for business deposit accounts.

No. You may continue to use your Affinity Bank, Newton Federal, and FitnessBank checks.

Your current Affinity Bank, Newton Federal, and Fitness Bank checks do not expire and may continue to be used.

Any outstanding checks will be forwarded to Fidelity Bank and processed as usual.

ACH transactions will continue without interruption. If you receive payments from Social Security, other government agencies (e.g. pensions), or insurance companies, we recommend that you contact them directly and update your routing number.

FitnessBank uses your previous month’s average step count to determine your account’s interest rate. As a result, steps completed after September 30 will not affect your interest rate. Please refer to the welcome kit mailed to you for information about the Fidelity Bank account you’ll transition to, including its features and benefits.

The FitnessBank Step Tracker app will not be supported after Friday, October 16.

Yes. Your new Fidelity Bank debit card should arrive on or around Friday, October 9. Be sure to activate it so you’re ready to use it beginning Monday, October 19 at 9:00 a.m. ET.

Yes. Please remember to update any merchants, subscriptions, or automatic payments that use your old debit card number.

Yes. Your current debit card will continue to work through 9:00 a.m. ET on Monday, October 19.

When your new card arrives, please follow the instructions located on the activation sticker on your card. You will be instructed to call 1-800-992-3808 to activate and set a PIN. Please note, you can begin using your new debit card on Monday, October 19 at 9:00 a.m. ET.

You can begin using your new debit card on Monday, October 19 at 9:00 a.m. ET.

To avoid interruptions, update any merchants, subscriptions, or automatic payments currently linked to your old card with your new Fidelity Bank debit card number.

Yes. You can continue managing your personal debit card through online and mobile banking by clicking the Cards tab. Our CardControl tools allow you to turn your card on or off instantly, receive real-time alerts, set spending limits and more! Please note, card management tools are not currently available for business debit cardholders.

Please call our Customer Care Center at (770) 385-3043 for assistance with your debit card.

You will have access to Affinity Bank, Newton Federal, and FitnessBank online banking until 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, October 16. For your convenience, your existing online banking experience will be available in view-only mode through November 15, 2026. The information available will reflect a snapshot of your accounts and transactions as of 5:00 p.m. ET on October 16, 2026.

Online banking, mobile banking, telephone banking, and related services, including positive pay, ACH filter, ACH origination, bill pay, external transfers, mobile deposit, card management tools, and person to person payments will be unavailable during the transition.

You will be able to access your accounts on the Fidelity Bank system beginning on Monday, October 19 at 9:00 a.m. ET.

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET on Monday, October 19, you’ll be able to access your accounts and financial tools through Fidelity Bank Online and Mobile Banking. There’s no need to complete the following steps right at 9:00 a.m. ET, you can take care of them whenever it’s convenient for you after access becomes available. We’re here to help make the transition as easy as possible.

Personal Customers
Visit fidelitybanknc.com/welcome and select the Enroll Now link in the Quick Links section. During enrollment, you may be able to use your existing username and password. After enrolling, please set up the online banking services you use, including eStatements, bill pay, internal and external transfers, alerts, and person-to-person payments.

Business Customers
Visit fidelitybanknc.com/welcome and select the Log In link in the Quick Links section. Then, select the “Forgot Password?” link. In the form, enter your existing user ID and the other required fields. You will then be prompted to create a new password. If your current password meets Fidelity Bank’s system requirements, you may be able to continue to use it.

Personal Customers
During enrollment, you may be able to use your existing username. Your current password may also work if it meets Fidelity Bank’s password requirements.

Business Customers
Your Fidelity Bank Online Banking profile will be set up using your existing username. You may be able to keep your current password if it meets Fidelity Bank’s password requirements.

Passwords must be 12-32 characters and contain a lowercase letter (a-z), an uppercase letter (A-Z), a digit (0-9), and a special character (~!@#$%^&*()[]{}<>_+-=/|.,:;’”’?).

Yes. There will be 90 days of transaction history available in Fidelity Bank Online Banking. Please download any additional transaction history you’d like to keep for your records by October 15.

Yes. 18 months of statement history will be available in Fidelity Bank Online Banking. If desired, please download any statements you’d like to keep for your records by October 15.

Yes. When you log in to Fidelity Bank Online Banking, you will be prompted to select your preferred statement delivery method for your accounts.

Yes. Please save your bill pay information, including payees, account numbers, and recurring payment details by October 15. If you need assistance obtaining a list of your previous bill pay payees, please contact our Customer Care team at 770-385-3043 on or after Monday, October 19.

Please schedule bills to have a delivery date of October 15. Bill pay will not be available beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET on Friday, October 16.

Yes. Please save your transfer information for both internal and external transfers, including transfer amounts, linked accounts, and recurring transfer details by October 15. If you need assistance obtaining a list of your transfer information, please contact our Customer Care team at 770-385-3043 on or after Monday, October 19.

External transfers will not post after October 16.

No. You can only link accounts at other financial institutions with the same name/ownership.

Person to person payments will not post after October 14. Please use an alternate payment method until system access is restored.

Please make all mobile deposits by 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday, October 16.

Yes. Account and transaction level alerts will need to be reestablished in Fidelity Bank Online Banking.

Yes. You will need to reestablish your connection to account aggregation tools after your account is transferred to Fidelity Bank. Search for Fidelity Bank (Right By You) to connect. Please note, we recommend downloading your transactions before 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, October 16 so you can upload them later. Visit fidelitybanknc.com/welcome for detailed steps.

At this time, personal and business accounts require separate online banking access. To view your personal accounts, complete the Personal Online Banking enrollment form.

Yes. You can use the Intrabank Transfer feature in online banking to securely transfer money between eligible Fidelity Bank accounts. To get started, add the receiving account to your list of unlinked accounts.

Safe deposit boxes will not change. You will have the same box number at the same location that you did prior to the transfer of your accounts. Your access key will remain the same.

Your safe deposit box rental fees will be waived for one year. After that, fees will apply according to Fidelity Bank’s current Disclosure & Fee Schedule.

The Covington ATM will remain in service after October 19. The Eastside ATM will close permanently.

The Convington ATM will accept cash withdrawals and deposits. Check deposits will no longer be accepted. For check deposits, please use mobile deposit, remote deposit, or visit a local branch.

If ATM fees are currently reimbursed on your Affinity Bank, Newton Federal, or FitnessBank account, Foreign ATM fees/ATM Non-Fidelity Bank Use fees will be refunded up to $25 per statement cycle for the first three months. After that, fees will apply according to Fidelity Bank’s current Disclosure & Fee Schedule.

Your loan will be transferred to Fidelity Bank beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, October 16. The terms of your loan will remain unchanged. You will receive a separate communication confirming the transfer and explaining where to mail or submit future payments.

No, you can continue paying your loan the same way you do today. You will receive a separate letter notifying you in writing of your loan being transferred to Fidelity Bank and instructions on where to mail or submit future payments.

Yes. You will be able to access your loan information through Fidelity Bank Online Banking.

All Affinity Bank, Newton Federal, and FitnessBank accounts will be transferred to Fidelity Bank beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, October 16. Once accounts are transferred, loan payments can be made using the internal transfer option in online banking.

If you’re currently making your loan payment from an account held at another financial institution, no changes are required. The payment will be transferred to Fidelity Bank. We recommend that you update the bank name and routing number. You may also need to update the ACH Preauthorized Company ID. Fidelity Bank’s company name is The Fidelity Ban and our company ID is 1560132040.

If your automatic loan payment was set up by Affinity Bank or Newton Federal, no changes need to be made. Your payment will continue to process as normal.

Yes. Loan payments can be made from an account at another financial institution using our external transfer option inside online banking.

No. If your loan is already in process, the account transition should not cause a delay.

No. You do not need to update the loss payee on your insurance policy. Any related communications and checks will be forwarded to Fidelity Bank.

Your mortgage escrow account will transfer with your loan. We will continue making scheduled property tax and homeowners insurance payments from your escrow account. Beginning in 2027, your annual escrow analysis will be completed in February. During this transition, some customers may receive a short-cycle escrow analysis covering a period of less than 12 months. We will notify you if changes to taxes or insurance affect your monthly payment. No action is required unless we contact you for additional information.

For assistance with your auto loan, please contact us at 678-712-7017.

We’re working to make your transition to Fidelity Bank as easy as possible and are taking every step we can to carry over important information and services. At this time, you should not need to recreate your business sub-users. Online banking admins may need to reestablish entitlements for their sub-users to grant access to features and functionality in online banking.

Yes. Entitlements for both online banking and the Pay & Get Paid system may need to be reestablished by an Administrator (online banking) or a Level 1 user (Paid & Get Paid system).

Your current cash management pricing will remain the same. If pricing changes in the future, we will notify you in advance.

ACH batches will not post after October 16 on the Affinity Bank, Newton Federal, and FitnessBank system.

We’re working to make your transition to Fidelity Bank as easy as possible and are taking every step we can to carry over important information and services. At this time, you should not need to add ACH participants again.

No. Please download your ACH history before 5:00 p.m. ET on October 16.

We’re working to make your transition to Fidelity Bank as easy as possible and are taking every step we can to carry over important information and services. At this time, you should not need to set up ACH templates again.

If you had recurring batches set up in the Affinity Bank, Newton Federal, or FitnessBank online banking system, you will have to reinitiate the batches so they continue without interruption.

Yes. Fidelity Bank’s ACH origination cutoff time is 4:00 p.m. ET.

Fidelity Bank’s Online Banking system requires a balanced NACHA file. Click here to view an example of a balanced NACHA template.

No. Your current remote deposit scanner will continue to work.

No. Your remote deposit cutoff time will remain the same.

No. Your login credentials will remain the same, and you can continue using your existing link to access the remote deposit system. Please note, you will also be able to access the system from The Fidelity Bank website. Select Log In, then choose Legacy Affinity Remote Deposit Login from the Log in to Other Systems drop-down menu.

Yes. Fidelity Bank’s Positive Pay and ACH Filter cutoff time is 12:00 p.m. ET.

Positive Pay and ACH Filter files will load at 6:00 a.m. ET for you to review. You will receive a notification when they are available.

No. Please download your Positive Pay and ACH Filter history before 5:00 p.m. ET on October 16.

No. Your merchant services solution will remain unchanged at this time, and you may continue using it as you do today.