First Community CU (MO) vs Essence Flex Spend
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
First Community CU (MO)
Manage your finances on the go with this mobile banking app. Access account balances, transfer funds, deposit checks remotely, and pay bills. Find nearby branches and ATMs, and view current rates. Your banking sessions are secured with SSL encryption.
- View account balances and transaction history
- Transfer funds between accounts
- Deposit checks remotely
- Schedule and pay bills
- Find branch and ATM locations
- View deposit and loan rates
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First Community Credit Union proudly brings you mobile banking to your smartphone and tablet. Designed to provide a customized approach especially for your device, now you can experience all the benefits of EXPRESSnet Online Banking in a sleek, convenient, on-the-go package. And best of all, it’s FREE! Any First Community member who uses EXPRESSnet Online Banking has immediate and automatic access to mobile banking – there’s no registration process. Just sign in the same way you would online. Stay on top of your finances wherever you are. With your smartphone or tablet, you’ll delight in the freedom of one-touch access to many of your most important banking functions, such as: BALANCES -- View up to the minute balances and detailed transactional history, including check images, on all of your deposit and loan accounts. TRANSFERS --Transfer funds between your credit union accounts and loans. DEPOSITS -- Deposit checks to your accounts remotely PAYMENTS -- Schedule and pay your bills, view recent payment history and check your ebills. LOCATIONS --Find Branch and ATM locations near you. RATES -- Get deposit and loan rates. CONTACT US – Need help? We’re here for you. SECURITY IS IMPORTANT TO US. Rest assured your banking session is secure using the latest in SSL encryption. First Community Mobile Banking uses the same secure sign on method that EXPRESSnet Online Banking uses. No matter where you go, with mobile banking your bank account goes with you, 24/7. So download the First Community Mobile Banking application today and see how easy mobile banking can be. Not yet an EXPRESSnet user? Contact us at 800-767-8880 to get started.
Essence Flex Spend
Manage your Flex Card on the go with this secure mobile app. Check balances, scan product barcodes for eligibility, and view account summaries. Retrieve forgotten credentials and report lost or stolen cards.
- Secure card management
- Check available balances
- Scan product barcodes for eligibility
- View account summaries
- Retrieve forgotten credentials
- Report lost/stolen cards
- Set notification preferences
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Using your Essence Flex Card just got even easier. With our secure app, you can see and manage your Flex Card details on the go. Features include: Easy, Convenient and Secure ● Follow the instructions found at EverythingEssence.com for login instructions and details. ● No sensitive account information is ever stored on your mobile device. ● Use Touch ID to quickly log in to the mobile app. Connects You with the Details ● Quickly check available balances 24/7. ● Scan product barcodes to determine eligibility. ● View charts summarizing account(s). ● Tap to call or email Essence Customer Service. ● Set notification preferences. Provides Additional Time-Saving Options (if supported or applicable to your account(s)) ● Retrieve your forgotten username or password. ● Report a debit card as lost or stolen. If you have questions, please contact Essence Customer Service at 1-866-597-9560 (TTY: 711) from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. You may reach a messaging service on weekends from April 1 through September 30 and holidays. Please leave a message, and your call will be returned the next business day. Powered by WEX®
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: First Community CU (MO) at 55% against Essence Flex Spend's 8%. First Community CU (MO) also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.9) and ratings volume (24K vs 21). Essence Flex Spend's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
First Community CU (MO) holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Community CU (MO) has 24K ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of First Community CU (MO)'s written reviews are positive against 8% of Essence Flex Spend's.
First Community CU (MO) ships an update every 3 months, Essence Flex Spend every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | First Community CU (MO) | Essence Flex Spend |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (24K ratings) — better | 1.9 (21 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 55.4% of reviews — better | 7.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 24K — better | 21 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 110 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | FIRST COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION INC | Essence Healthcare, Inc |
Customer experience
First Community CU (MO)
Essence Flex Spend
Bugs and requests
First Community CU (MO)
Reported bugs
3 issues- Login issues with incorrect password errors
- Notification badges that don't clear
- Crashes when trying to access certain features
Requested features
5 requests- Dark mode option
- Ability to nickname accounts
- Instant transaction notifications
- Card controls (lock/unlock)
- Longer history of transactions and statements
Essence Flex Spend
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
First Community CU (MO)
No in-app purchases
Essence Flex Spend
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is First Community CU (MO) free?
Is Essence Flex Spend free?
Which has better reviews, First Community CU (MO) or Essence Flex Spend?
Do First Community CU (MO) or Essence Flex Spend have ads?
Which is updated more often, First Community CU (MO) or Essence Flex Spend?
Other comparisons
