TUKWILA, Wash.-BECU was in for a big surprise when it launched its mobile banking application in late August-nearly 13,000 members downloaded the application in the first week, 8,000 of those on the first day.

SILVER CITY, N.M.-Credit unions are throwing money at Microsoft instead of using free, open software and giving the savings back to members, according to Bill Stites, CIO at $27-million Chino Federal Credit Union here.

VIENNA, Va.-In June 2009, a Navy FCU member named Chris started a Twitter account called "NFCU Sucks," apparently using it as a stage to complain bitterly about the credit union's overdraft fees.

ROMULUS, Mich.-At any time of day, expect to see Amy McGraw pecking away at her BlackBerry on Twitter, "tweeting" with her members about the Mexican restaurant where she's eating or a movie she's about to see.

ROMULUS, Mich.-Some credit unions may be worried about compliance when they use Twitter and other social media sites.

CardinalCommerce Corp. says it has developed technology to enable online merchants to offer consumers a PIN-debit payment option at the checkout screen or through a mobile phone, while Acculynk Inc. separately is building its Web-based PIN-debit payment service.

Qatar National Bank Ltd. has launched the first mobile-to-mobile funds-transfer service in Qatar, the Doha-based bank announced Sept. 22.

MasterCard Worldwide is “tailoring strategies” around specific foreign-market situations to expand its global card-business opportunities, Walter Macnee, the card brand’s president of international markets, told attendees at the company’s symposium for media and analysts held Sept. 23 at MasterCard’s headquarters in Purchase, N.Y.

MasterCard Worldwide expects to increase its U.S. debit market share as a result of new network-routing rules included in pending federal changes in debit card interchange policies, Chris McWilton, MasterCard’s U.S. Markets president, said Sept. 23 at the company’s symposium for media and analysts at its headquarters in Purchase, N.Y.

Bharti Airtel Ltd. has become the first mobile operator in India to receive a license from the Reserve Bank of India to offer mobile-payment services, the New Delhi-based company announced Sept. 22.

The Treasury Department's chief banking regulator said Wednesday the creation of new financial products will be key to shifting low-income households into the traditional banking system, reports Dow Jones.

The total dollar amount of outstanding subprime loans was $714 billion at June 30, a 45% decline from the peak in 2007, according to figures compiled by National Mortgage News and the Quarterly Data Report.

SAN DIEGO – Mission FCU has become one of the first credit unions to implement an anti-skimming ATM technology offered by The Members Group through ADT Security Services.

FISHERS, Ind. – FORUM CU has signed with EasCorp FCU’s Vertifi Software LLC CUSO to implement the company’s DeposZip Mobile remote deposit capture service through downloadable software applications for smartphones.

A recent partnership between Western Union Co. and Toronto, Canada-based electronic-wallet provider EnStream LP will enable Canadian consumers to send funds both domestically and internationally using their mobile phones. The companies plan to launch a pilot in Canada in December.

Bank of the West is planning to offer its small-business customers an ACH payment service that could make costly wire transfers unnecessary.

PayMate India Pvt. Ltd. has signed an agreement with Bank of Ceylon to launch mobile payment and banking services in Sri Lanka, the Mumbai-based mobile-payments provider announced last week.

Citing expansion in the use of its cashless vending-machine technology, USA Technologies on Sept. 21 reported $15.8 million in revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30, up 31.7% from $12 million during the previous 12-month period. The company reported an $11.6 million net loss; it reported a $13.7 million loss the previous fiscal year.

Citigroup Inc. has appointed Jud Linville as CEO of its Citi Cards credit card unit, replacing Paul Galant, who was named Citi’s CEO of global enterprise payments. Linville previously was president and CEO of American Express Co.’s U.S. Consumer Services operations.

VERNON HILLS, Ill. – Baxter CU has signed with EasCorp FCU’s Vertifi Software LLC CUSO to implement the company’s DeposZip Mobile remote deposit capture service through downloadable software applications for smartphones.