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Affinity Plus becomes one of the first credit unions in Minnesota to launch contactless cards for all members

Tap-and-go technology improves safety and security at a time it’s needed most

ST PAUL, MN (February 22, 2021)

Minnesota’s second largest credit union just completed reissuing new, contactless card technology for more than 209,000 cards used by its 218,000 members. Since July, Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union (Affinity Plus) has invested $1.5 million in contactless card technology to safety and security for members amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We strive to be a leader in bringing convenient, secure payment experiences to our members,” said Nic Peterson, Vice President of Payment Systems and Card Services, Affinity Plus. “Contactless card technology builds a better experience by offering a faster, more secure transaction. This has been critical during the pandemic as contactless cards allow for less contact with cashiers, payment terminals and ATMs, making it safer for our members.”

Benefits of contactless card technology include:

  • Safety of the Cardholder: Transactions at checkout take less time and allow for a quick tap or hover over the terminal, meaning less physical contact and less potential for transmitting germs.
  • Security of Account Information: Each transaction uses a one-time code to ensure safe payment and keeps your information safe from fraud. Because they don’t make physical contact, cards are more difficult to read or copy illegally. Each payment is initiated by the merchant, so cardholders cannot accidentally pay if they are near the terminal or tap the card more than once.

Affinity Plus started offering contactless cards for newly issued credit and debit cards in January 2020. After the pandemic started, the credit union sped up its efforts to reissue most Visa® debit and credit cards with contactless technology for all members by the end of 2020.

“Cardholders have responded well to the change to contactless cards,” said Peterson. “The card reissues resulted in a 340 percentage increase in the number of contactless transactions from July to December 2020. And we continue to see the number of unique cardholders using contactless cards increase as well as an increase in total purchase counts month-over-month.”

More information on contactless card technology at Affinity Plus is available at: https://www.affinityplus.org/landing/contactlesscard


About Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union

Based in St. Paul, Minn., Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit, financial cooperative that puts people first above profits. Members of Affinity Plus receive maximum value through competitive rates, minimal fees, and unique, member-centric products and programs. Established in 1930, Affinity Plus has 30 branches located throughout Minnesota and is owned by more than 250,000 members. Affinity Plus has more than $4 billion in assets. Additional information is available at www.affinityplus.org or by calling (800) 322-7228.

Contacts

Danielle Johnson
djohnson@affinityplus.org
507-398-8966

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