TAMPA, Fla.– Velera, the payments CUSO and integrated financial technology solutions provider, and Zelle have announced that Thinkwise Federal Credit Union has become the first Minority Depository Institution (MDI) credit union to offer Zelle through the recently launched joint program designed to expand access to the popular person-to-person (P2P) payment service to MDI credit unions.
The $120-million Thinkwise FCU in San Bernardino, Calif. has approximately 6,200 members.
“Launching Zelle through Velera is an important step in our ongoing digital transformation,” Thinkwise President and CEO Heri Garcia said in a statement. “This partnership allows us to offer members a fast, reliable way to send and receive money while continuing to deliver the trusted, personalized service that has defined Thinkwise for more than seven decades.”
Experience at Integration
According to the organizations, Thinkwise selected Velera for its experience integrating Zelle and its alignment with credit union values, enabling a streamlined implementation that built on an existing operational relationship through participation in Velera’s Co-op Shared Branch network.
“Credit unions have long led with trust and community values, and access to modern, reliable payment tools is an important part of serving members today,” Amy Evans, SVP-strategic solutions at Velera, said in a statement. “We’re honored to support Thinkwise through our partnership with Zelle, marking an important milestone in expanding modern P2P payment options for MDI credit unions and the communities they serve.”
‘Vital Role’
“Expanding access to Zelle for MDI credit unions supports the vital role these institutions play in their communities,” Denise Leonhard, general manager of Zelle, said in a statement. “Our partnership with Velera helps make that access possible for credit unions like Thinkwise.”
The organizations noted that P2P payments continue to grow in importance. According to Velera’s 2025 Eye on Payments study, 74% of consumers use P2P payments at least periodically, with more than one-third of Gen Z and Millennials relying on them as a primary payment method.
Velera said it began providing Zelle services to Thinkwise in November 2025 as part of its partnership with Zelle, which launched in April 2025 to help expand credit union access to Zelle.
More Than $1 Trillion Sent
Today, more than 2,300 financial institutions offer Zelle to their customers and members, 95% of which are community banks and credit unions. Zelle is available from financial institutions of all sizes across all 50 states and today helps American consumers and small businesses send over $1 trillion annually, the organizations said.
For info: velera.com/zelle-for-credit-unions. For info on MDI credit unions and the work the industry, Velera and Zelle are doing, inkformation is available on this blog.
