STOCKHOLM, Sweden.—World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) is reporting it has launched a collaboration with Visa aimed at addressing what it called one of the “most persistent barriers” to financial inclusion: the high cost, access and complexity of cross-border payments and remittances.
The partnership was announced during the 2025 World Credit Union Conference in Stockholm, Sweden.
According to WOCCU, the initiative will bring together credit union leaders from across the Americas to identify and explore scalable solutions that ensure reliable cross-border money movement with the security, ease of use and clear guidance that credit union members seek.
“Cross-border payments remain costly, complex and often out of reach for many communities served by credit unions,” Thomas Belekevich, WOCCU director of member services, said in a statement. “This collaboration with Visa represents a critical step forward in our mission to create inclusive and efficient financial ecosystems globally. Together, we’re building solutions rooted in cooperation, innovation and impact.”
Global Working Group
WOCCU said the initiative will convene a global working group of credit union leaders and innovators to “co-create practical solutions” through WOCCU’s Global Cooperative Committees platform.
“This innovation-driven framework fosters peer learning and public-private collaboration to address systemic challenges in cooperative finance,” WOCCU stated. “As a strategic advisor and key knowledge partner, Visa will contribute global expertise to help inform and shape impactful solutions.”
Added Visa SVP-Community Accounts and Digital Sales Celeste Schwitters in a statement, “At Visa, we believe that inclusive economies are built on accessible, reliable and secure financial infrastructure. By working alongside WOCCU, we’re not only supporting innovation in cross-border payments—we’re helping credit unions extend their reach, deepen trust with their members and deliver financial services that are truly global in scope.”
Part of Pilot Initiative
WOCCU said the partnership is part of a pilot initiative that reflects its broader strategy to drive sustainable development through public-private collaboration. The work will culminate in a global insights brief and a presentation of key findings at the 2026 World Credit Union Conference, WOCCU said.
At WOCCU, the program will largely be overseen by Oscar Guzman, project director.
