Free checking is what brought in the new members to Bethpage FCUin the second half of 2012, the big New York credit union said.

The $5.4 billion Long Island institution said a survey conducted in February of nearly 400 new memberswho began banking there in the second half of 2012 found that 84%opened a new free checking account. Eleven percent initially gotmortgages.

In 2012, 33,440 new members joined Bethpage, a 26% increasecompared to 2011, the credit union said.

The 211,900-member Bethpage said statistics from itssemi-annual new member survey also found that 54% said no or lowfees is what attracted them to the credit union in the first place,while 47% cited superior rates, 45% cited branch locations, 37%indicated a network of free ATMs and 38% indicating servicereputation.

Twenty-eight percent cited member ownership when asked what themain difference was between a bank and a credit union.

Bethpage said its experience is reflected in the Bankrate'srecent 2013 Credit Union Checking Survey which found that 72% of thenation's largest credit unions now offering free checking without aminimum balance, as compared to only 39% of banks, a 26% reductionsince 2010.

“Year after year, free checking is overwhelmingly the mostdesired product new members request when joining, and better ratesand lower fees are the most important benefit,” said KirkKordeleski, Bethpage president/CEO.

This tells me that consumers have a growing awareness for thecredit union difference – something the banks cannot compete with,”he said.