MERRIFIELD, Va. – Navy Federal's recent decision to start surcharging foreign users of its ATMs had nothing to do with its recent decision to join the CO-OP Network, according to Navy Federal spokeswoman Loren Moeller. Navy Federal, the world's largest credit union, is a $17 billion institution based in Merrifield, Virginia. The credit union joined CO-OP Network in mid February. "We didn't announce the decision to surcharge at the same time as joining the CO-OP because they really weren't related," Moeller said. The institution decided to start surcharging foreign users as a way of raising the funds needed to add more machines to its 262 machine ATM system, she explained, and would have done so whether it joined CO-OP Network or not. Under CO-OP's reciprocal surcharge free network, Navy Federal agreed not to surcharge credit union cardholders whose institutions are also part of the Network. Moeller also noted that under the previous situation Navy Federal had, in effect, been subsidizing other financial institutions ATM policies. The credit union had also determined that its own members represented a significantly high portion of its ATM users and that surcharging foreign members would not have much of an impact on the credit union's ATM transaction income.