MOUNDS VIEW, Minn. – In a move which could be understood as trying to shift from a dwindling product to a more active one, Liberty Enterprises, best known as a leading vendor of checks for U.S. credit unions, has announced a gift card program in time for the holidays. "We have done everything possible to minimize a financial institution's cost, effort and time to market. You can implement this turnkey program with virtually no overhead or additional infrastructure," said Michelle Thornton, Liberty Card Services president. "Plus, financial institutions can set and receive a commission on each card they sell. It really doesn't get any simpler." For both large and small institutions, Liberty noted, offering gift cards can help keep members from going to other financial institutions for what has consistently become a more popular gift and payment channel. According to Visa data, checks represented 57% of the overall payment channel in 1996, 40% in 2002 and are projected to represent merely 25% in 2007.