While nearly all credit union members appreciate the convenience of ATM use and the ever-expanding networks of surcharge-free ATMs, it's becoming clear that the real future of debit card usage lies in point-of-sale transactions. So how do credit unions take advantage of the income generating potential of POS transactions? How do they encourage their members to increase POS use?

POS transactions and the interchange income they provide for credit unions form the growing, dominant transaction set for today's credit unions, the one responsible for an expanding portion of a credit union's non-interest income.

More and more consumers are using their debit cards in more and more POS transactions each year. With all the issues out there, this shouldn't be construed to be the final battlefield for credit unions in terms of the primary transaction set upon which credit unions can rely for their future. However, POS is as important as any service today and should be given significant attention along with other key services.