PSCU Financial Services is now offering its entire member-ownerbase of 680 credit unions new credit cards that carry both EMVchip-and-PIN security and traditional magnetic stripes.

The new cards are focused at U.S. credit unions that have largeoverseas membership, including the big CUSO's partner in theproject, Andrews FCU in Suitland, Md.

The $815 million Andrews FCU has 13 branches, including six inGermany, Belgium and the Netherlands where the new cards willinitially be offered. The credit union's 93,000 members areprimarily in military and military-related civilian jobs.

The new GlobeTrek Visa Rewards credit card will offer the samerate and rewards as the CU's current platinum card, the companysaid, but will combine an EMV chip with PIN authentication to makethem usable at unattended kiosks and ATMs as well as POSlocations.

“Offering EMV cards with PIN approval allows credit unions tocompete effectively with large international banks. This card is asignificant advantage for our credit unions that serve government,military or professional members who travel internationally,” saidMichael Kelly, president/CEO at PSCU in St. Petersburg, Fla.

“Our members stationed overseas and those who travel frequentlyhave been asking for this,” said Chris McDonald, president/CEO atAndrews FCU. “Our credit union is excited to offer a card thatemploys both the dominant payment technologies.”

EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) is a European securitystandard for contact and contactless payment that got a seriousboost this week when Visa Inc. announced it would be pushing adoption in theU.S.

The $3.1 billion United Nations FCU already is offering the cards to itsinternational membership, with about 6,000 members using them viatechnology from Dutch security vendor Gemalto.

Jack Henry & Associates' payments division, meanwhile, isworking on deploying chip-and-PIN cards, too, working with the $5.6billion Star One CU in Sunnyvale, Calif., as its beta tester.