APPLETON, Wis. -- The $146 million Prospera Credit Union is rolling out a program that promises to help credit unions all over the country offer their members an alternative to high-interest payday loans.

DALLAS -- Speakers at TNB Card Services' 2008 payments conference emphasized the strength and profitability of credit union card programs amid the economic turmoil.

Visa recently reported that over 80% of U.S. level one merchants (those with more than six million transactions yearly) have achieved PCI DSS compliance.

Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union, St. Paul, Minn., was chosen as the winner of the 2008 Minnesota business ethics award.