CU*NorthWest, a cooperative data processing CUSO, along with the extended cuasterisk.com network, successfully implemented the required compliance changes, meeting the recent ISO 8583 mandate from CO-OP. The mandate, affected CO-OP shared branching participating credit unions using both the FSCC and CUSC switches.  The mandates were extensive and required for all participants in their network. The changes required hundreds of hours for development, testing and implementation.  “There were certainly some bumps as various core processors came online with the mandates and because shared branching is really a conversation between core processors.  If one processor didn’t get it right, then the conversations had issues.” said Terry Monahan, Manager of Programming for CU*NorthWest.

Most core processors charged their clients for the changes but CU*NorthWest did it free of charge.  CEO of CU*NorthWest Greg Smith said, “As a true cooperative, we are motivated differently than most.  Together with our partner CU*Answers and our extended network of credit unions and CUSO’s, we invest collectively as peers to keep costs down and create a different kind of competitive landscape for our network.”