TAMPA— The $120-million Thinkwise Federal Credit Union has become the first Minority Depository Institution (MDI) credit union to offer Zelle through the recently launched program from Velera and Zelle aimed at expanding access to the popular person-to-person payments service among MDI credit unions, Velera reported.
“Launching Zelle through Velera is an important step in our ongoing digital transformation,” said Heri Garcia, president and CEO of Thinkwise. “This partnership allows us to offer members a fast, reliable way to send and receive money while continuing to deliver the trusted, personalized service that has defined Thinkwise for more than seven decades."
Thinkwise, based in San Bernardino, Calif., selected Velera for its experience integrating Zelle and its alignment with credit union values, enabling a streamlined implementation that built on an existing operational relationship through participation in Velera’s Co-op Shared Branch network, Velera said.
Credit unions have long led with trust and community values, and access to modern, reliable payment tools is an important part of serving members today,” said Amy Evans, SVP, strategic solutions at Velera. “We’re honored to support Thinkwise through our partnership with Zelle, marking an important milestone in expanding modern P2P payment options for MDI credit unions and the communities they serve.”
Founded in 1952 as San Bernardino School Employees Federal Credit Union, Thinkwise serves more than 6,000 members and holds approximately $119 million in assets, with a longstanding commitment to cooperation, financial stewardship and community service.
“Expanding access to Zelle for MDI credit unions supports the vital role these institutions play in their communities,” said Denise Leonhard, general manager of Zelle. “Our partnership with Velera helps make that access possible for credit unions like Thinkwise.”
P2P payments continue to grow in importance. According to Velera’s 2025 Eye on Payments study, 74% of consumers use P2P payments at least periodically, with more than one-third of Gen Z and Millennials relying on them as a primary payment method.
Velera began providing Zelle services to Thinkwise in November 2025 as part of its partnership with Zelle, which launched in April 2025 to help expand credit union access to Zelle. Today, more than 2,300 financial institutions offer Zelle to their customers and members, 95% of which are community banks and credit unions. Zelle is available from financial institutions of all sizes across all 50 states and today helps American consumers and small businesses send over $1 trillion annually.
"Velera provides its credit unions with a simplified path to Zelle adoption, including seamless, branded integration via the credit union’s mobile app, real-time fraud detection tools and detailed reporting that supports enrollment, transaction monitoring and member engagement," Velera explained.
For more information on Zelle implementation for credit unions, visit velera.com/zelle-for-credit-unions. To learn more about MDI credit unions and the work the industry, Velera and Zelle are doing to support them, read this Velera blog.