equipifi® Partners with Velera to Bring Debit Card Buy Now, Pay Later to Credit Unions and Their Members

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- equipifi^®, the leading white-label Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platform built for banks and credit unions, today announced its partnership with Velera, the nation's premier payments credit union service organization (CUSO) and integrated financial technology solutions provider. Velera's credit union clients will now have the ability to launch their own in-house debit BNPL products through equipifi and provide purchase financing capabilities directly within their checking accounts, debit card programs, and digital banking apps.

This partnership arrives as credit unions seek new digital capabilities to strengthen engagement, attract younger members, and compete with fintechs. By combining Velera's extensive enablement network with equipifi's innovative BNPL technology, the program represents a major step forward in helping credit unions compete and grow.

Powered by equipifi's platform, BNPL is embedded seamlessly into digital banking experiences, where members can view, accept, and manage pay-over-time offers from the financial institution directly within their existing online banking app. With this partnership, Velera's credit unions will be able to extend flexible financing offers to members that are in alignment with their financial context and goals. They will also be able to quickly launch an innovative in-house payment product that meets consumer purchase preferences.

"Credit unions are searching for ways to deliver modern, flexible payment experiences without losing ownership of the member relationship," said Cody Banks, SVP of Product Experience & Enablement at Velera. "Through our partnership with equipifi, we're helping credit unions bring flexible payments to members in a responsible and branded way."

Today, consumer fintech brands have taken on the role as lenders and are servicing these loans directly with their users. With tens of millions of active users in the U.S., these fintech brands are expanding wallet share by releasing their own branded traditional banking products. BNPL-enabled debit cards from consumer fintech brands were introduced in 2024, and spend accounts and high-yield savings accounts have since been added. To access these products, consumers are encouraged to switch their direct deposit and exit from their primary banking providers.

In response, financial institutions have found a way to launch their own BNPL products. Built for financial institutions, equipifi's BNPL platform integrates with banking cores and digital banking platforms to deliver personalized and prequalified pay-over-time offers. equipifi provides automated offer generation and underwriting, enabling credit unions to go live in as little as eight weeks without disrupting existing operations.

"Debit card BNPL has become a modern form of credit for consumers and is increasingly expected as a native banking feature. For credit unions, the opportunity to gain market share in Buy Now, Pay Later is now," said Bryce Deeney, Founder and CEO of equipifi. "Our partnership with Velera ensures credit unions can lead this next major shift in consumer preference."

About equipifi
equipifi is a fintech company providing the credit infrastructure for modern banking. Trusted by leading banks and credit unions, equipifi delivers Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) as a native banking capability embedded within digital banking platforms. The result is durable customer engagement, sustainable growth, and a more competitive consumer lending experience delivered within the institution's own ecosystem. Learn more at www.equipifi.com.

About Velera
Velera is the nation's premier payments credit union service organization (CUSO) and an integrated financial technology solutions provider. With over four decades of industry experience and a commitment to service excellence and innovation, the company serves more than 4,000 financial institutions throughout North America, operating with velocity to help its clients keep pace with the rapid momentum of change and fuel growth in the new era of financial services. Velera leverages its expertise and resources on behalf of credit unions and their members, offering an end-to-end product portfolio that includes payment processing, fraud and risk management, data and analytics, digital banking, instant payments, strategic consulting, collections, ATM and POS networks, shared branching and 24/7/365 member support via its contact centers. For more information, visit velera.com.

SOURCE equipifi