CO-OP Financial Services is relaunching CO-OP Mobile, its mobile banking application now featuring optional real-time, person-to-person payments and remote check deposit capabilities for credit union smartphone users. 

"Mobile banking is indispensable for any credit union competing for consideration as a member's primary financial institution," Stan Hollen, president/CEO of CO-OP, said in a statement. "CO-OP Mobile enables credit unions to offer a leading-edge, custom-branded app tailored to the needs of their members — without the costly and time-consuming complexities involved in developing an in-house solution." 

Originally introduced in February 2009, CO-OP Mobile is being reintroduced to take advantage of CO-OP's new person-to-person payments network called RealPay by CO-OP, incorporating the FIS PayNet platform. CO-OP Mobile is a fully customizable and configurable mobile app for credit unions, using the same connection technology as CO-OP Shared Branch transactions, which expedites implementation for credit unions already participating in that network, according to a press release.

The new CO-OP Mobile was tested prior to introduction by Democracy FCU of Washington, D.C. 

"CO-OP Mobile allows us to deliver more services to members through their smartphones, which is critical because surveys show 50 percent of adults have smartphones — and keep them handy all the time," said Bill Cook, vice president of administration, for Democracy FCU. "This version of CO-OP Mobile enables P2P payments and remote deposit capture — features of mobile banking we will be able to offer our members for the first time. It also fits well with our shared branching concept — we want to be wherever our members go, and now we will be right in the palm of their hand."

Additional key features of the new CO-OP mobile include iPhone and Android apps custom-branded to the credit union; account aggregation for access to all accounts at a credit union on one app; account-to-account transfers; account history; text banking; and a back-office client portal application to monitor and manage users. 

CO-OP will be further rolling out CO-OP Mobile as part of a free webinar taking place on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 11 a.m. Pacific time. Titled "Mobile Momentum: From Apple Pay to RealPay — and Beyond," registration for the webinar is available at http://info.co-opfs.org/02-25-Mobile-Momentum_Landing.html. Mobile/virtual products from CO-OP will also be part of the company's exhibition booth at CUNA GAC 15, taking place March 8-11 in Washington, D.C.

CO-OP Mobile is available for implementation by credit unions on the CO-OP Shared Branch network immediately.