In addition, the number of ATMs nationwide that accept PULSE grew in the last fiscal year to more than 380,000 from 350,000 in 2010.

"We have seen demand from both large and small financial institutions to add the PULSE network to comply with the Federal Reserve's prohibition on network exclusivity arrangements," said Dave Schneider, PULSE President. "We expect continued growth in 2012, driven by consumer preference for debit and PULSE's superior overall value, national reach, customer service and highly reliable ATM and POS switching and settlement services."

Total transaction volume on the network grew significantly in 2011, totaling more than 3.8 billion transactions, an increase of 16 percent compared to 2010. Total dollar volume grew even faster to $140 billion, a 19 percent increase over 2010.

Other key PULSE accomplishments in 2011 included the successful migration of the network's debit processing and development platforms to state-of-the-art HP NonStop Blade server technology; expansion of Internet PIN debit to include recurring payments and subscription-based bill payments; enhancements to the DebitProtect® fraud mitigation system, including the addition of custom fraud-alert rules; and the launch of DebitSavvy.org, a website designed to engage consumers and explore all facets of debit card use.