Credit unions will receive a lift to their earnings and capital from the distribution by Cuscal of the windfall gain from the sector's share of the sell-off (and listing in the United States) of Visa International.Cuscal received an after-tax gain of $20.2 million from the Visa shares sold into the initial public offer earlier this year. The board of Cuscal resolved yesterday to distribute this in full to shareholders (which, alongside more than 100 credit unions, includes Bank of Queensland).Cuscal shareholders that were also issuers of Visa cards will receive three quarters of the cash. All shareholders will share in the remaining 25 per cent.The distribution is equal to about 0.5 per cent of the existing capital base of all credit unions in Australia and also equal to about three weeks' profit.Cuscal recorded an additional after-tax gain of $19.4 million on Visa shares in its 2008 financial statements but this is a mark-to-market gain and Cuscal, as with all original shareholders, cannot sell those for another two and a half years.