Contributed by Lim Jing Wei, Chief Fintech Officer
The Federal Reserve announced on 20 July 2023 that its new system for instant payments, the FedNow® Service, is now live. Banks and credit unions of all sizes can sign up and use this tool to instantly transfer money for their customers, all day and year-round.
"The Federal Reserve built the FedNow Service to help make everyday payments over the coming years faster and more convenient," said Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell. "Over time, as more banks choose to use this new tool, the benefits to individuals and businesses will include enabling a person to immediately receive a paycheck, or a company to instantly access funds when an invoice is paid."
To start, 35 early-adopting banks and credit unions, as well as the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service, are ready with instant payments capabilities via the FedNow Service. In addition, 16 service providers are ready to support payment processing for banks and credit unions.
When fully available, instant payments will provide substantial benefits for consumers and businesses, such as rapid access to funds, or just-in-time payments that'll assist in managing cash flows in bank accounts. For example, individuals can instantly receive their paychecks and use them the same day, and small businesses can more efficiently manage cash flows without processing delays. In the coming years, customers of banks and credit unions that sign up for the service should be able to use their financial institution's mobile app, website, and other interfaces to send instant payments quickly and securely.
As an interbank payment system, the FedNow Service operates alongside other longstanding Federal Reserve payment services such as Fedwire® and FedACH®. The Federal Reserve is committed to working with the more than 9,000 banks and credit unions across the country to support the widespread availability of this service for their customers over time.
In the previous issue, CYS Global Remit highlighted the benefits of real-time payments and this announcement is an endorsement of our plans. We will continue to monitor the development and provide this service to all our customers once available. Stay tuned for more updates to come.
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