The Federal Reserve Board said Thursday it has launched its instant payments system, FedNow, which will provide consumers and businesses instant access to deposits and allow them to pay bills in seconds any time or day of the week, eliminating bank processing delays of one to three days.
“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,” Powell said.
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 when rapid access to funds is useful, or when just-in-time payments help manage 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. Over 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.
Participating banks with branches in New Jersey include JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo. For a complete list of early-adopter financial institutions, credit unions and payment processing service providers go to the Federal Reserve Board’s website here.
