FedNow

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Consumers and businesses stand to benefit from rapid access to funds at any time when routed through participating financial institutions.

By Parag Patel, Barrie VanBrackle, Mik Bushinski, and Deric Behar

On July 20, 2023, the Federal Reserve announced the long-awaited launch of its real-time payment service, FedNow. The new service enables consumers and businesses to send and receive payments instantly on a 24/7/365 basis via participating financial institutions. It is available to financial institutions eligible to hold accounts at Federal Reserve Banks, and participating depository institutions may appoint a service provider or agent to submit FedNow payment instructions on their behalf. FedNow will initially only support domestic payments between US depository institutions.

FedNow can benefit consumers, businesses, and financial institutions with the promise of more flexibility and transparency of payments, improved cash flow and money management, and new customer service solutions.

The Federal Reserve is finally stepping into the real-time payments arena.

By Todd Beauchamp, Loyal T. Horsley, and Deric Behar

On August 5, 2019, the Board of Governors of the US Federal Reserve System (the Fed) announced that it plans to roll out a real-time payment and settlement service by 2023 or 2024. The service, named FedNow, is being developed with the stated goal of modernizing the national payment system. Facing political and societal pressure to upgrade the national payment system, the Fed sought comment on the development of a faster payment service in late 2018. After receiving more than 350 comments, the Fed is now moving forward and seeking additional comment on the best way to design the system so that it maximizes inclusivity and utility for all stakeholders. The Fed envisions that FedNow will capitalize on its nationwide infrastructure to provide consumers, businesses, and banks the ability to safely make and receive immediate and fully settled payments 24 hours a day, seven days a week.