The Federal Reserve on Thursday launched a real-time payment system that eventually will allow consumers and businesses to send and receive money within seconds 24 hours a day, doing away with typical lags of one to three days.
With the service, called FedNow, workers could spend their paycheck immediately instead of waiting several days for it to clear and consumers could pay a utility bill at the last minute without incurring a late fee, among other benefits.
When does FedNow start?
But while banks and credit unions will be able sign up for FedNow starting Thursday it’s expected to take years for most to join the network and offer real-time payment services to customers, the Fed says.
“The Federal Reserve built the FedNow Service to help make everyday payments overthe coming years faster and more convenient,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said in a news release.“Over time, as more banks choose to use this new tool, the benefits to individuals and businesseswill include enabling a person to immediately receive a paycheck, or a company to instantlyaccess funds when an invoice is paid.”
Initially, 35 banks and credit unions that agreed to be “early adopters” already have tested FedNow and can accommodate instant payments. Many could go live right away or shortly after Wednesday’s launch if they’ve developed payment services for their customers. They include JPMorgan Chase, BNY Mellon, Wells Fargo and Peoples Bank.
Sixteen service providers that could send or receive payments on behalf of smaller banks are also early adopters.
What is FedNow?
Currently, checks, Automated Clearing House (ACH) transactions, debit card processing and other payments can take up to a few days to settle as the banks of the sender and receiver of the money communicate and verify that funds are available.
The new service will allow the money to be transferred instantly, anytime of the day or night, year-round.
Yet FedNow simply refers to the network, provided by the Federal Reserve, that banks will use to make the lightning-fast payments possible, or “the high-speed highway,” as the central bank calls it. The nation’s 9,000 banks and credit unions must still decide whether to join the system and then create mobile phone apps or websites so their customers can send and receive money.
To make a payment, both the sender and receiver must have accounts at banks that are part of the network.
While there are other apps and services that let people pay each other – such as PayPal, Venmo and Zelle – they typically transfer funds from one PayPal account to another, for example, but not directly to a bank account. Or there are generally delays before funds show up in the bank account.
The new service could allow someone who lost their wallet to pay for a taxi ride with a cellphone and an app. Or if they don’t have the app, their friend across the country could instantly send the funds to them or to the cab driver, according to an example provided by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
A cash-strapped small business could immediately tap funds when invoices are paid, giving them vital working capital.
