In comparison to other regions of the world, what is the current state of instant payment adoption in the US?
While instant payments have been in the market in several other countries for some time, there is positive momentum toward US businesses enabling faster payment methods. The RTP Network® now reaches 61% of US demand deposit accounts and has experienced a 10% average quarterly volume growth per quarter since Q4 2018. This uptick is driven by new applications that improve efficiencies for business. For example, our Elavon merchant customers are utilising RTP-powered Everyday Funding to access merchant funding daily, including holidays and weekends.
We’ve also seen an acceleration of new use cases, particularly for front-office payment processes. Businesses increasingly understand that creating a better payment experience for their customers provides a competitive advantage. For example, we worked with Apex Fintech Solutions to enable individual investors to move money in and out of their brokerage accounts securely, instantly, and 24/7/365. We also worked with Driveway.com to enable consumers who sell their vehicle on the platform to be paid before their car leaves their driveway.
At the same time RTP usage accelerates, The Federal Reserve’s instant payment service, FedNow, is scheduled to come online this year. This will be an important development in bringing instant payments to vastly more consumers and businesses across the US.
Consumers are already experiencing the benefits of 24/7 payments in many aspects of their daily lives and now expect more companies to deliver that experience, which is prompting businesses to accelerate digital payment transformations.
We recently surveyed US firms to better understand their preferences when it comes to faster payments. Among the drivers of interest in Real-Time Payments:
40% want better access to working capital;
39% want to improve payment experience;
36% want the immediacy of reconciliation;
32% are pursuing real-time payments to give them a competitive edge.
53% want to improve vendor and customer payment experiences;
48% want to increase the efficiency of front-office payment transactions;
47% want to create a B2B payment experience similar to consumer person-to-person payments; and
46% want to automate payments (e.g. initiation and billing/remittance data).
We haven’t seen a noticeable change in US businesses’ work to transform their payment systems. If anything, market factors may have increased interest in firms’ focus on improving cash flow, which instant payments are designed to do.
FedNow will be available to any depository institution. Merchants, consumers, and non-bank providers can access the service through a participating bank. FAQs are available here.
We are participating in the FedNow pilot and we’re developing capabilities that will allow business clients to route and receive their instant payments seamlessly, whether it’s through RTP or FedNow. We’ll do this through intelligent routing with a single interface. We are already using intelligent routing to help move money through various payment rails in a most appropriate way. As a bank that was part of the first payment on the RTP network, and with the work we’ve done over the years to help clients enable real-time payments, we will be ready to hit the ground running with FedNow.
We are in regular conversation with our clients about their payment transformation journeys and which payment options are appropriate for their organisations. This happens through our regular consultations with them, as well as a variety of digital communications.
The biggest advantages of instant payments we point to include:
Instant: funds are immediately available to use by the receiver.
Certain: every payment is final, irrevocable, and confirmed in real time.
Data-rich: rich payment and remittance data reduces the need for reconciliation and improves operational efficiency.
Always on: no more waiting for the bank to be open for it to be cleared. Even on nights, weekends, and holidays. 24/7/365.
Instant payments can provide companies with a competitive edge by providing a better experience for their employees and customers.
Knowledge of the consumer-facing benefits has accelerated quickly. We think that in the coming years, understanding of the back-office benefits – like improved AP and AR via instant payments – will grow as well.
U.S. Bank leverages fraud detection tools targeted to instant payment transactions as well as security measures built within U.S. Bank account and transaction processes designed to protect customers from unauthorized access to accounts and transactions. We also follow all applicable regulatory requirements and work closely with other payment industry groups designed to enhance security and combat fraud across the networks. Additionally, we work with our customers to educate them about potential red flags from scams, how to protect their accounts, and how to protect against unauthorized transactions.
Our approach with commercial clients is to meet them where they are in their digital journey, understand their business and make the payment process easy for them, regardless of which payment type. We anticipate customers will want RTP or FedNow, or both. We are developing intelligent routing with a single interface that will move money through various payment rails in a way that’s most appropriate for the customer.
We also see an opportunity for many businesses to streamline operations by embedding our payment tools in the ERP and treasury management software they use every day. For example, we recently enabled companies to easily send instant payments to vendors, customers, and employees from their U.S. Bank accounts within their existing Kyriba dashboard.
We are also working with Microsoft to embed payment tools in Microsoft Dynamics 365. The direct integration into the ERP and finance solution makes it easier for businesses to click and start using the capabilities quickly.
We have always adjusted our payment solutions depending on customer needs. As we work to enable companies to handle more of their back-office transactions with instant payments, the number of traditional payments will shrink. However, traditional payments – like ACH and paper checks – are not going away tomorrow. There will be times when instant payments are the best option for a business, and times when traditional payment methods will continue to work well. Our focus is providing customers with the most efficient money movement capability available for each payment need.
The similarities far outweigh the differences. Both leverage a good funds model, and will enable a wide range of payments to be made 24/7/365. Payments on the networks will be immediate, certain, and data-rich.
The use cases are also similar:
1. Account-to-Account transfers;
2. B2C payments;
3. B2B payments;
4. G2C Payments;
Tax Payments / Tax Refunds;
SSN Benefits (received).
5. Request for Payment.
Differences include the operators: the Fed is running FedNow and The Clearing House operates the RTP Network. Also, the limit for RTP currently is USD 1 million. FedNow will have a limit of USD 500,000 at launch.
We aim to reduce any complexity with intelligent routing and embedding payments into the tools customers use every day.
We plan to provide access to both and our intelligent routing capabilities will allow commercial clients to route and receive their real-time and instant payments seamlessly, whether it’s through RTP or FedNow.
Instant payments allow us to add more value to the services we provide our clients. Innovative use cases for instant payments will continue to accelerate and we’ll deepen our payment and treasury management relationships with clients as we work together to deliver better payment experiences.
For businesses, the added efficiencies created by instant payments will help save resources currently earmarked for outdated payment methods. Instant payments will also create a better experience for their customers, driving loyalty and providing a competitive advantage.
The consumer is going to enjoy real-time capabilities, similar to the instant services they experience in other areas of their lives. One of the areas we’re most excited about is called Request for Payment. This is a new bill payment model that is more efficient for billers and their customers, reducing the friction associated with existing bill presentment and payment solutions today.
Here’s how it works:
The biller initiates a Request for Payment and sends an electronic invoice to the customer's bank;
The customer receives an alert through the bank app with the biller name, amount to pay, and due date;
The customer responds to pay instantly or schedule payment;
The biller receives payment on time, with irrevocable funds and the customer sees instant confirmation that the bill has been paid.
This provides consumers certainty that the payment has cleared, instantly, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Mike Jorgensen, head of emerging solutions and strategy, U.S. Bank Global Treasury Management, leads a team that helps customers leverage emerging payment solutions and the bank’s money movement capabilities to streamline and digitize payment processes. Mike has more than 20 years of banking and financial services experience that includes roles in product management, treasury management, supplier management, and sales. Based in the Greater Salt Lake City, Utah area, Mike holds a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in Business Management and Management Information Systems and is certified in Six Sigma process management, Pragmatic Marketing, and Pragmatic Product Management.
U.S. Bancorp, with approximately 77,000 employees and USD 682 billion in assets as of 31 March 2023, is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association. The Minneapolis-based company serves millions of customers locally, nationally and globally through a diversified mix of businesses: Consumer and Business Banking; Payment Services; Corporate & Commercial Banking; and Wealth Management and Investment Services. Union Bank, consisting primarily of retail banking branches on the West Coast, joined U.S. Bancorp in 2022. U.S. Bancorp has been recognised for its approach to digital innovation, social responsibility, and customer service, including being named one of the 2023 World’s Most Ethical Companies. Learn more at usbank.com/about.
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