The push toward faster payments in the United States has accelerated as consumers and businesses increasingly expect immediate access to funds and seamless digital payment experiences. While real-time payment networks continue to expand, achieving adoption requires collaboration among financial institutions, payment providers, regulators, and technology companies. Organizations that can help connect emerging payment rails, support interoperability, and simplify implementation will play an important role in shaping the future of payments.
ACI Worldwide’s decision to join the U.S. Faster Payments Council (FPC) reflects the growing momentum to build a more efficient payments ecosystem. With experience supporting real-time payment systems across multiple global markets, ACI brings expertise in real-time payments, payment modernization, and ISO 20022 standards as the U.S. market continues its transition toward instant payment capabilities.
ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW), a leading global provider of real-time electronic payment and banking solutions, today announced that it has officially joined the U.S. FPC, a membership organization that seeks to enable Americans to safely and securely pay anyone, anywhere, at any time with near-immediate funds availability. As a member of the council, ACI supports its aim of facilitating faster payments ubiquity in the U.S.
ACI has been a global leader in payments technology for more than 40 years. The company currently supports 18 real-time domestic schemes around the world, including Zelle and TCH in the U.S., and will support FedNow as it moves toward production. ACI provides processing for approximately 50 percent of the UK’s Faster Payments (UKFP), the core processing infrastructure for Malaysia’s Real-Time Retail Payments Platform (RPP), and STET’s real-time payments platform for PSPs in Europe. Additionally, ACI has customers using UP Real-Time Payments to access Singapore FAST and the Australian NPP (New Payments Platform). ACI also serves on the ISO 20022 Real-Time Payments Group and the EPC Instant Payments Technology Group.
“As an independent, solution-agnostic member organization, the FPC is in a unique position to work with all industry stakeholders and tackle challenges that may be more difficult to address through bilateral cooperation alone,” said Kim Ford, executive director, FPC. “We look forward to leveraging ACI’s vast experience in global payments as we continue to create dialogue and facilitate action to drive the adoption of faster payments in the U.S.”
“ACI’s commitment to the advancement of Faster Payments in the U.S. goes beyond our business goals,” said Craig Ramsey, head of real-time payments, ACI Worldwide. “As consumer demand for speed, convenience and simplicity with payments increases, the push for real-time payments will continue to accelerate, and the launch of multiple real-time payments systems in U.S. is clear evidence of that. ACI’s goals are aligned with the FPC’s as we look to drive the successful implementation, adoption and monetization of real-time payments in the U.S.”
ACI’s UP Real-Time Payments solution can help solve for a rapidly changing wire-transfer market, and meet the new real-time standards and schemes. UP Real-Time Payments addresses real-time payments by offering organizations the ability to serve both corporate (RTGS) and retail customers’ needs with a single, universal solution.
As the payments industry moves toward greater speed and connectivity, collaboration will remain essential to expanding faster payments adoption across the United States. Organizations that can bridge traditional payment infrastructure with emerging real-time capabilities will help financial institutions meet evolving customer expectations while improving efficiency and accessibility.
ACI Worldwide’s participation in the Faster Payments Council highlights the broader industry commitment to advancing real-time payments and modern payment infrastructure. As new networks, standards, and payment options continue to emerge, investments in payment modernization and interoperability will help support the long-term growth of the faster payments ecosystem.
